Best Dog Toys For Boredom?

[Beets]

Hi guys!

I'd love any suggestions on a fun toy that will keep my British Bulldog amused while his home alone. He is starting to dig holes and rip apart floor mats no matter how many toys I leave him. We walk him every day too!! He is very food motivated so I was thinking one of the many toys that dispence food - but there's so many options out there (and some of them really expensive!) so I don't want tp purchase one and find out it's a dud.

Any suggestions? And where to buy from?

[PupPup]

Have you tried a Kong?

I usually stuff a Kong with some treats and peanut butter, nice and tight so it takes him a little while to get it out.

[Staranais]

We have a tug-n-jug which my girl really likes, but only takes her about 15min to get all the food out, even with the modifications I've made. So probably wouldn't keep your dog occupied for long.

Could you keep him outside when you're gone? Having a big yard gives them something to do, and there's less to destroy outside (or at least, it matters less when they destroy things!)

[Aidan]

I lean towards utilising toys when I'm home but not able to interact with the dogs, e.g making dinner, tidying up etc If we can stimulate them and exercise them while we are home, they tend to sleep when we're out and this more closely matches a natural cycle for dogs (free ranging dogs tend to sleep during the hottest part of the day and are active morning and evening).

This also opens up your options a bit. The Tug-a-Jug is not indestructible, but it's a great toy when you're there to supervise then put it away when finished. You can put some treats under a towel on a hard floor, this will keep them entertained for a while. A "staffy ball" is a good, active toy. A bully breed might enjoy being able to use a spring-pole. These might be a bit much for a British, but I'll not make assumptions Even tearing up junk mail can keep a dog stimulated and engaged for 10 minutes or so while you're busy.

Of course, training is always going to be your best bet so a little training each day even if it's just cute tricks will help a lot.

[Paul Bright]

Have you heard about: Dog Twister dog puzzle game? It's available online and I think it would be perfect for your dog who is food motivated. It's a thinking game where dogs need to figure out how to open compartments that have treats inside them. It will keep your dog busy, thinking, and full. :D

[beagie]

Hi guys!

I'd love any suggestions on a fun toy that will keep my British Bulldog amused while his home alone. He is starting to dig holes and rip apart floor mats no matter how many toys I leave him. We walk him every day too!! He is very food motivated so I was thinking one of the many toys that dispence food - but there's so many options out there (and some of them really expensive!) so I don't want tp purchase one and find out it's a dud.

Any suggestions? And where to buy from?

I scatter kibble or biscuits (whatever you prefer to call them) all around the patio under the outdoor setting everywhere Billy can get to without destroying anything

by the time he has found them all and gone back on a hunt in case he has missed something, I am home, or he will go to sleep. He does have a ten k walk early

in the morning before I go anywhere and some training. Billy is a Beagle so very food motivated also. Most toys he can destroy so I do not leave them with

him on his own, however he has a paddling pool I throw the non destructable toys in that also, so he gets them all out of the pool and drags them around

and plays with them. I read on another site this morning with scent hounds use Cedar, so I bought some Cedar oil to use on the garden lights, however I don't

think Bulldogs are scent hounds. Your only other option realy, if you are away eight to ten hours however long you work (and that is a long time in the life of

a dog) is to construct a full proof run. Beagie

[wuffles]

Mine get exercise/training each morning but the younger working breed doesn't sleep much so needs lots to do. They get:

- A frozen Kong each

- Kibble scattered across the yard for them to find

- Occasionally something to destroy from the recycling pile, like empty milk cartons, boxes or juice bottles

- Deer antler bones

- Rotated treat toys like the Busy Buddy range (Squirrel Dude, Twist'n'Treat, Waggle Bone) or Tug-a-Jug

Mine don't really destroy their toys, I wouldn't leave them out if they did. To be fair they still dig holes and sometimes get up to mischief even with all the things they have to do. I put that down to them just being dogs.

[Primedogs]

You can buy cheap treat dispenser toys from the reject shop/hot dollar. Deakin my lab has a $3 purina square treat dispenser and loves it he can spend ages pushing it around with his nose getting the treats out. I like that I can change the size of the opening. He isn't intrested in chewing it though so I can't say how well it would stand up to a destructive dog but it seems pretty solid.

[megan_]

Have you heard about: Dog Twister dog puzzle game? It's available online and I think it would be perfect for your dog who is food motivated. It's a thinking game where dogs need to figure out how to open compartments that have treats inside them. It will keep your dog busy, thinking, and full. :D

These have to be used under supervision though.

Even for Kongs, after reading some of the horror stories on here (tongues sucked in etc, dog dies of shock) I only ever give food toys when I'm around.

I agree with Aiden. I have many, many interactive toys (eg Nina Ottosan puzzles, hide-a-squirrels, kongs etc) but they only use them when I'm around. They don't touch their hide-a-squirrel (which doesnt require supervision or any interaction from me) when I say "let's kill the squirrels!" and hold it up. They like interacting with their human .

