     
Who do you think the Pet Store commercials on TV are there for? I can assure you its not for your dog to stare and bark at (but if you are having that problem you need to call, TV time is for relaxing, its not for Fido to try and jump through the screen). The commercials are meant for you, to suck you in and believe that your beloved four legged friend will love you more if you buy them more toys. Well, it's all crap. That being said, if you are going to spoil your dog (and come on we both know you are going to spoil your dog) at least do so in a way that does not promote unwanted behaviors! There are good toys, and there are toys that are just, well, awful.
The worst possible dog toys are, wait for it.... plush stuffed animal toys. Dogs need to chew there is no doubt about it, but they don't need to chew a pillow shaped like an elephant. Don't forget, that stuffed elephant is made out of the same materials that your pillow, blankets, socks, towels and so on are made out of. Your pup knows how things feel in his/her mouth, and if we condition our young dogs to chew plush materials, don't be surprised when your pillow is "destuffed" and when the elephant has been decapitated Old Shoes are not a dog toy, they are old shoes. One day you notice your dog chewing and old slipper that you don't "really like" anyway and decide that its okay. The next day, your dog chews your new $150 shoe and your pissed. Be consistent with your dogs from day 1, it makes for an easier understanding of your rules and boundaries! Socks with a water bottle placed inside. I do Love your DIY creativity, but this teaches your dog to chew socks and water bottles, and its just not fun trying to untrain your dog to do so. Good Toys:
You want toys that resemble absolutely nothing in your home, hard plastic toys are great! They work the dogs jaw which is necessary, and take a longer time to get through. Antlers are some of my favorites, also good for big chewers, even those fake sticks are a great option. Any type of ball is good. They are great for fetch as well, and there isn't anything in your home that is going to be that small and ball shaped. Rubber toys are also a good option, they are typically never the dogs first. When you take a stroll to the store for your dog, just ask yourself two questions. Does this look like anything in my house? If yes, put it back! Does this feel like anything that is in my house? If yes, put it back! My three favorite Dog toys are pictured above, they are moderate chewers but these all do the trick. (Click on the picture for a link) Let me know what your favorite toys are below, I'm secretly waiting to spoil my pups with new toys (the struggle is real)! :)
9 Comments
Julie Lewis
3/1/2017 06:55:48 pm
My favorite toys for my super chewing labs are Nylabone durachew, antlers, and the black kongs!! Everything else is just a waste of money! Even the things that claim to be indestructible. Might as well just give them a twenty dollar bill & calling it a day!
Bonnie Bergless
3/1/2017 08:20:00 pm
Thank u so much for this info.... it helps alot...
sally
3/2/2017 04:21:35 pm
I completely agree with you that Nylabones are great. I always passed them up in the store because they aren't that cool looking and I never thought my dogs would be into them. I was totally wrong. Even my picky chewer (Julius) loves to chew on the Nylabone. They especially love the circular shaped hard plastic one. Plus these are great if your dog has food allergies/sensitivities. It was so difficult for me to find something the dogs could chew on that had no animal protein in it and was big enough for a 150 lb dog. I thought nothing could replace rawhide, but Nylabone is it!
Carol Lacey
11/30/2017 06:44:37 pm
My pittie loves, loves, loves bully sticks. We also love the red and black Kong balls. Are trying the Bark boxes for aggressive chewers. I can let you know how that goes. Lancelotdestroys most toys in about 5 minutes flat. It has been a definite challenge finding him toys. I am afraid of the antlers after he chipped a tooth. Then I found the bully sticks. He just loves them.
Daryl Wikowski
4/20/2021 02:43:24 am
Most of these comments are talking about chews rather than toys.. Do you know what a dog's favorite toy is?? The answer is the same for every dog..... A dog's favorite toy will always be the thing that you make the most interesting to him and interact with him the most with. With enough innovation and cleverness you could make a frying pan into your dog's favorite toy. 1/2/2022 09:27:28 pm
hi! thanks for sharing this great article. pehaps some of these toys can be thrown in the swimming pool so whenever we plan to go swimming our dogs can enjoy too. 6/2/2022 03:38:41 pm
Thank you for pointing out that fake sticks are good toys for dogs. It seems like you would want to have plenty of toys in your home so that your dog doesn't get bored of them all. If your dog gets bored of its toys, it might be a good idea for you to get some new ones that they haven't had before. Leave a Reply. |
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