Supervising Puppy With Toys

[kitcat]

I have brought a few toys for my golden retriever puppy.

• A plastic dental gum chew toy, sort of shaped like a bone

• Rope (not frayed) with tennis ball,

• Squeaky ball and banana

I realised with the squeaky toys ($2 shop) they could have been dangerous as the squeak fell out (now stuck inside the toy) and she could have choked on it.

In fact she isn’t much interested in any of the above.

Today I gave here one of my baby’s old toys a soft ball with a rattle noise inside. She LOVES it. Great for inside throwing and fetching, and she seems to love to rattle it on her own.

Here’s the concern. If I leave her with it, what are the chances she will chew through the material and somehow choke on the round ball inside which holds the rattle? She really likes the sound aspect of the toy.

Also, I did a search on “toys” and read ideas like coke bottle without lid. But what are the chances she will tear her mouth biting into plastic, (which can sometimes be quite sharp).

So here are the questions.

• I need toys that I can leave puppy alone in the house with.

• Any suggestions of safe toys with rattles.

• How cautious should I be with the type of toy? Would the soft ball be something I should only let her have when I am home?

• She loves to chew but isn’t really interested in conventional dog toys – can I put some sort of food smell on the dental gum toy to make it more enticing.

I’ve read about kongs which sound great and I’ll get one of those. I also saw some postings about the Orka toys.

Any other suggestions?

Should I be worried about supervision or am I just fussing (I've only raised babies before, not dogs)

Edited April 20, 2007 by kitcat

[DistinctivelyTish]

Hi kitcat!

I found with my puppy that she didn't want the toys I bought specifically for her, lol. I bought her a Kong and she has absolutely no interest in it. Apparently an ice cube or bit of carrot is more interesting, oh and our feet. I got her a rope toy for about $3 at the reject shop which she loves. That doesn't really come apart... Tennis balls might be another option. Her favourite toy is one I made - plastic bottle with a little bit of her dog kibble inside. It's a softer plastic (I was worried the Coke bottles would be too sharp on her gums). It was originally a soybean drink bottle from an asian store. Also, soft toys , just make sure buttons etc have been removed in case she does it herself and ends up eating it.

[Faolmor]

Here’s the concern. If I leave her with it, what are the chances she will chew through the material and somehow choke on the round ball inside which holds the rattle? She really likes the sound aspect of the toy.

Should I be worried about supervision or am I just fussing (I've only raised babies before, not dogs)

Yes, there is about a 99.9% chance that your dog will chew through the material and get to the rattle! I've seen dogs devour things from plastic bags, to electrical cords, to sunglasses, to the corners off jarrah tables...so a soft child's toy isn't going to be much of a challenge :p My cousin's dog once at half a raw pumpkin still wrapped in plastic (he was also the same dog that ate all of the aforementioned list!).

I see no reason why you can't let the dog enjoy the toy until that moment, however. But don't let them eat mouthfuls of stuffing, which can be just as dangerous as plastic rattles and bells.

Like with any baby, puppies do need supervision whilst playing. You don't have to stand over them...just keep a close eye on them. While you might think they're chewing quietly on a rope, they've actually left the rope and have moved on to the couch, or your shoes...or something else just as fun. You should never walk off thinking that your puppy is safe, or that it can't get at something you don't want destroyed. Looking after a puppy is just as challenging and fun as looking after a fully mobile toddler that can chew through anything and has no concept of human do's and don'ts.

If your puppy does destroy something, don't yell at it - it has no concept of the fact that it has destroyed your prized possession. Just yell at yourself for leaving something where it could be "got at!" Quietly move the puppy away from the area of destruction and give it something else to occupy its very short attention span!

[rooster78]

We have a real variety of play items

several soft teddies - i tried to get the eyes and noses off but couldn't. Bronson managed to almost get a nose off and then i spoiled his fun and took it off myself. That teddy's insides are now exposed yet Bronson still hasn't bothered to 'destroy' it. As for the others, he mostly likes to hump them rather than tear them about. I got the teddies from the op shop...

empty drink bottles including cordial bottle - he loves the cordial bottle because he can carry the bottle around by the handle. the bottles also much a great noise as he chases them so they are all the more entertaining. he really got stuck into the bottle and it started to have sharp edges so I just swapped it for a new one

old thongs - not sure if this is a good thing as he doesn't seem to realise which are his and which are ours (that we want to wear!). At times he tends not to want anything he is actually allowed to have!

squeaky toys - i've bought some from city farmers and they seem to be good quality (but weren't that expensive) and are still in great condition...

empty boxes / toilet rolls / hankies / pigs ears (they don't last long!) / rope toy ....

Edited April 19, 2007 by rooster78

[samoyedman]

Steer clear of ANY plastic/pvc toys. There's been threads about how dogs can get cancer and die from these.

http://forums.dogzonline.com.au/index.php?showtopic=96925

[Monah]

Dear kitcat. I'm really mean but I've never left any of my dogs with toys etc. if they are not supervised. Too much of a panic merchant! They are put in their crates with a dog bickie when I go out and have to make do with that. They are very excited when I get the toys out when I get home though. I have to make sure they are really worn out before I go out which can be tiring (for me!!) but have come home and they are still asleep! Great watch dogs !!(well 2 are watch puppies).

Each to their own. I'm sure there are 1000s of dogs who are not toy supervised and live to a ripe old age without any probs. Everyone has different ideas about dogs and children.