Dogs love to chew and need a good range of toys for fun, exercise as well as dental hygiene. Toys are good ways for your pet to amuse himself, spend time with you, relieve his boredom or use for exercise or excitement. Here are 4 tips for using toys to help your dog’s life be more interesting and enjoyable.
1. Chew Toys – Chew toys are very important to dogs. Each dog should have a nice selection of meat-flavored nylon bones, rubber rings, rubber balls and rawhide chews (Always check with your vet to see whether your dog’s breed can have rawhide chews.) Find a small container such as a plastic box or even shoe box to store your dogs toys in. Put it in a consistent place within easy reach of your dogs mouth. This will help him know where to get his favorite chew whenever he is feeling bored or lonely. By placing his toys in his own container, you will also be helping him learn that everything in the house is not his to chew. If you want to add a little fun to your dogs life, you can buy chew toys that are hollow inside. These toys can be filled with fun flavors like peanut butter or dog treats. Not only will it be challenging but it will also keep him occupied if you have to be gone.
2. Squeak Toys – Squeak toys appeal to a dog’s hunting instinct and can be particularly fun for young, teething dogs. Squeak toys come in all shapes and sizes and have different squeak features. Be sure to test out which textures and sounds interest your dog most. Keep squeak toys put up and ration them out when you are able to supervise or even play with your dog with these toys. In this way, interest will remain high. If you see your young puppy chewing on something inappropriate, such as a table leg, gently reprimand the behavior and give him a chew toy to work on. In this way, he will learn what is appropriate to chew and what is not. Never give your dog an old shoe or slipper of yours to chew on since your dog will then think that any shoes – either old or new – in the house are chew toys. If your dog starts chewing on throw rugs in your home, temporarily remove them until the teething phase. Rugs can be irresistible and a teething puppy will be drawn to them as chew toys until they are destroyed. Be sure to monitor squeak toys regularly to make sure that your dog hasn’t chewed through the toy and created a choking hazard for himself. Chewing has an added benefit of helping to remove tartar from a dog’s teeth. This can help stave off teeth problems and periodontal disease that can reduce your pet’s lifespan.
3. Fetch Toys – Things that can be thrown for a good game of fetch such as balls, braided ropes or frisbees make wonderful fetch toys. Playing fetch not only gives the dog exercise but helps helps build coordination. In addition, it can provide a few minutes of fun attention and bonding time between you and your canine. Teaching the dog to actually retrieve the toy and return it to you can be a challenge so be sure to reward his efforts with treats as he is learning.
4. Tug Toys – Tug toys like nylon ropes, rubber pulls and even knotted strips of cloth can be enjoyable toys to build strength. Most dogs will genuinely want to win in a competition with you. Since no one likes to lose all of the time, you should occasionally let your dog win to keep up his interest but most of the time you should win the tug. If you consistently lose, your dog may think he is stronger than you and may begin to lose respect for you as his master. This can be the start of many more problems so be sure that you remain the dominant one in the relationship.
Toys are fun for not only the dog but also as ways to interact with and provide exercise for your pet. Be sure to chose a variety of toys to meet the different needs your pet has for chewing, exercise, building strength and relieving boredom. They are a great way to show your love and help you interact with your dog in interesting and fun ways.
