Toy Time

Toys may be one of the most disappointing things you can buy for your dog.  The package always reads 'durable,' 'long lasting' or 'fun for hours,' but if your dogs are like mine, they're destroyed in minutes.  So, I will share some toys with you that we've had some good experience with.  There's even a little DIY fun I'm looking forward to sharing.

Busy Buddy

I am in LOVE with the concept of Busy Buddy toys - interactive rewarding dog toys that keep them occupied for a while.  So far we have tried out the Bristle Bone, Tug-A-Jug and Twist 'n Treat.  The one that we have had the most success with is the Twist 'n Treat.

This toy is disc shaped with 2 adjustable openings to dispense treats.  The size of the opening can be adjusted depending on the size of the treat and how difficult you want it to be for the dog to retrieve those treats - the more difficult, the longer he/she will play with it, that is, if they don't lose interest.  It is dishwasher safe, which I love!  It has been through at least 5 cycles and is still in good shape.  The only negative is this:  when I wasn't looking, Maeby chewed an extra hole in it.  She's mischievous like that!  It is still very usable, though.

Another Busy Buddy toy we've used is the Tug-A-Jug.  The concept is to place treats in the jug, then when the dog pulls on the rope, it will dispence a treat.  It's a great concept!  However, the dog cannot push the rope back into the jug by itself.  Kingsley quickly grew tired of this toy, because of the frustration of seeing and smelling the treats but not being able to get them out.  So, we made a little adjustment... we cut the rope off.  It still has a chewable top that's good for your dog's teeth, and it still dispenses a treat when they tip the jug over.  So, we still use it, and it's also dishwasher safe!


The last Busy Buddy toy we tried was the Bristle Bone.  I got this toy specifically for Kingsley to help clean his teeth.  It has soft pointed bristles to help clean the gums and even some tooth brush action!  But we found two negatives.  The "Gnawhide Rings" that come on it to motivate the dog to chew have some controversial ingredients (see this eye-opening information about rawhide), and instead of chewing on the teeth cleaning part in the middle, both of my dogs prefer to chew on the ends resulting in ingesting the plastic pieces that come off.  See images below.

The thought of them ingesting these little hard plastic pieces didn't please me, so the toy has been tossed, and today I went looking for a replacement.  This isn't the first time they've done this to a hard plastic toy.  Busy Buddy also offers a hard rubber toy with grooves in it called the Waggle.  However, I came across a cheaper alternative at the pet store.  For almost half the price, I purchased the Chompion hard rubber bone.  It too dispenses dog treats.  So far, we love the response.  It has kept the dog's attention longer than I had expected and the treats are a little more difficult to dispense, making the play time longer than with the other toys.  This might be the 'new toy' effect.  I'll keep you posted.


Balls

Multipet makes a variety of amazing ball toys made out of rope.  I can typically find these at outlet stores, but Amazon has a great deal, too.  Yes, they fray and come apart, but they generally last about 1 month with my 2 large dogs.  I thought I could make them last longer by trimming them and throwing them in the washer with the dog blankets, but they're so dense that it makes them impossible to dry without having a bad smell.

Your dog may be more like our dog Kingsley, who is obsessed with fetching and playing ball.  If we say the word, "ball" someone MUST play with him.  The best invention I've come across for this kind of dog is the Chuck-It.  Since I'm not a professional pitcher, I can't throw a ball the length of our yard 30 times in a row.  That's where this wonderful 'toy' comes in handy!  It's really more for the dog owner, but the dog reaps the benefits as well.  It's basically designed to work like a sling shot for the ball.  With minimal effort on your part, the ball will fly through the air with ease.  Then, when your dog brings the slobbered covered ball back to you, you don't have to touch it!  It simply pops right into place and is ready to be launched again.  If you buy the medium or large size Chuck-It, a regular tennis ball will fit in it perfectly and is a little easier on the wallet.  However, there is another product that is made for the Chuck-It that I highly recommend.  For those winter months when the sun sets before you get off work, yet your dog still wants to play ball in the dark, I must highly recommend the Max Glow ball.  It not only glows in the dark but whistles when thrown.  Kingsley typically would have lost about a dozen balls this winter, but one Max Glow made it through the darkness and will last another few winters.  They're very durable.  Chuck-It offers indoor options as well!  These products are a must!



Plush Toys

These have been mostly a failure in our house.  Kingsley doesn't really know how to play gentle with any toy.  However, Maeby has surprised us with a few.  She tends to treat stuffed toys like her babies.  She doesn't like the hard plastic eyes.  She pulls those off, but otherwise, they make it.  I know in most cases these toys are the first to get destroyed, so that's why I'm going to recommend a cheap, non-stuffed plush toy.  Wal-mart sells a variety of unstuffed squeaky toys made by Multipet.  The cheapest options are the loofa dogs.  The standard unstuffed loofa dog is only $2.47. However, I would recommend the floppy dog for $2.97, because the shell is more durable and will last longer.  I have yet to find a price better than that!



Interactive Games

We haven't tried these products, yet, but I have had my eye on them for a while.  The first is the Seek-A-Treat board games by Ethical Pet.  The second is a line of interactive dog games made by Nina Ottosson that look like a lot of fun.  Since the latter has plastic removable pieces, I recommend monitoring your dog while they play with them in case of ingestion.  Both of these brands have made these games to provide mental stimulation with the motivation of treat dispensing technology. You can read the reviews for both of these lines of dog games on Amazon.





Make your own!


I know the following idea won't last long, as we do this often, but at least you'll be recycling!  Use your old socks - you know, the ones with broken elastic and holes in the bottom - and stuff them with other old socks, t-shirts, etc.  However, I do not recommend this for those of you who are struggling to keep your good socks away from your pup.  We broke our dogs of the sock stealing a long time ago.  They  now know if there's a knot in the sock, it's theirs!


Also, see this site for more DIY ideas.

I know there are SO MANY toys out there, and I'm sure you've found a toy that works well for your dog's play style.  If that's the case, feel free to list your good experiences in the comments below.