If you’ve read my intro post, you already know about the menagerie that is my house. Between two dogs and four cats, things can get a little hairy. Literally!
Our latest addition to the family, Jem, is at the vet’s office as we speak, recovering from spay surgery. I, naturally, am being a totally paranoid pet mommy and worrying myself over how she’s doing. (And this despite the fact that I used to work at this particular vet clinic and am good friends with all the doctors. But you can’t blame me for being worried about my babies! I chalk it up to being childless and the fact that my natural maternal instincts are starting to kick in.)
So, since I have dogs on the brain today, I thought I’d branch out from the norm today and do a post on toys for man’s best friend. Currently I’m a web content writer for an online toy store, but before I did this I worked primarily with animals. I’ve worked in two different vet clinics and an animal shelter — a combined total of 5 years of experience with cats and dogs — and I’ve had lots of chances to see what dogs love to play with. As a general rule, you should provide a dog with three things: Chew, Chase, and Snuggle. Basically, this means that they should have access to a chew toy, a ball or other retrievable object, and a stuffed toy.
In the shelter, we had lots of dogs come through who were very heavy chewers. We needed a toy that could stand up to lots of teeth, but one that could also be easily disinfected to prevent the spread of germs and sickness throughout the kennel. We found exactly what we needed in the Kong toys. Kongs have been around since 1976, and have certainly earned the title “World’s Best Dog Toy!” They have been used as tools to help with separation anxiety and can be a great tool for staving off boredom for dogs who have to be kenneled or confined during the day. Canine Concepts gives great advice on how to use a Kong effectively, as well as recipes for “Kong stuffing” that dogs will love. Jem and Luke both love theirs. Plus, they’re dishwasher safe. Helloooo, easy cleaning!
When it comes to balls for dogs, I’ve found that mine really enjoy just a plain ol’ tennis ball. Luke, who is a miniature pinscher we rescued from the shelter where I worked, has to have a smaller version of the toy, but Jem is a 50-lb. chow mix and loves the standard size. Unless you’ve got some opened canisters sitting in the garage, I wouldn’t waste the money giving your Wilson balls to the dog. Try Kong’s Air Kong tennis balls, instead.
Stuffed toys are a little bit trickier than other toys, because dogs can be very particular about what they will and will not cuddle with. Just as an example, here are three of the pooches I love the most and their favorites:
Luke loves the Loofa Dog by MultiPet. His is yellow, so we call him Banana Dog. He’s had this toy for at least two years, and he takes it EVERYWHERE with him. A few weeks ago, I noticed that Banana Dog is
looking a little worse for wear: his ears are missing, his plush “fur” is getting ragged and dingy, and his squeaker stopped squeaking long ago. (I can’t say I was disappointed about that last one.) I decided to replace the old Banana Dog with a new Loofa. I made sure it was yellow, but the new dog had different “fur,” and Luke noticed right away that something was amiss. After hearing some disturbing ripping noises, I came around the corner in our bedroom to discover Luke sitting amongst the ruined remains of the Banana Dog imposter. Stuffing was everywhere. I quickly retrieved the old Banana Dog, which I thankfully hadn’t thrown out yet, and he’s back to contentedly dragging it around the house wherever he goes.
Jem’s favorite snuggle buddy is an old stuffed rabbit I’ve had since I was
young. It’s still in great shape for being nearly ten years old, and she unearthed it from a box that was sitting around the house shortly after we took her off the street last month. I didn’t have the heart to take it away from her, so it’s officially become *her* bunny. Regular old stuffed animals can be great snuggle toys for dogs, as long as they’re made from sturdy fabric. Always check to be sure that eyes and noses can’t be chewed off and swallowed, too, as this can be a choking hazard for your dog.
My friend Jenn has an adorable Airedale named Ensign who absolutely adores these large stuffed plush balls that they simply call “poof balls.” He has several of them, which are scattered around her house, and he actually manages somehow to stuff almost the entire thing into his mouth when he plays with them. Jenn loves them because she can throw them in the washer for him whenever they get dirty, and Ensign is always right at the dryer door ready to retrieve his nice clean poof balls. As an added bonus, these toys also satisfy the “chase” need, so they’re like getting two toys in one! They also come in a cute soccer ball pattern, if you’re a sports fan, and the same company makes plush bones, as well.
If you want a plush toy with a little artistic flair, check out the Sushi Pups line. They’ve created a line of squeaky plush toys for dogs in the shapes of maki, handrolls, uni, tuna, and salmon! You can buy the pieces separately, or you can order them in “combinations” of two or more pieces. They even come packaged in a little plastic container that looks just like takeout, complete with fake green sushi grass and a pair of rawhide chopsticks. Absolutely scrumptious! As a sushi lover, I’m definitely adding these to my list of future dog toy purchases.
Have photos of your precious pooches playing with their favorite toys? Send them to me and I’ll post them here on my blog!
