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.
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.”
question: my dog is OBSESSED with his lamb chop toy. he literally puts it in front of the door on our way out so it can be the first thing he sees when we get back. He hugs it constantly. He won't go anywhere in the house without it. Does he think it's his child? His mom? ?? pic.twitter.com/obg9wiVMOA
— broti gupta (@BrotiGupta) February 19, 2024
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.
Just do Niko this one favor. Watch the Simpsons on Hulu tomorrow. It’s such a fun episode written by @jessicajconrad so you KNOW you’re in for a good time. Niko and lamb chop really want this for you pic.twitter.com/zisGZ4gZJr
— broti gupta (@BrotiGupta) November 25, 2024
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.
