The best Pound Puppy toy

Which is the best Pound Puppy toy?

Created in the ‘80s, Pound Puppies are plush stuffed dog dolls with floppy ears and droopy eyes that were found in a dog pound (today called an animal shelter). Each comes with an adoption certificate – because your child can “adopt” these puppies from the pound – and arrives in a cardboard box that is shaped like a dog house. The Pound Puppies motto is, “a pup for every person and a person for every pup,” because their mission is to place puppies with new owners. 

If you are looking for an authentic reproduction of the original Pound Puppies from the 1980s, take a look at the Pound Puppies Classic Stuffed Animal Plush Toy. 

What to know before you buy a Pound Puppy toy

When Pound Puppies successfully match puppies with new owners, they give the puppy a parting gift of a dog tag shaped like a dog house. Pound Puppies come as Huggables and pillow pets, too.

The Pound Pups

• Cooler: Cooler is the good-hearted leader of the Pound Puppies. He has white fur and floppy black ears. Cooler always wears an orange dog collar and his trademark blue jacket with red collar and cuffs. He plays basketball and the guitar and sings, too. As legend has it, Cooler is inspired by Fonzie, the character from the 1970s TV series “Happy Days.”
• Violet Vanderfeller: Violet has white fur, blue eyes and wears a pink skirt, T-shirt, earrings and bows. Violet enjoys teaching manners to young puppies and kittens. She is very good at sewing and at playing the violin.
• Scrounger: Scrounger is the Pound Puppies junk collector. His fur was once yellow and now is white. Scrounger likes to look through garbage cans for useful things others have discarded. He is said to eat 10 cans of garbage a day. Scrounger wears a green hat, a green tie and a brown dog collar, speaks with a Brooklyn accent and plays the trumpet.
• Louie the cook: Louie is the owner of the Bark and Growl cafe. He has dark brown fur and short, tan ears. Louie wears a pink bow tie with his white chef’s outfit. He speaks with a French accent, is a very good cook and is sensitive when someone doesn’t like his cooking.  

The humans

• Holly: Holly Connor is the owner of the Pound Puppies. She is the human girl blessed with special Puppy Power, a magical ability to communicate with animals. Holly’s costumes have changed many times but always includes a pink headband in her bouffant hairdo. Holly is a kind and purehearted girl that also happens to be the niece and ward of the cruel Katrina Stoneheart. Holly is always concerned with injured and sick animals as well as those whose feelings have been hurt.
• Katrina Stoneheart: Katrina Stoneheart is the archenemy of the Pound Puppies. She is a tall woman who wears lots of gold jewelry and an orange wig. Katrina was so extremely evil that in the film “Pound Puppies,” she learns from her past bad behavior and redeems herself as a kind-hearted and selfless person. 
• Tammy and Jeff: Tammy and Jeff are the two teenagers who own and operate Jeff and Tammy’s Puppy and Kitty Pound, an adoption bazaar. Just like Holly, Tammy and Jeff are also gifted with special Puppy Powers.

What to look for in a quality Pound Puppy toy

Size

Classic Pound Puppies are the same size as the original puppies from the 1980s: 17 inches long from nose to tail and 12 inches wide from foot to foot. Newborn Pound Puppies are eight inches long and six inches wide. Smaller children tend to prefer the smaller newborns.

Color

There are several versions of Pound Puppy plush stuffed animals. Use the selector to browse and choose the colors you want, from white to black and light and dark browns. Many pups’ ears are different colors, so look for your favorite combination.

How much you can expect to spend on a Pound Puppy toy

Individual Pound Puppies cost from $10-$40, depending on their size.

Pound Puppy toy FAQ

Do Pound Puppies bark?

A. No, Pound Puppies are passive toys without batteries. They are designed to be lovable and huggable stuffed animals.

Do the Pound Puppies come with names?

A. No, part of the allure of Pound Puppies is that when they arrive with their official adoption papers, kids get to give them their own names. Many kids choose names of their favorite Pound Puppy characters.

What’s the best Pound Puppy toy to buy?

Top Pound Puppy toy 

Pound Puppies Classic Stuffed Animal Plush Toy

What you need to know: These 17-inch-long stuffed animals are authentic reproductions of the original Pound Puppies from the 1980s. 

What you’ll love: Adopt as many of your favorite Pound Puppies as you want and give them names and a new home. The enclosed adoption certificate allows kids to write in the name they’ve chosen for their new puppy. These soft and huggable stuffed animal plush toys come with a name tag and a sticker sheet and are the perfect size for kids to hug and cuddle. 

What you should consider: Some customers say the ribbon collars could be sturdier.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top Pound Puppy toy for the money

Basic Fun Pound Puppies Newborns Stuffed Animal Plush Toy

What you need to know: These soft and fuzzy baby Pound Puppies fit in the palm of your child’s hand.

What you’ll love: Newborn Pound Puppies are eight inches long from head to tail and six inches wide from foot to foot. Choose from black, gray, white, cream and brown puppies. Each comes with a removable diaper and an adoption certificate. The newborns’ size is the same as the originals from the 1980s collection. Newborns come with collars, but no name tags.

What you should consider: The diaper is not as secure as it should be.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Plush Dog House with 5 Stuffed Plush Puppies

What you need to know: This 12-inch, soft plush dog house comes with five seven-inch puppies inside.

What you’ll love: This isn’t a Pound Puppies branded toy, but if your child loves dogs, they may love this. Inside the dog house are plush Dalmatian, yellow Lab, Cocker Spaniel, Poodle and Rottweiler beanie puppies. The handle on the top makes this dog house a convenient carrying case, too. Also included are five mini puppy figures less than 1 inch tall. Mix and mingle these 7-inch pups with 8-inch Pound Puppies minis for even more fun. 

What you should consider: Little kids can sometimes pull off these dogs’ noses and eyes, and the mini puppies are too small for little children who still put things in their mouths.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.