Brio My First Sets - Shorty the Dog

Pretty expensive toy and from a famous brand but it doesn't really seem like a train at all and it has never entertained my kids for more than a few seconds. My son is 2 and loves trains, was given this at 9 months old and it has never been a favourite. Plus the magnets are pretty weak.

Well, unlike the other review, ALL three train cars DO fit inside our blue dog's zippered tummy. So we can bring this set, all zipped up, to the Pediatrician's office for entertainment. (If you want to bring track, you can rubber-band a circle's worth to the dog like we do.) Perhaps uneven production quality is why these have disappeared from store shelves. I don't understand why there are magnets in the tips of the ears, but hey, maybe it's for more 'open-minded play' than my grown-up (closed-minded) brain can process. I always like the quality and feel of Brio's trains, and the paint and rolling action is as good here as ever. The plush doggie, however, is sewn in a stylized zig-zag contrast thread stitch, which I feel somewhat detracts from his overall appeal, and he is not machine washable according to the tag, which is a rather fatal flaw in a child's toy, in my opinion.

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I bought this for my 15 mo. old son so that he would have some trains of his own to play with while his 2.5 year old brother plays with his trains. It has met that purpose. The two dog cars and the one ball car (the ball rotates while it moves) are great. They are cute and sturdy and the boys know whose cars are whose.

The things to know ...

1. None of the cars fit in the zippered pocket of the plush dog. So if you're counting on that feature know that it's not what it's cracked up to be.

2. The bone leash does a good job of pulling the cars (though my son is not interested in doing that). While there are mangets on the bone and the plush dog the magnets are not strong enough to pull the dog. (You can tuck the bone into the dog collar if that really matters to you)

In summary the cars are great, so if you're comfortable with the price for 3 cars then I'd recommend this toy. While the plush dog is cute, it doesn't do what it says it will. My son isn't playing with it either. So, if you're drawn to this predominantly for the plush dog, I can't recommend it.

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