Archive for the 'Dog Toys' Category
Dogs love to chew. Dog toys give them things they are allowed to chew, keeping them from getting bored and trying the taste of furniture, walls, rugs, clothes, shoes…you get the idea. Dogs should have a variety of toys and bones to keep busy-rotated occasionally for continued interest–and they need to be within reach as well. Toys end up under the furniture, appliances, out in the yard, or just plain lost as time goes on, and as dog chew toys mysteriously disappear, there will be less for Rover to do, and once again, the threat of destructive canine mode looms over your home.
Some dog owners have had great success with a dog toy box-a large rubber container works (and has the added benefit of being easy to clean). All the dog toys will occupy a specific space, and the dog has the added fun of digging through and choosing her toy for the moment. Having dog toys in a centralized location also makes training easier, because if your dog has taken something she is not supposed to have, it is easier to distract her with an appropriate toy when they are all found in one location. The dog will learn to go his toy box when he wants to chew, which will keep him occupied and out of mischief.
When I brought my golden Labrador Olivia home from the humane society, I looked past her rambunctiousness and didn’t mind that she chewed up every object within reach. The fact is, puppies are prone to making mischief and the only way to rid them of the habit is through scrupulous training. Chewing is a perfectly natural behavior in dogs; the trick is to convince the dog to chomp on dog chew toys rather than tennis shoes and electrical cords.
It didn’t take long to find out that Olivia was crazy about peanut butter. In order to distract her attention away from household valuables, I started smearing some peanut butter on her dog toys. I only did this if she stayed away from sneakers and books for the entire day. Eventually she pieced together that this was a form of positive reinforcement. Good behavior led to peanut butter, at least in her mind, and from there the training process was simple.
A few months ago, I added a new family member to the household: a golden retriever puppy named Otis. My wife and kids were charmed by his rambunctious presence, but Daisy, our nine-year old lab, was less than thrilled. She had grown used to being the dog of the house, and she perceived this young upstart as competition. At first, Daisy demonstrated her jealousy when we gave Otis the slightest bit of attention.
Before long, she began to horde her dog toys, keeping close watch over them to make sure Otis didn’t try to play with them. The squeaky dog toys would tip us off anytime the dogs were about to get into a tussle. We could hear a series of sharp squeaks and then the barking and growling. It took several weeks for Daisy to become acclimated to her young cohort. Eventually she learned that the puppy didn’t pose a threat, and now they have become inseparable.
My Toy Box
It is important to make sure your dog has plenty of different types of toys and bones to keep your dog busy. Dog toys such as Balls, Rope Toys, Frisbees, Dog Stuffed, Animals, etc. are very helpful in eliminating boredom in dogs which is important to prevent mischief.
Make sure that plenty of toys of different types are accessible to your dog. Provide a dog toy box. The box should be low enough that your dog can reach the toy he wants. Keep the toy box in a central location in your home where your dog spends time. This makes it easy for you to occasionally pick up the toys and return them to the toy box.
A toy suggestion is to rotate the toys in the box. Occasionally go through the toys and put away the ones your dog hasn’t played with for a while. Replace with a few new toys. A great way to keep your dog interested in his dog toys is to rotate the toys every so often.
An additional benefit of a toy box is that it creates a fun additional activity for your pet. It will be fun for your pet to have the additional stimulation of searching through the box and finding what toy he wants and taking it out of the box to play with it.
Have a dog that won’t hesitate to chew on metal, wood, or even rock? Or a dog who bites through standard nylon leashes in two chomps, terrorizes chew toys, and rips the stuffing out of all objects put in front of them? For dogs like this, the solution is indestructible dog toys! These dog toys are designed for those dogs that seem to just destroy all of the regular toys. Often made of hard rubber, indestructible toys are perfect for larger dogs like Mastiffs, Pitbulls, and Chow-Chows that tend to rip through standard dog toys. With indestructible toys, it’s possible to keep these dogs entertained and away from the furniture or other objects in the home that they shouldn’t be chewing on. These toys are also great for fetch and other games, allowing pet and owner to interact without worry of the toy breaking.
Most indestructible dog toys will last for several years before requiring replacement, and even then, the replacement is often at the discretion of the owner as the toy becomes riddled with bite marks and quite potent in odor from years of being gnawed on!