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How Lamb Chop became your dog’s favorite toy

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The pet business is projected to reach over $150 billion in sales this year and one big player in the industry is Lamb Chop. The beloved sock puppet from a children’s television show has become the hottest chew toy for dogs.

In 2008, the pet product company Multipet got the license to Lamb Chop and soon began making toys for dogs. Nowadays, Multipet sells several million of them each year.

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Dog owners on social media have been chronicling how much their canines love their Lamb Chop toys.

Comedian and “Simpsons” writer Broti Gupta posted on X in February her dog Niko is “obsessed” with the toy, writing, “He puts it in front of the door on our way out so it can be the first thing he sees when we get back.”

And just a few days ago, Gupta posted another image with her dog holding the toy in his mouth –– telling her followers that Niko and Lamb Chop want them to watch the latest “Simpsons” episode.

Other dog owners have turned to Reddit to make sure they are not alone when it comes to their dog’s fascination with Lamb Chop.

It’s been a long road for the sock puppet to become man’s best friend’s best friend.

It all started when Peabody Award-winning ventriloquist, puppeteer and entertainer Shari Lewis introduced Lamb Chop on “The Captain Kangaroo Show” in the 1950s.

Lewis took Lamb Chop with her when she started her own show, “The Shari Lewis Show,” in the early 1960s.

Then, three decades later, Lamb Chop met a new generation of kids when Lewis began “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along” series on PBS. They both also ventured onto another PBS series, “Sesame Street.” Her show won five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children’s Series.

Millennials who watched the show as a kid are now pet owners. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 32% of dog owners are millennials, which means a dog toy based on Lamb Chop not only checks the box for a fun chew toy for Fido –– but also a whimsical, nostalgic purchase for Fido’s owner, too.

Since Lewis’ passing in 1998, her daughter Mallory Lewis has taken over the mantle of being the voice of lamb chop.

Her TikTok account — @yourfavlambchop — where she posts videos with her puppet companion has over 250,000 followers. Mallory Lewis recently recorded a video reacting to dog owners giving their pets the chew toys.

So what does she and Lamb Chop think about all this newfound fame with the four-legged friend demographic?

In one TikTok video, Lamb Chop explained the complexity of the situation.

“Well, it’s complicated because on the one hand, or one mitten, I am thrilled that people love me and want to share their love of me with their fur babies,” the puppet said. “On the other hand, I don’t like seeing pictures of people’s doggies chewing my head off.”

According to the software company Pet Exec, millennials and Gen Z spend around $100 on their pets for the holidays.

The APPA said 52% of dog owners are planning to purchase holiday gifts this year for their furry friends. And it’s a safe bet many of those pet parents will be purchasing one of these Lamb Chop chew toys — if they don’t have a few already lying around at home.

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[Craig Nigrelli]

THE PET INDUSTRY IS GROWING – PROJECTED TO REACH OVER 150 BILLION DOLLARS IN SALES THIS YEAR. AND THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A BIG PART OF THAT.

ACCORDING TO THE SOFTWARE COMPANY “PET EXEC” – MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z SPEND AROUND 100 DOLLARS ON THEIR PETS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

NOW WHEN SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT DOGS —THE AMERICAN PET PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION SAYS 52 PERCENT OF DOG OWNERS ARE PLANNING TO PURCHASE HOLIDAY GIFTS THIS YEAR FOR THEIR FURRY FRIENDS.

AND IT’S A SAFE BET MANY OF THOSE PET PARENTS WILL BE PURCHASING ONE OF THESE – IF THEY DON’T HAVE A FEW ALREADY.

YOUR EYES DO NOT DECEIVE YOU – THAT IS A DOG TOY BASED ON LAMB CHOP – THE BELOVED CHILDREN’S TELEVISION CHARACTER.

THE TOY — WHICH COMES IN MANY OTHER VARIETIES – LIKE HOLIDAY, CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH LAMB CHOPS – IS AVAILABLE ON MULTI-PET’S WEBSITE.

IN 2008 — THE PET PRODUCT COMPANY GOT THE LICENSE TO LAMB CHOP AND BEGAN MAKING TOYS FOR DOGS. NOWADAYS — MULTI-PET SAYS THEY SELL SEVERAL MILLION OF THEM EACH YEAR.

