HuggiePup Puppy Behavioral Aid Toy with Pulsing Heartbeat & Heating Pack - Perfect for Crate Training & Anxiety Relief - Chocolate Dog Plush for Comfort & Stress Reduction - Ideal for New Puppies, Separation Anxiety & Vet Visits

My 11.5 year old dog's separation anxiety suddenly increased earlier this year. He started having anxiety-induced poop accidents inside (even when he was being potty trained years ago, he never pooped in the house unless he was legitimately sick!) from running around in a panic whenever I'd leave, and I started catching him barking loudly non-stop if he didn't realize I'd come home yet, which was never an issue before. It turns out he's going deaf, and in conjunction with his vision getting a little worse, I think he was now scared to be home alone.I bought him the more popular Snuggie Puppy but wasn't sure it helped much. He unfortunately peed on it early on while being boarded, so I bought the HuggiePup as a replacement because it was about $10 less. The HuggiePup is SO much better in my opinion and well worth the money!Pros:- Double layers of Velcro to hold the plastic heart beat device in securely. There's an internal vertical slit one and then a cloth flap with Velcro that closes over that. The cloth flap is a little thick, which adds extra cushioning around the device. The flaps take some work for a human to open, so only the fiercest chewer would be able to get at it! (The Snuggie Puppy only has a vertical Velcro slit and is much easier to open, which could be a bigger safety hazard for a determined chewer).- Comes with a reusable microwavable heating pad. I haven't used it personally, but I can see how it would be helpful. (The Snuggie Puppy has single use heating pads and you only get one free one in its box.)- Soft but not so small or lightweight that your dog can't snuggle up to it without pushing it around too easily (The Snuggie Puppy is comparable.)- Has held up to light chewing. My dog is not a chewer normally, but he mistook it for a normal plush toy a couple of times. I put it away between uses now. (The Snuggie Puppy is comparable.)- Also held up to a gentle wash and low to medium dry -- with the device removed, of course. (The Snuggie Puppy did too.)- The most important part for me: the heartbeat is very strong. My dog tends to nap on my bed when I'm gone, and I noticed the heartbeat is strong enough that I can feel it vibrating through the mattress. This is important since he's going deaf and needs to be able to feel the beat, not just hear it. (The Snuggie Puppy's heartbeat isn't quiet per se, but it's just not as loud or strong.)- I would say I've probably had the heartbeat on for a total of 18 or so hours so far, and the batteries haven't needed to be replaced yet, so it doesn't have an overly large energy need. (The Snuggy Puppy is comparable, although I find it harder to turn it off than the HuggiePup sometimes.)Cons:- The only con, which is also kind of a pro, is that the Velcro over the heartbeat device is VERY strong. So strong, in fact, that one of the horizontal flap's seam ripped on one side the first time I tried to open it up to add the batteries to the device. Fortunately, because of the double Velcro layering, it's still fully functional as is, so I decided to not to go through the hassle of exchanging it. Just be gentle and don't rush while opening it!I was really skeptical that something like this toy would make much of a difference to my dog, especially since he's far older than a puppy now, but it really does! I felt compelled to leave this review because I left for a post-surgery appointment and some errands today and came home to no accidents and a pretty calm dog that had just woken up from a nap with this toy. Compare that to my pre-surgery appointment 4 weeks ago, where I forgot to turn on the HuggiePup before I left and came home to a big accident and a hyper, anxious dog who was running around me in circles and crying a lot.Besides reducing my dog's anxiety, it has also helped my own! I started getting nervous to leave him alone and also dreaded coming home to yet another accident on my expensive rug. I'm glad he has a little calming buddy to keep him company now!