GIVING YOUR BEAR A VOICE

 

Some bears are shy and quiet.

Some bears are more outspoken.

Here are some suggestions for the latter.

 

Squeakers

For just a small "peep" (maybe for one of those quiet, shy bears that has just a little something to say), a flat plastic squeaker will do the trick. These work wonderfully when inserted into a paw or foot, or even in the muzzle. The thing to remember with flat squeakers is that you don't want to put them in areas that have too much stuffing around them. The sound is relatively quiet and will be muffled by too much stuffing. Also, you need to be able to compress the squeaker by squeezing it; if there is too much stuffing around it, the stuffing will compress and the squeaker won't.

 

For a larger squeak from the belly, a double sound oval will be quite effective. It is a bit larger and wider and can therefore handle the wider girth of the bearπs belly and more surrounding stuffing. To really get a good squeeze, it is a good idea to stuff the belly softly when inserting a squeaker.

 

Small and Large Growlers

For a more outgoing little bear, bring the volume up a bit with and go with a growler. Our small growler (BG0) is perfect for bears from about 10 inches to about 14 inches. For bears over 14 inches that love to talk and absolutely must be heard, I recommend our large growler (BG3) which is a bit louder and larger.

 

Most growling bears that I have come across have their growlers placed straight up and down. This means that in order to hear the sound, the bear must be turned upside down and then back right side up (this is enough to make anyone growl!). A more humane suggestion would be to place the growler sideways with the speaker (holes) facing the belly. This way the bear needs only to lean backwards and then forwards to exercise it's new vocal ability!

 

Another option for growlers is to place 2 growlers end to end with the speakers (holes) facing outward and secure them together with glue or packing tape. Place them in the bear sideways with one speaker facing the belly and the other facing the back. Your bear will growl when tipped forward and also when tipped backward!

 

Pull String Growlers

For the larger rather serious or grumpy bears who do not wish to be tipped at all, I recommend the Large Growler with pull string. This growler is inserted sideways with the speaker toward the belly and the pull string toward the back. A good suggestion on how to deal with the string is to put a grommet (like on your sneakers where the laces come out) or a small button hole to one side of the back seam for the string to come out. This is a better option than If you let the end of the string come out the back seam where you stitch it closed because each time you pull the string, you would be putting stress on the seam closing.

 

Talk to your bears and let them talk back.