chew toys for pups...yes or no?

WiskeyJaR · Post by **WiskeyJaR** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:08 pm

I was curious what other folks thought on chew toys. I have heard some folks say no "squecky" type toys and others say no "chew" type toys at all. Had one guy tell me "I only allow my pups to chew on eatable stuff, maybe a pine cone if they out in kennel and need something to chew on."
they reason he gave was that later on when the dog is retriving game, she will tend to chew on game".

What are your thoughts?

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:25 pm

Chew toys are fine.

Ezzy

Will · Post by **Will** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:19 am

Chew toys are necessary. Pups will chew on something so you might as well give them something appropriate. Stick with toys like Nylabones and such. No squeakies as they'll only destroy them. Always take away things that aren't appropriate (shoes, fingers, etc) and replace with the toys you've provided.

One golden rule: Never play any tug of war games with your pups chew toys.

WiskeyJaR · Post by **WiskeyJaR** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:57 pm

yea I didnt really think chew toys where such a bad idea. The fellow you said "no chew toys at all" is actuaslly the local chapter preseident for NAVDHA

...makes a fellow wonder...

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:05 pm

Toys are good for a pup and chew sticks are also good i prefer the compressed rawhide sticks
rawhides ..keep supervised
For toys I like to get 2 inch PVC fittings for the dogs to play with

and No squeaky toys

Post by **Ayres** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:36 pm

I've never had a problem with squeaky toys. You just have to supervise like any other toy and when the squeaker comes out, pitch it and give a new toy. They don't last long, and can be annoying at times, so if you're going to allow them you have to have a place where you can put the toys away.

For those who don't allow squeakers, any reason other than the annoyance factor?

As before, chew toys/rawhides/pig ears/cow hooves/nylabones are fine, but you should always keep an eye on your dog to make sure they don't ingest a large portion or choke. That can happen with anything that goes in your dog's mouth, not just "this" certain thing or "that" certain thing. So don't fall into the trap of thinking that you should never ever give your dog X to chew on while thinking Y is so perfectly safe.

Myself, I prefer the rawhide "chip flips" (3"x3" flat square) for quick chews, and the small rawhide knotted bones for longer chews. I like the smaller bones because they're hard for the dog to pin down with the front paws, thus harder for the dog to get leverage against and chew off a large piece - so they last longer.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:42 pm

Main reason it leads many dogs in to chomping behaviors

It is bad enough when i dog figures that out on a bird but if it already is in the play behavior of chomping for the squeek in the first place they will be more predisposed to to chomping on birds ..

Richard *UT* · Post by Richard *UT* » Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:09 pm

I gave my pup "tree nails" or "trunnels". They are white oak dowels that are used for timber framing. They are wood so my pup would like the smell but they are too hard to destroy. Gets the bite out of the pup. Worked for me anyway.

CherrystoneWeims · Post by **CherrystoneWeims** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:42 pm

For those who don't allow squeakers, any reason other than the annoyance factor?

My dogs will actively seek out the squeaker and destroy the toy to get at it.

I like the galileo bones for my dogs. Weims can be "power chewers" and destroy so many other toys.

I do have one bitch who is good with soft stuffed toys. She is a "sucker" and just sucks on them and kneads her paws.

Post by **Ayres** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:58 pm

kninebirddog wrote:Main reason it leads many dogs in to chomping behaviors

It is bad enough when i dog figures that out on a bird but if it already is in the play behavior of chomping for the squeek in the first place they will be more predisposed to to chomping on birds ..

Really? I haven't had that experience at all. Haven't even seen a dog that I could positively link chomping behavior with squeaker toys. (Not that I've seen too many chomp birds to begin with). The dogs I've worked with definitely know the difference between a warm, feathery bird and a stuffed toy. Was there a study done on this, or are you pulling this from personal experience, or is it theoretical?

CherrystoneWeims wrote:Weims can be "power chewers" and destroy so many other toys.

