Trouble the Dog is a very special stuffed dog. Not only his he 100% handcrafted in the USA, but he also touches the souls of all those who hear his story.
Trouble the Dog was created over 8 years ago out of the heart of a 12 year old girl. This girl was the niece of Trouble's founder, Sheila Duncan. Sheila's niece was watching the St. Jude telethon and felt the need to do something to put smiles on the faces of the children she saw on TV who were fighting cancer. She and Sheila brainstormed, and Trouble was born.
Trouble's mission is to help children work through their “troubles” and have hope. Whether a child is hurting from the death of a loved one, or from a tough day at school, Trouble is always there to listen and to hug. Trouble even has a cardboard dog house that a child can decorate and make special.
I fell in love with Trouble when I heard how he touches the lives of the children who adopt him.
Sheila is passionate about bringing hope to children who need it. Every time I talk to her I am choked up with emotion when she describes Trouble's effect on a child. Their eyes light up when they see him. They take honor in decorating his dog house. Sheila DONATES Trouble the Dog's and dog houses to children in need of a best friend. She has brought Trouble to children in Newtown, children in Haiti, and children in hospitals all over the country.
My kiddos fell in love with Trouble the second they saw him
My kiddos LOVE all of their stuffed animals. The problem is, not a single one of them is made in the USA. My son's favorite stuffed animal is a teal green bear that most definitely was made in China. He has slept with this bear every single night since he was 2 years old. I would give anything to have had his favorite stuffed animal American made! If I knew about Trouble the Dog when both my kiddos were babies, I would have made sure they each had one as their first American made stuffed animal best friend!
My kiddos each have a Trouble the Dog and a dog house. They LOVE Trouble because:
He is the softest stuffed animal ever! They can't stop petting him. I can't stop petting him! He is just made to be held and hugged.
He helps them when they are sad, angry, and just feeling yucky. When my kiddos are having a tough time with something, they grab Trouble and sit in a quiet spot to calm down. There seems to be something meditative about petting him and holding him that brings them back to their center. Sometimes they even talk to him and tell him what is wrong- when they wouldn't even tell me!
He has a very cool cardboard dog house that they decorated themselves. They have both wanted a real dog for EVER and the fact that Trouble came with a dog house made him seem like a step closer to a real dog to them. Sophie even puts a leash on him and drags him around the house!
Trouble the Dog would make a great American made stuffed animal gift for any child on your list this holiday season. You can even consider making a monetary donation to help support Sheila's efforts to spread hope to all children in need. Check out the Trouble the Dog website for more information.
Trouble the Dog was recently featured on msnbc as a great socially conscious gift! Check out the clip here.
Cover photo images courtesy of Trouble the Dog.
Disclosure: USA Love List received products in this post unconditionally for review purposes. Our opinions are always our own, and we aim to write fair and balanced reviews to promote only the very best of American-made products.
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I just love this! My niece would love a Trouble Dog 🙂
My niece would love this!