DOG OWNERS ARE CHRONICLING HOW MUCH THEIR CANINES LOVE THEIR LAMB CHOP TOYS – INCLUDING COMEDIAN AND SIMPSONS WRITER BROTI GUPTA  WHO IN FEBRUARY POSTED ON X THAT HER DOG NIKO IS “OBSESSED” WITH THE TOY – WRITING  THAT “HE PUTS IT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR ON OUR WAY OUT SO IT CAN BE THE FIRST THING HE SEES WHEN WE GET BACK.”

AND JUST A FEW DAYS AGO – SHE POSTED ANOTHER IMAGE WITH HER DOG HOLDING THE TOY IN HIS MOUTH – TELLING HER FOLLOWERS THAT NIKO AND LAMB CHOP WANT THEM TO WATCH THE LATEST SIMPSONS EPISODE.

AND OTHER DOG OWNERS TURNING TO REDDIT TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT ALONE

IT’S BEEN A LONG ROAD FOR THE SOCK PUPPET TO BECOME MAN’S BEST FRIEND’S BEST FRIEND.

IT ALL STARTED WHEN PEABODY-AWARNING VENTRILOQUIST, PUPPETEER AND ENTERTAINER SHARI LEWIS

INTRODUCED LAMB CHOP ON THE CAPTAIN KANGAROO SHOW IN THE 1950S.

SHARI WOULD TAKE LAMB CHOP WITH HER WHEN SHE STARTED HER OWN SHOW – THE SHARI LEWIS SHOW – IN THE EARLY 1960S.

THEN THREE DECADES LATER – LAMB CHOP WOULD MEET A NEW GENERATION OF KIDS – WHEN SHARI BEGAN “LAMB CHOP’S PLAY-ALONG” SERIES ON PBS – AND ALSO MAKING APPEARANCES ON SESAME STREET. HER SHOW WOULD GO ON TO WIN FIVE EMMY AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S SERIES.

NOW IF YOU WERE WATCHING THE SHOW AS A KID YOU PROBABLY ARE A MILLENNIAL – AND ACCORDING TO THE A-P-P-A – 32 PERCENT OF DOG OWNERS ARE MILLENNIALS – WHICH MEANS A DOG TOY BASED ON LAMB CHOP NOT ONLY CHECKS THE BOX FOR A FUN CHEW TOY FOR FIDO – BUT ALSO A WHIMSICAL NOSTALGIAC PURCHASE FOR FIDO’S OWNER TOO.

SINCE SHARI LEWIS’ PASSING IN 1998, HER DAUGHTER MALLORY HAS TAKEN OVER THE MANTLE OF BEING THE VOICE OF LAMB CHOP.

HER TIKTOK ACCOUNT HAS OVER 250 THOUSAND FOLLOWERS –

WHERE SHE RECENTLY POSTED A REACTION VIDEO TO ALL OF THE DOG OWNERS GIVING THEIR PETS THE CHEW TOYS.

SO WHAT DOES SHE – AND LAMB CHOP FOR THAT MATTER – THINK ABOUT ALL THIS NEWFOUND FAME WITH THE FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND DEMOGRAPHIC? THEY HAD THIS TO SAY IN A VIDEO EARLIER THIS YEAR.

“This nice person wants to know how you feel about the dog toys?

“Well, it’s complicated because on the one hand or one mitten, I am thrilled that people love me and want to share their love of me with their fur babies

Aw that’s very sweet.

“On the other hand I don’t like seeing pictures of people’s doggies chewing my head off.”

“OK. That makes sense.”

NOW FOR THOSE FAMILIAR WITH THE 1990S LAMB CHOP SERIES, YOU MAY RECALL HOW EACH EPISODE ENDED – WITH THIS CATCHY SONG  –

AND JUST LIKE THE SONG THAT DOESN’T END – THANKS TO OUR DOGS AND THEIR FAVORITE TOY – SHARI LEWIS AND LAMB CHOP’S LEGACIES WILL NOT BE ENDING ANY TIME SOON.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI

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