Good And Bad Toys For Your Pooch

As with Children's toys always come with warning and age labels, but dog owners should also be just as careful about the playthings they buy for their pets.
Veterinarian Marty Becker appeared on Good Morning America with some tips for dog owners purchasing toys for their animals. With dogs, size matters when it comes to toys.
"The important thing is the size of the dog, not the age, unlike when you're buying a toy for a child," Becker said. "The size and chewing aggression of the dog will help you determine what to get."
The common thinking is the smaller the dog, the smaller the toy, and that big dogs like big toys. But pet owners should bear in mind that dogs are like children in that they have oral fixations, and everything goes in their mouths, Becker said. Labradors and sheep dogs, especially, have chewing fixations.
Kong toys are a good example of a pet toy that comes in different sizes. The larger toys are good for big dogs, because they are more difficult to chew. Rogz also makes a sturdy range, many of which have a hole in the middle for stuffing in treats and peanut butter.
A favourite for many dogs is the Boredom Buster. This is a hollow bone which has been stuffed with liver-biltong with peanut better infused. After the stuffing is finished, you can re-stuff the hollow bone with some peanut butter (not artificially sweetened) and even freeze it, which helps to keep the dog busy for longer and provides entertainment and helps with frustration.
Good Chewing Vs. Bad Chewing
There is no getting around having your pets chew on stuff, but you can guide them toward constructive chewing, Becker said.
"Our job is not to get them to stop chewing, but to stop the destructive chewing, on furniture and shoes," Becker said. "You want to find a good toy and praise them when they chew that."
To even make their toys even more attractive, try marinating them in bouillon, spreading peanut butter on them, or freezing them with Kool-Aid inside, he suggested.
Dog trainers prefer using Kong toys or Busy Buddies, which come in different sizes and are made of hard rubber. Plush, chewy toys, made of lamb's wool are also good, Becker said. But there are a lot of toys and chewing items that are bad for dogs, particularly rawhide products.
Veterinarian Marty Becker appeared on Good Morning America with some tips for dog owners purchasing toys for their animals. With dogs, size matters when it comes to toys.
"The important thing is the size of the dog, not the age, unlike when you're buying a toy for a child," Becker said. "The size and chewing aggression of the dog will help you determine what to get."
The common thinking is the smaller the dog, the smaller the toy, and that big dogs like big toys. But pet owners should bear in mind that dogs are like children in that they have oral fixations, and everything goes in their mouths, Becker said. Labradors and sheep dogs, especially, have chewing fixations.
Kong toys are a good example of a pet toy that comes in different sizes. The larger toys are good for big dogs, because they are more difficult to chew. Rogz also makes a sturdy range, many of which have a hole in the middle for stuffing in treats and peanut butter.
A favourite for many dogs is the Boredom Buster. This is a hollow bone which has been stuffed with liver-biltong with peanut better infused. After the stuffing is finished, you can re-stuff the hollow bone with some peanut butter (not artificially sweetened) and even freeze it, which helps to keep the dog busy for longer and provides entertainment and helps with frustration.
Good Chewing Vs. Bad Chewing
There is no getting around having your pets chew on stuff, but you can guide them toward constructive chewing, Becker said.
"Our job is not to get them to stop chewing, but to stop the destructive chewing, on furniture and shoes," Becker said. "You want to find a good toy and praise them when they chew that."
To even make their toys even more attractive, try marinating them in bouillon, spreading peanut butter on them, or freezing them with Kool-Aid inside, he suggested.
Dog trainers prefer using Kong toys or Busy Buddies, which come in different sizes and are made of hard rubber. Plush, chewy toys, made of lamb's wool are also good, Becker said. But there are a lot of toys and chewing items that are bad for dogs, particularly rawhide products.

"Rib bones are no-nos," he said. "Cow and beef hooves are bad — they can fracture their teeth chewing on those."
Another no-no are rawhide chew toys. If swallowed, these can swell and cause blockages which can result in surgery and worse.
Pig ears should never be given to pups as they are very rich and greasy and could result in an upset stomach - avoid these also if you have a dog with any physical concerns, such as gastric, liver, pancreas etc - if in doubt check with your vet.
Another no-no are rawhide chew toys. If swallowed, these can swell and cause blockages which can result in surgery and worse.
Pig ears should never be given to pups as they are very rich and greasy and could result in an upset stomach - avoid these also if you have a dog with any physical concerns, such as gastric, liver, pancreas etc - if in doubt check with your vet.
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