Ok enough about food for now. I have had a request to discuss toys. Personally, I think we are the best toys. We are sturdy, we don’t wear out…too fast, we can’t get stuck in throats, get spread all over the place. and most of all. we are more fun than dirt!!
Having 12 to 15 little dogs around the house constantly I have found most toys on the market don’t work well for me.The fluffy little stuffed toys are usually torn into pieces within minutes of the first throw. Plastic toys …the same. So you really need to be careful about the toys you get so you aren’t running to the vets because your dog has become impacted by a toy he ate. I guess with all toys, they need to be picked up if you aren’t around.
I make a lot toys myself from old towels, sheets, tee shirts, etc. I cut the fabric into long wide strips and fold them into more narrow strips. Once I get three strips to this point I tie them together at one end. Then have hubby, or whoever is around, to hold that end while I make the rest into a very tight braid. Wah lah, a great inexpensive tug to play with. Take the tug and start tying knots into it until you get a ball to throw. Tie the ends together and you have a ring frisbee/tug toy.
Here are a few sites that have good toys for a reasonable price.Petedge (www.petedge.com) is a wonderful site. If you have customers, doggie clubs, or lots of friends with dogs, you can get together and buy in bulk on this site and really save. Dog.com is another. K9tuff.com has some wonderful toys that are very durable.
Now let’s get back to the best toy of all… You. Besides the usual toss, tug, and wrestle type stuff you do everyday with your dog, try dance, or agility. I am starting agility with my daycare gang. Some are turning into real superstars,
some…well…. not so much, but we are all having a blast with a lot of laughing and good times. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg. Go to your plumbing supply store and get some 1/4 inch PVC pipe and start with a few jumps. Use
your imagination. Toys R Us has tunnels for very little. For a walk board a plank on 2 blocks will work while training.
For people without a lawn,try dance. With winter coming on, this is a great thing to do with your dog inside. There are many sites that can get you started. I taught my Chihuahua Popi to step back and forward and to come around me.
With just those few things you can turn on the radio and have a blast.
Go to You Tube and type in Dancing dogs and get an idea of what you want and then start searching the net for sites that will help you to teach your dog.
Play hide and seek. Make your dog sit and stay and then let him see where you hide a snack. Tell him to find it. Award him with lots and lots of praise. Do this several times and then stop. We don’t want to make him bored. Later in the day do it again ..once. Then raise the bar by placing the treat under a can or something and make him figure out how to get it out. Do this a few time and then the next day start again. You never want the dog to get bored. Just keep progressing with this game little by little until you are hiding stuff all over the house.
Stop thinking, Oh my dog is too little,too old, too fat, too whatever to learn. If you make it fun, take it little steps at a time, have a clear idea what you want to achieve, you can become your dog’s favorite toy.
As long as you make it fun and make your dog think he is the greatest thing
since homemade dog food he will learn and both of you will have a wonderful time.
What are your thoughts???