West Paw Zwig

A hollow, bendy stick shaped fetch toy made from West Paw’s Zogoflex Echo material, built as a safer stand in for a real stick.

Who it suits

Dogs that love to fetch and carry sticks, on land or in water, from about French Bulldog size up. Not a chew toy for dogs that shred rubber, and too big for the smallest breeds.

Key facts

• About 13.75 inches (35 cm) long (West Paw)
• Hollow and squishy, and it floats (West Paw)
• Dishwasher safe; free of BPA, latex, silicone and phthalates (West Paw)
• Made in Bozeman, Montana, from recyclable Zogoflex, and covered by the maker’s Love it Guarantee (West Paw)

What reviewers say

Whole Dog Journal: Founding editor Nancy Kerns and three test dogs played with five stick toys for over four weeks, for fetch, tug and chewing, with the toys often left out in the sun (published June 2022, updated March 2023). The Zwig came first. The dogs liked how it felt in the mouth, so it had to be kept from unsupervised chewing, and it is lighter than the others, so it does not fly as far. She rated it highly partly because the maker says what it is made of. The article does not say how the toys were obtained.

Canine Journal: Reviewer Amanda tested more than 20 stick toys with her own dogs and named the Zwig the best stick for fetch (September 2023). It threw well, bounced on hard ground, floated, and showed no marks after her German Shepherd bit down hard in play. She warns that a determined chewer will still tear it up and that very small dogs struggled to carry it. The article does not say how the toys were obtained.

We did not test it ourselves.

Pros

• Floats, so it works for water fetch
• Maker discloses the material and says it is free of BPA, latex and phthalates
• Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
• Top pick in two separate hands-on tests

Cons

• Lighter than other sticks, so it does not throw as far
• Not built for heavy chewers
• Too large for the smallest dogs

Good to know

• Use it for supervised play and put it away afterwards; if your dog starts chewing pieces off, take it away.
• If your dog swallows a piece or seems to hurt its mouth, see your vet.