Ain't that the truth! I've heard that weims have the ability to produce the second highest PSI on a chomp of all dog breeds; second only to the force of American Pit Bull Terriers. Any truth to that? (Just heard it in passing conversation with a weim owner).

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:13 pm

I have seen a dog get an obstruction from a pine cone.

I have seen or heard of dogs getting obsrtuctions from practically every other substance including MANY different types of chew toys.

I have decided that my puppies must chew, there is no totally safe toy, so I just watch closely to see how they chew various things and try to give those that they actually chew into pieces not eat in big chunks or whole. But eventually all toys are chewed up and or taken away...

Pryor Creek Okie · Post by **Pryor Creek Okie** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:35 pm

If you don't provide something for your dog to chew on, they will find something themselves (usually much more expensive).

snips · Post by **snips** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:42 pm

My pups are raised with toys gallore. They are stuffed animals, or anything that is on sale! Never had any problem with making them chomp.

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:52 pm

snips wrote:My pups are raised with toys gallore. They are stuffed animals, or anything that is on sale! .....

Me too. The stuffed animals usually get disemboweled so I end up watching for the fuzz sticking out and taking them away soon after. Once at Christams I bought a whole bunch of stuffed animals (like 30 big-ish ones) from goodwill for all the dogs. Well the next morning it did look like snow!! What with all the white stuffing over the whole entire yard and kennels and everywhere!! My husband said never again will we do that

I was picking up white fuzz for months.

But relieved to know about the chomping, cause squeaky toys and tennis balls work great for me with early retrieving desire.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:56 pm

I have seen this with a few dogs we have had through here and yes when i noticed how the dogs crunch down I happened to ask the owners if they had squeaky toys ...they all said yes included my first Brittany who I gave squeaky toys....he made squeaky toys out of the birds also

Matter a fact we had 2 setters in this summer the owner brought down some squeaky toys from home and yes both of them wanted to squeak the bird on the retrieve them as he played retrieve at home and as they retrieved the squeaky toys back they would be squeaking them on the retrieves same as the birds only thing is squeaking the bird which yes they will squeak also kinda pulverizes them also

snips · Post by **snips** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:01 pm

You must have had some of those "defective" squeeky toys that cause this....I think they were recalled from China

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:01 pm

Thats good for hunt test and trials where the dog can't retrieve a live bird.

Ezzy

Post by **Ayres** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 10:42 pm

K9, have you ever seen a dog that was given squeaker toys who didn't chomp a bird? 'Cause I'm on the opposite side... never seen a dog chomp a bird that I knew was given squeaky toys, but I've seen plenty that were given squeaky toys that had no problems with hard mouth.

I'm just curious if you've got enough observation to accurately state that squeaky toys cause chomping. If you do, then I've been seeing only the exception to that rule.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:51 am

As for weims - man can they chew (at least some of them). The first one I had when I was a teenager would destroy chew toys. He also chewed wood, rocks, concrete, you name it. He even chewed the corner off of our concrete steps. For his whole life I tried to keep him from chewing things like that, but Rebel had a mind of his own when it came to that. Best dog I have ever had, but man was that weird.

Grange · Post by **Grange** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:52 am

My lab, until about 2 years of age, has only met one toy she didn't destroy. That was her first toy, a large puppy Kong. Every other toy including adult Kongs were destroyed very quickly. Stuffed animals with squeeks within and hour or two usually. That said she has always had a soft mouth. When training with live birds we can use them more than once before they are killed because other than ruffled feathers at times they appear to be OK.

A great cheap toy when she was a puppy was a empty plastic soda bottle (20 oz.). Like rawhide treats supervision is a must. Once she was able to get her mouth around and able to crush the bottle I stopped letting her play with them. But for a while she had so much fun chasing one of those around trying to bite it.

dirtdiver · Post by **dirtdiver** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:34 am

Lacrosse ball.

Practically indestructible. That is until they start to make little puncture holes, which gives them a leverage point.
But those things last a very long time.