Why Are Dogs (and People) So Obsessed With Lamb Chop?

Ruby had a Lamb Chop party for her eighth birthday: There was a Lamb Chop cake, Lamb Chop bowls, and (most impressively) a Lamb Chop piñata filled with 30 mini Lamb Chop plushies. Ruby is a Mini Australian Labradoodle who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she’s not usually interested in toys — except for... you guessed it.

“Lamb Chop is the only one she’ll play with and treats like her baby,” Ruby’s mom, Melanie Rigden, says. “She’ll use the large ones as pillows, and anytime she gets excited or the zoomies, she’ll grab one from her [tent bed] to run around and play with.” To date, Ruby has more than 60 Lambies, as they’re sometimes called, including one for each holiday.

While most trends tend to fall by the wayside after a few years, Lamb Chop’s popularity shows no signs of stopping — and veterinarian Dr. Adam Christman can vouch for that. Recently on a walk in New York City he stopped to say hello to a Golden Retriever with the recognizable toy in her mouth. He asked the dog’s mom, “Is this her baby?” (As any seasoned dog parent knows, pups often select special items they become fiercely attached to, as if they gave birth to them.)

“It was so funny,” he says. “She goes, ‘Look how raggedy this thing is. She has to go everywhere on her walk with this in her mouth.’” Christman understands because his own dogs — four Dachshunds — have their own Lamb Chops that populate in their home “like Gremlins.”  

And while Lamb Chop has been part of the dog-parent zeitgeist for quite a while now, the toy has recently taken on notoriety within the wider cultural conversation. Last November, The Atlantic took notice; a month later, The New York Times reported on the phenomenon; and last month, The New York Post ran a piece about Lamb Chop selling out across New York City. “We sell out of Lamb Chop pretty much every week,” Jeff Aviles, manager at Vinny’s Pet Shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, told The Post. In fact, at the time of publication, they were down to their last toy.

But how did it all begin?

It’s well-known that American pet parents go above and beyond for our pets. Per an American Pet Products Association (APPA) survey, U.S. pet parents spent over $150 billion on their animals in 2024. And Lamb Chop was the top-selling plushie at popular online retailer Chewy last year. You can buy Rainbow Lamb Chops, Easter Lamb Chops, and Lamb Chops to celebrate just about any other occasion you can think of.  

But Lamb Chop didn’t start off as a dog toy — or as a toy at all. 

Lamb Chop began as a sock puppet voiced by children’s entertainer Shari Lewis, from the 1950s until Lewis’s death in 1998. She (a quick Google reveals Lamb Chop is a girl) was a staple on The Shari Lewis Show in the 1960s, as well as popular the 1990s children’s program Lamb Chop’s Play-Along. The original puppet lives with Lewis’s daughter, Mallory, who, like her mother, is a puppeteer and ventriloquist. She often features Lamb Chop in her Instagram posts.

From puppet to dog toy

The Lamb Chop dog toy debuted in 2010, when it was produced by Multipet International. Now, it’s rare to see an Instagram-famous dog — like Ruby — who doesn’t have at least a mild fascination with Lamb Chop.

“I think the two cutest things she does with her Lambies is nap with them in her tent like a little kid likes to sleep with all their stuffed animals in bed, and when someone comes home and she gets excited, she’ll give them love and then run to pick out a Lambie to bring to them or run around with,” Rigden says.

Why are we still obsessed? 

So, it begs the question, why are pups (and their parents) so obsessed — or rather, still obsessed with this plushie? “They’re so affordable, and they’re big enough where they don’t get obstructed — it’s not a choking hazard,” Christman says. 

As he previously told Kinship, the attraction is also likely due to a combination of texture, size, and sound: “The texture is very nurturing to them. It has a maternal feeling … and it’s got that honking sound, so it gets the head tilts going.”  

Lamb Chop’s design is also a sense of comfort, says veterinarian Dr. Sabrina Kong of We Love Doodles. “Many dogs are drawn to its compact size, which makes it easy to toss, shake, or snuggle,” she explains. “Over the years, I’ve seen countless patients — from Terriers to Retrievers — cling to their Lamb Chop as a comfort object. My own rescue spaniel, Mocha, has destroyed dozens of toys, but her Lamb Chop remains intact, likely because she treats it more like a companion than a chew target.”     

In a world of posh dog beds and canine sweaters, it’s easy to forget that our pups were once wild hunters, too — but they still have those ancestral urges that can come into play, Kong adds. “The soft, plush texture mimics the feel of prey, satisfying a dog’s natural urge to carry and groom toys, while the subtle crinkle or squeaker inside activates their prey drive,” she says. “Its sheep-like shape and floppy ears may resemble a small animal, triggering playful ‘hunting’ behaviors.” 

Lamb Chop reminds us of a better time.

But there’s more at play than just good design (or a good honk). Christman thinks dogs adore Lamb Chop because their parents do — and excitement can be contagious. (Even Ruby the Doodle and her mom have dressed up like Shari Lewis and her best puppet pal.) 

According to the APPA, millennials make up 32 percent of pet parents — more than any other generation, though Gen X trails close behind at 27 percent. That’s almost 60 percent of pet parents who are most likely familiar with Lamb Chop from their youth. 

“It brings back nostalgia … we remember the show growing up,” Christman says. “And although our dogs may not know it, we know it, and it makes us feel good that they love such a nostalgic toy.” Kong says this factor “creates a cycle of repurchasing.” 

She adds: “Owners associate it with their dog’s joy and keep rebuying it, reinforcing its popularity. I’ve had clients stockpile backups after noticing how attached their dogs become, even sewing customized outfits on worn-out Lamb Chops to extend their lifespan.”     

Robin Rothman, a Shari Lewis fan in Denver, suspects this is the reason she keeps buying them for her obsessed three-year-old Rat-Chi, Simone. “Frankly, I think the toys remain popular because my generation [Gen X] remembers the kids’ show with Shari Lewis, and we feel nostalgic,” she explains. 

As is often the case with nostalgia for childhood, it conjures memories of a gentler, happier, warmer world. “Ms. Lewis was always so enthusiastic,” Rothman recalls. “She had great energy and had these conversations with Lamb Chop we always looked forward to. She gave Lamb Chop a kind voice.”