Toys – An Integral Part of Puppy Development
Guest Contributor - Laura-Jade Durrheim - Puppy School Instructor
Puzzle Cube - Hide and seek meets squeaking tennis ball
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Thinking Brain toys. Nina Ottosson MultiPuzzle
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Tough Toys Meaty Bacon Chew Toy
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So you have a new puppy and like many new owners you set out to equip yourself and your puppy with every conceivable toy, chewy, gadget and accessory. You’ve got your destination in your sites and you head out to explore the local pet store to find The Toy that is going to keep young Fido happy for days! Your arrive at the pet store eyes wide like a kid in a candy store filled with excitement – ONLY to quickly be flooded with the barrage of toys, squeakies, chewies and cute cuddly characters destined to be dismembered. You pace the shop floor reading label after label of toys with a multitude of promises. You leave overwhelmed, with a chewy shaped bone and a tennis ball!
The following article will discuss the various types of toys, their crucial role in your puppy’s development and various examples of each type of toy, as well as ideas on how to use them.
There are Three categories to consider when buying your puppy toys – Chew Toys, Human Interactive Toys and Thinking/Brain Toys. Each one of them will play a particular role in your puppy’s future development.
Chew Toys
These are toys that your puppy can chew, swallow and digest. Examples of such are cow hooves, pig’s ears, raw hide, dental hygiene toys and ostrich sinew. However some chew toys are designed solely for chewing and not consuming. Examples of these would be rubber chew toys such as your Kongs, other rubber type products and teething toys. There are many products on the market.
The most important aspect to consider when buying a chew toy is to match the toy to the jaw strength of your puppy. Giving your Yorkshire terrierpuppy a huge raw hide bone would be pointless because your puppy will not be able to chew on it and will quickly lose interest. Another important aspect of choosing the correct strength toy is the development of your puppy’s jaw and teaching them bite inhibition. It is important that your puppy learns to chew and bite appropriately - if you provide a really hard chew toy which encourages your puppy to bite down hard, you will be teaching them to bite hard as well as strengthening the muscles in their jaw. Equipping your puppy with the hardest chew toy on the market in the hope that it lasts longer or they will chew less is not the idea, your puppy will chew just as much but harder and with a stronger jaw. Make sure your chew toys are for puppies and/or the breed size.
NOTE: Dogs are not born knowing how to use chew toys. It is important that you show them how.
Be careful when giving your puppy chew toys which can be swallowed and digested. Make sure you are around to supervise your puppy. If the cow hoof gets to small and can get stuck in your puppy’s throat rather throw it away and get a new one. Another hazard is raw hide chews which have a knot on either side. If your puppy chews the one knot off and then continues to chew on the raw hide making it slimy and wet the end without the knot can easily be swallowed and the end with the remaining knot can get stuck in your puppy’s mouth - this can cause your puppy to choke. Make sure the raw hide chews are always intact and if not discard the old one and get a new one.
Human Interactive Toys
These are toys which require a human to be involved in such as balls, ropes, tug toys, Frisbees etc. Balls are human interactive Toys and although you might find your puppy chewing on them it is recommended that you reserve them for a game of fetch etc.
Many dogs will not know or necessarily have an inherent desire to play fetch it is important for you to encourage and teach them.
The game of “Tug of War” is far more important than most people think. The importance does not lie in teaching your dog who is boss but more importantly to hand over the toy when excited. Dogs do not generalize well and although your puppy may know to hand over the toy when he is calm, it does not mean he knows to hand it over when he is excited and worked up.
When teaching your puppy to “give” using “Tug of War”, have some treats available. Get your puppy excited by initiating a game of tug, then ask him to “give” and swop the toy for a treat. Do this a few times. As soon as you ask your puppy to “give” reward him with a treat. Then initiate another play, ask him to “give”, wait for him to let go of the toy and reward him with a treat.
Another good exercise is to initiate a game of Tug, ask your puppy to “give” reward him with a treat and ask him some obedience exercises. Then initiate another game. This teaches your puppy to calm down quickly after getting excited.