[dee lee]

When I leave my dog home alone, I have a busy buddy kibble toy for her (link here)-basically it drops kibble out of it as it rolls around.

She also gets a pigs ear and sometimes I will put kibble in used toilet rolls with the ends pushed in.

Has stopped any inappropriate chewing- though she is a goldie, not a bull breed!

[Andisa]

The only things that have a reasonable life span here are plastic bottles, thick rope toys, Aussie dog bungie chook and a horse ball that is slowly dying a miserable prolonged death, but still the all time favorite.

http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_info.p...roducts_id/1437

Next one I get will be from ebay - twice the price in horseland

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Tug-N-Toss-Jolly-Ba...9#ht_500wt_1156

Oh and the latest favorites are the deer antlers from Sway.

[nikitaken]

Kongs or Busy Buddies are pretty good and durable. They love challenges so choose something you can hide treats in, so they'd be working hard to get the treats out.

[persephone]

Just a bit of a side track- are BB's able to fully utilise/enjoy a lot of these toys?

:D I was wondering if their jaw shape precludes some activities/makes fine control a bit more tricky?

[Bullbreedlover]

Hi guys!

I'd love any suggestions on a fun toy that will keep my British Bulldog amused while his home alone. He is starting to dig holes and rip apart floor mats no matter how many toys I leave him. We walk him every day too!! He is very food motivated so I was thinking one of the many toys that dispence food - but there's so many options out there (and some of them really expensive!) so I don't want tp purchase one and find out it's a dud.

Any suggestions? And where to buy from?

Beets..How far are you walking your puppy every day?

I thought he has just been diagnosed with bad hip dysplasia?

Did his breeder not explain to you the exercise requirements for a Bulldog puppy?

Did you contact your breeder about your puppys problems?

[Beets]

Thanks guys for all your suggestions! They're great. I've tried the kong but food seems to fall out of it pretty quick - I had never thought I've putting penut butter in it though! 'll have a look at the other ideas suggested.

[PupPup]

Wuffles - I'm trying the kibble spread around the yard today for something different also. As I was leaving he didn't even take any notice of me or the bone that I'd given him. Too interested in finding all the hidden kibble!!!

[whiskedaway]

When I leave my dog home alone, I have a busy buddy kibble toy for her (link here)-basically it drops kibble out of it as it rolls around.

She also gets a pigs ear and sometimes I will put kibble in used toilet rolls with the ends pushed in.

Has stopped any inappropriate chewing- though she is a goldie, not a bull breed!

We have something similar, the Purina Total Care Treat Ball (http://www.purina.com.au/totalcare/productrange/toys/). We give Akira her breakfast in it and keeps her occupied throughout the day. I found it better than a kong because food doesn't fall out of it as fast.

[Beets]

Hi guys!

I'd love any suggestions on a fun toy that will keep my British Bulldog amused while his home alone. He is starting to dig holes and rip apart floor mats no matter how many toys I leave him. We walk him every day too!! He is very food motivated so I was thinking one of the many toys that dispence food - but there's so many options out there (and some of them really expensive!) so I don't want tp purchase one and find out it's a dud.

Any suggestions? And where to buy from?

Beets..How far are you walking your puppy every day?

I thought he has just been diagnosed with bad hip dysplasia?

Did his breeder not explain to you the exercise requirements for a Bulldog puppy?

Did you contact your breeder about your puppys problems?

I walk my dog about 20 minutes a day on a short leash. He is 7 months old and has lot's of energy. He doesn't run around chasing other dogs or play frizzby or ball. We don't go jogging. Just becuase he has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia (by one vet's opinion), doesn't mean he shouldn't be walked and be trapped at home all day. If I don't walk him - he is a little terror at home. He has lots of energy and it's very important that he gets some sort of exercise and stimulation every day. I've always been cautious never to over-exercise him as I know he is still growing - and yes, my breeder did inform me about his exercsie requirements. To me - walking a dog is much safer form of exercise for his joints than letting him play and run around crazy with another dog in the backyard. Any yes, or course I contact my breeder about his hips. She was the first person I rang when I found out.

[wuffles]

Wuffles - I'm trying the kibble spread around the yard today for something different also. As I was leaving he didn't even take any notice of me or the bone that I'd given him. Too interested in finding all the hidden kibble!!!

;) My young dog loves this game. She finds every single bit. A piece of kibble fell in a large puddle in our yard the other day and I caught her snorkelling around in the water trying to fish it out

[sheena]

This is not one that you could leave your dog alone with, but I use it as an inside toy...special treat, while supervising

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...p;ParentCat=449

Its a Babble Ball & she now has the two , one that makes 20 different animal sounds & the other talks like Daffy Duck. She has so much fun with them, & her antics usually have us in stitches :D