Bringing Retro Back – Pound Puppies REVIEW

AD – Pound Puppies items gifted for review

I can still remember that moment 31 years ago, aged 6, when I received quite possibly the BEST Christmas present EVER. I had been hounding my Mum and Dad for months and after seeing their adorable faces on TV (most likely in between episodes of The Raggy Dolls and The Shoe People!) and was absolutely desperate for one. An adorable and loving Pound Puppy to cuddle and call my own.

Seeing him smiling back at me with huge eyes when I unwrapped that present on Christmas morning was like a dream come true! I remember carrying him around with me absolutely everywhere, using him as a makeshift pillow when travelling in the car, cuddling up to him at bedtime and my sister and I acting out little play scenes with our very own puppy family. I have really precious memories of my Pound Puppies and went on to amass quite a collection including the Mum dog with baby pups and Grandpaw – the beloved grandad dog with his very own spectacles!

Well good news children of the 80s, Pound Puppies are BACK!

Relaunch of Pound Puppies

If you’re a child of the 80’s who has gone on to have children of their own, or simply want to celebrate a little bit of nostalgia, you’ll be pleased to know that the Pound Puppies relaunch is an authentic reproduction of this classic 1980s toy.

Some relaunched toys feel the need to modernise, to recreate or to ‘mix things up’ and just like how I feel about modern day My Little Ponies, I wish that they would take the ‘if it aint broke attitude’ instead. Thankfully Pound Puppies are an almost exact replica of the Pound Puppy 1980s classics you will know and love.

These loveable and huggable Pound Puppies are looking for a loving home; waiting for someone to adopt them and love them and are a great way to teach children about dog rehoming / rescuing animals and how they can care for their pets to create a lifelong bond and friendship.

There are two varieties of Pound Puppies at present – the  Pound Puppies Classic Plush and Pound Puppies Newborns, both of which come with an adoption Certificate so you children can record the name and details of their pet.

Pound Puppies Classic Plush

The Pound Puppies Classic Plush puppies are exactly how I remember them. Super soft and huggable, they come in their very own dog carrier / kennel, with their face popping out at the front and huge eyes beaming back at you!

There are four different puppies to collect, with different coloured fur and different breeds (some of which have longer ears than others).

Each Pound Puppies Classic Plush comes with a fabric collar with plastic tag attached where children can write the name of their new friend, before writing on their Adoption Certificate the puppies name and the date it joined the family.

There is also a small sheet of Pound Puppy stickers which is a nice added extra.

The Pound Puppies Classic Plush toys are 17 inches long, so fairly substantial, making them great for snuggling up to on a movie night or as a bedtime friend. Each puppy has the traditional PP and love heart embroidery on their bum.

The Pound Puppies Classic Plush puppies have an RRP of £19.99 and children will undoubtedly want to collect them all!

Pound Puppies Newborn

For those who prefer their Puppies a little on the smaller side, the 2020 range of Pound Puppies also includes Pound Puppies Newborn!

These miniature pups are around 8 inches long, but still supersoft and cuddly. with a basic red collar and floppy ears.

There are 8 different characters of the Pound Puppies Newborn to collect and they retail at £7.99 each.

As per their larger counterparts, the Pound Puppies Newborn puppies come in their very own cardboard carrier case and an adoption certificate, but not the collar tag or stickers.

Pound Puppies & The Dogs Trust

Both the girls were super excited when the Pound Puppies arrived, and having had lots of conversations about bringing a new puppy into our family over recent weeks, we were able to have a bit of a chat about how dog rehoming works and how puppies aren’t the only option when getting a new pet.

Both the girls in particular loved the newborn version, but the larger plush was much more cuddly and soft, and Erin loved leaning in for a snuggle!

This launch of Pound Puppies is affiliated with The Dogs Trust – the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, rehoming 14300 dogs a year! From the 1st August, for every Pound Puppies toy sold with the Dogs Trust logo, Basic Fun will make a donation to the Dogs Trust – 27p for the classic plush and 11p for the newborns. It’s lovely to know that the girls are supporting a great cause too.

Overall verdict of New Pound Puppies

Overall, the Pound Puppies have been a real hit with the girls, and whilst they dont really DO anything, the girls have enjoyed snuggling up with them and carrying them around in their carriers or even in a little picnic basket in the garden! They are just as soft and snuggly as I remember, and it is great that they have stuck to their roots and not changed unnecessarily.

As a Mum, I do miss the “puppies’ element – one of my original puppies had babies inside a velcro tummy which added another element to play. I hope that future waves of the relaunched Pound Puppies include these too, as I can still remember how much I loved popping the tiny little babies in and sealing her back up!

Pound Puppies are available to buy at Smyths Toys or on Amazon. Classic Plush Pound Puppies are also available in store at Tesco. Look out for the packs with The Dogs Trust logo to support the cause.