Ella's Lamb Chop Obsession, Explained

Short answer: Ella picks Lamb Chop first because Lamb Chop is soft, it squeaks, and it is shaped like a friend. Ella is Asher's dog and the Sniff and Shift tester, and Lamb Chop is one of her two absolute favorites. The other is Loofa Dog, and the two of them go head to head in our road-trip tug test. This guide covers who Lamb Chop is, what is in the Multipet Lamb Chop collection, how the lamb rides along on road trips, and which edition suits which dog.

Who is Lamb Chop, anyway?

Lamb Chop is the classic Shari Lewis puppet character, a sweet faced lamb who has been charming people since television had three channels. Multipet makes the plush dog toy version, and nearly every listing in the line describes her the same way: Shari Lewis' classic and beloved lamb, adored by countless customers and their dogs. If you grew up with the puppet, the dog toy is a nostalgia hit. If you did not, your dog will not care one bit. She just wants the squeak.

The classic Lamb Chop

The starting point is the plain Multipet Lamb Chop 6 inch, the one most people picture. Multipet says its super soft exterior makes Lamb Chop great for cuddling, and its squeaker makes it fun for playtime. The classic comes in three sizes: the 6 inch, the 10.5 inch, and the 24 inch, which is a lamb about the length of a booster seat. Same face, same squeak, three commitment levels. There is also a Rainbow Lamb Chop at 10.5 inches for dogs who like a little color with their lamb.

Floppy, standing, and the big one

The Floppy Lamb Chop is what Multipet calls a fun spin on a classic favorite. The arms hang long and loose, and Multipet says floppy arms are good for tugging and plush fabric is good for cuddling. It squeaks, of course. Floppy comes in pink, purple and blue at 7 inches, 14 inches and 20 inches, and there is a Standing Floppy Lamb Chop at 20 inches for dogs who prefer their lamb upright and ready to go. The 28 inch Floppy Lamb Chop is the largest lamb in the lineup, and yes, it has a squeaker too.

Party lamb, tailgate lamb, crinkle lamb

Lamb Chop also dresses up. The Lamb Chop with Birthday Hat is the same soft lamb wearing a party hat, available in two colors and sized at 4, 6 and 10.5 inches. Multipet says it is great for cuddling, playing, or in this case, partying. The Tailgate Lamb Chop with Football is a 6.5 inch lamb suited up with a soft football, and Multipet sizes this one just right for small dogs and calls it soft, squeaky and ready for game day fun. The Lamb Chop Crinkle is a 6 inch mini with a flat body filled with crinkle material and a plush head that squeaks. Knobby Noggins is a 5 inch lamb with a knobby rubber ball inside its head, which Multipet built for dogs who love to fetch. And the Lamb Chop Squeaker Mat is a 9 inch flat lamb that Multipet packed with nine squeakers, which is nine more than most people expect from a lamb.

How Lamb Chop rides along

Ella packs Lamb Chop for road trips. That is not a figure of speech. When the bags come out, the lamb comes too, and she rides in the back seat with it. A plush toy turns out to be a good travel companion: it is quiet when nobody is squeaking it, it does not roll under the seat like a ball, and it doubles as a pillow when the miles get long. The other thing that always makes the trip is a bag of freeze-dried dog treats, because every co-pilot works for snacks.

Which edition suits which dog

For a dog who mostly cuddles, the classic Lamb Chop in the size that fits your dog is the easy call. For a dog who tugs, the Floppy versions have those long arms that Multipet says are good for tugging. For a fetch dog, Knobby Noggins has the ball built in. For a dog who loves noise, the Squeaker Mat is nine squeakers in one flat lamb. For a birthday, the party hat edition does the talking. For fall Sundays, the Tailgate lamb with the football is the obvious one. Ella, for the record, does not discriminate. If it is a lamb, she wants it. If you are torn between two sizes, our Lamb Chop size guide walks through every size in the line from 4 inches to 28. And if your dog is more of a hot dog shaped toy fan, the Multipet Loofa Dog collection is waiting.

Play smart

Every Lamb Chop here is a plush squeaker toy, and plush toys are for play and cuddling, not for solo chewing marathons. Supervise play and take the toy away if pieces come loose. Rotate a few sizes if your dog is a collector, and keep the party hat edition for the actual party if you want it to look nice in the photos.

One last thing before you shop the Multipet toys collection: these toys are sold and shipped by The Family Pet, an independent pet store in Nanuet, New York, through Shopify Collective. They are made by Multipet, not by Sniff and Shift. We just happen to have a tester who will not get in the car without one.