USING TOYS FOR A BARKING DOG

Many of your dog's toys should be interactive. Interactive play is very important for your dog because he needs active people time. By focusing on a specific task, like repeatedly returning a ball, Kong, or frisbee or playing hide and seek with treats or toys, your dog can expel pent-up mental and physical energy in a limited amount of time and space. This greatly reduces stress due to confinement. Play also offers an opportunity for socialization and helps them learn about appropriate and inappropriate behavior with people and with other animals, like jumping up or being mouthy.

Safe Toys

There are many factors that contribute to the safety or danger of a toy. Many of those factors, however, are completely dependent upon your dog's size, activity level, and personal preference. Another factor to be considered is the environment in which your dog spends his time. Although we cannot guarantee your dog's enthusiasm or his safety with any toy, we can offer the following guidelines.

Be Cautious

The things that are usually the most attractive to dogs are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Dog-proof your home by checking for: string, ribbon, rubber bands, children's toys, pantyhose, or anything else that could be ingested. Do not leave them laying out for the dog to get.

Toys should be appropriate for your dog's current size. Balls and other toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in your dog's mouth or throat.

Avoid or alter any toys that are not dog-proof by removing ribbons, strings, eyes, or other parts that could be chewed and/or ingested. Avoid any toy that starts to break into pieces or have pieces torn off. You should also avoid tug-of-war toys, unless they will be used between dogs, not between people and dogs.

Ask your veterinarian about which rawhide toys are safe and which are not. Unless your veterinarian says otherwise, chewies like hooves, pig's ears, and rawhides, should be supervision-only goodies. Very hard rubber toys are safer and last longer.

Take note of any toy that contains a squeaker buried in its center. Your dog may feel that he must find and destroy the source of the squeaking and could ingest it, in which case squeaking objects should be supervision-only toys.

Check labels for child safety, as a stuffed toy that's labeled as "safe for children under 3 years old", does not contain dangerous fillings. Problem fillings include things like nutshells and polystyrene beads, but even a "safe" stuffing is not truly digestible.

Remember that soft toys are not indestructible, but some are sturdier than others. Soft toys should be machine washable.

Recommended Toys

• Very hard rubber toys, like Nylabone-type products and Kong-type products. These are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and are fun for chewing and for carrying around.

• Rope toys that are usually available in a bone shape with knotted ends.

• Tennis balls make great dog toys, but keep an eye out for any that could be chewed through. If that is the case, then they must be discarded.

Distraction Toys

• Kong-type toys, especially when filled with broken-up treats or, even better, a mixture of broken-up treats and peanut butter. The right size Kong can keep a puppy or dog busy for hours. Only by chewing diligently can your dog access the treats, and then only in small bits - very rewarding! Double-check with your veterinarian about whether or not you should give peanut butter to your dog.

• Busy-box toys are large rubber cubes with hiding places for treats. Only by moving the cube around with nose, mouth, and paws can your dog access the goodies.

• Soft-stuffed toys are good for several purposes but are not appropriate for all dogs. For some dogs, the stuffed toy should be small enough to carry around. For dogs that want to shake or kill the toy, it should be the size that "prey" would be for that size dog (mouse-size, rabbit-size, or duck-size).

• Dirty laundry, such as an old t-shirt, pillowcase, towel, or blanket, can be very comforting to a dog, especially if it smells like you! Be forewarned that the item could be destroyed by industrious fluffing, carrying, and nosing.

Get The Most Out Of Toys

• Rotate your dog's toys weekly by making only four or five toys available at a time. Keep a variety of types easily accessible. If your dog has a huge favorite, like a soft "baby", you should probably leave it out all of the time, or risk the wrath of your dog.

• Provide toys that offer a variety of uses - at least one toy to carry, one to "kill", one to roll and one to "baby".

• Hide-and-seek is a fun game for dogs to play. "Found" toys are often much more attractive than a toy which is blatantly introduced. Making an interactive game out of finding toys or treats is a good rainy-day activity for your dog, using up energy without the need for a lot of space.

Don't already have a PDF, PowerPoint or Microsoft reader?
Download free version of Adobe Reader or Open Office to view your preferred format.

Request a Document in an Alternative Format  |  Web Policies  |  Contact Us