NOTE: When playing “Tug of War” you DO NOT do the pulling, tugging and thrashing - your puppy does!! You are there to offer a small amount of resistance but your puppy does the pulling etc. Many of the important neck muscles, nerves and structures are vulnerable to damage if you pull; thrash or tug too hard or violently.
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Thinking/Brain Toys
These are toys which are designed to challenge and develop your dog's intelligence and problem solving skills. They keep your dog mentally stimulated and promote cognitive development. Examples include Kong, Busta cube, treat balls and treat dispensing toys as well as thinking games and puzzles. Thinking toys are very important for the development of your puppy. They encourage problem solving skills and keep your puppy mentally engaged and stimulated. They do not always involve human participation although in the beginning it will be necessary for you to teach and encourage your puppy to use the different toys. You will also need to be available to refill the treat toys! An important aspect of choosing puzzles is to make sure that you buy the correct level for your puppy. Many of the toys have different difficulty levels. Giving your puppy a level 3 game to start will only cause frustration and your puppy will lose interest. |
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Make sure when introducing your puppy to the Kong or other treat toys that you do not pack them too tight. This will make the treats difficult to get out and your puppy will give up and won’t learn to persevere. Start off with loosely packed kibble and then graduate to tighter packed treats such as liver pastes mixed with kibble/biscuits etc. Get creative!
Thinking toys teach your puppy frustration tolerance and problem solving. Both of these are vital skills in the development of your puppy and will be necessary for adulthood. Real life is full of stress and a successful dog knows how to cope with it.
If dogs don’t learn valuable problem solving skills and how to deal with frustration by looking for an alternative, it can lead to many behaviour problems such as canine separation anxiety and over attachment.
Thinking games and puzzles help teach your puppy these vital skills whilst keeping them motivated and engaged with food rewards.
Many unwanted behaviours develop out of frustration and boredom.Providing a suitable and engaging activity for your puppy such as a Thinking/Brain toy will discourage and eliminate the unwanted and destructive behaviours.
You now have an armoury of information which should equip you to battle your way through the hordes of toys and gadgets packed into the isles of the local pet store. You no longer have to feel bewildered,and can make your choices with confidence. Enjoy your shopping experience and look forward to many hours of fun with your puppy!
NOTE: When shopping for treat toys and dispensers be mindful that if the toy requires and encourages your puppy to lick the treats out, make sure there are two holes in the toy and not only one “filling” hole. Some cheaper quality toys only have a “filling” hole and if your puppy licks the treats out it can cause a vacuum and your puppy can get their tongue stuck in the hole. If the tongue is stuck for long enough or the blood supply is restricted the tongue can die or need to be amputated.
Thinking toys teach your puppy frustration tolerance and problem solving. Both of these are vital skills in the development of your puppy and will be necessary for adulthood. Real life is full of stress and a successful dog knows how to cope with it.
If dogs don’t learn valuable problem solving skills and how to deal with frustration by looking for an alternative, it can lead to many behaviour problems such as canine separation anxiety and over attachment.
Thinking games and puzzles help teach your puppy these vital skills whilst keeping them motivated and engaged with food rewards.
Many unwanted behaviours develop out of frustration and boredom.Providing a suitable and engaging activity for your puppy such as a Thinking/Brain toy will discourage and eliminate the unwanted and destructive behaviours.
You now have an armoury of information which should equip you to battle your way through the hordes of toys and gadgets packed into the isles of the local pet store. You no longer have to feel bewildered,and can make your choices with confidence. Enjoy your shopping experience and look forward to many hours of fun with your puppy!
NOTE: When shopping for treat toys and dispensers be mindful that if the toy requires and encourages your puppy to lick the treats out, make sure there are two holes in the toy and not only one “filling” hole. Some cheaper quality toys only have a “filling” hole and if your puppy licks the treats out it can cause a vacuum and your puppy can get their tongue stuck in the hole. If the tongue is stuck for long enough or the blood supply is restricted the tongue can die or need to be amputated.
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