My Pets: puppy toys

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Smart Dog Toys = Busy Dogs

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Keeping your puppy busy and out of trouble isn't always an easy job! Even after an hour long jog and a rousing game of tug, some dogs aren't even panting let alone ready to lay down for a nap (if you own a vizsla or a german short hair you know what I mean). It's extremely important to get all of the different types of pent up energy out of your dog- physical energy, mental energy and chewing energy. The best combo is to take your dog out for an off-leash romp with other dogs for at least an hour, play a training game with him, and give him something to chew on. You will finally have a tired dog that will want to take a long snooze. However, sometimes this just isn't realistic in our busy hectic human lives so to cut a few corners and to add some extra fun and entertainment to your dog's existence you can get some smart dog toys. Smart dog toys combine chewing with thinking, which knocks off two of the energies that dogs need to get out in one punch. All of the following smart toys are available at Noah's Natural Pet Market. Here's a product review of several smart dog toys that passed Daisy and Taj's lab tests...

#1- Bob-a-Lot by Starmark

This toy rock and rolls literally! Daisy and Taj had so much fun playing with this new cylindrical toy that babbles and waddles around as they pushed it with their noses. Pieces of kibble fall out of the little hole on the side of the container and it can be adjusted to make it harder or easier for the dogs to get it out. This is the only toy that

actually keeps dogs entertained for longer than ten minutes. The food not only comes out, which reinforces the dogs desire to keep playing with it, but it also moves around a lot and keeps them chasing after it. This toy is great for keeping your dog busy, and it's also good for dogs that inhale their food. You can load up the Bob-a-Lot with your dog's breakfast and the food will fall out little by little. It's a little pricey, but worth every penny. It also passed Taj's chew test. This toy gets five paws!

#2- Genius by Kong

This Genius toy is very similar to the traditional kong, but it's more of a long tube and it's bigger so you can fit more

food in it. This was Daisy's first choice because she could easily carry it around and

she liked the softer rubber. Kibble comes out of it f

airly easily so she was able to quickly figure out how to get her goodies. She learned very fast how to tilt the toy up and her food would fall out. Not quite as fun as the Bob-a-Lot, but it still kept her entertained for as long as there was food still in it.

#3- Tug-a-Jug by Premier

The Tug-a-Jug is a lot of fun especially for dogs that like to carry things around with them. It looks like a jug that has a rope sticking out of it an

d it can be filled with kibble. As your dog rolls it

around and chews on the rope, the food slowly falls out. It's not quite as satisfying for some dogs as the Bob-a-Lot because the reward is not as frequent and there's a frustration factor involved. However, overall it's a clever idea and will keep your puppy safely preoccupied so that you can take your eyes off of him for a little bit.

#4- Busy Buddy by Premier

The Busy Buddy is a ton of fun too, but it's not as sturdy as the first two toys mentioned. Daisy was able to chew it up into little pieces. However, if you don't have a voracious chewer, the Busy Buddy is much more convenient than the traditional round Kong because it can be unscrewed and placed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. It's great for little pupp

ies and can keep them

busy for a long time.

#5- Traditional Kong

The traditional round, red Kong is a good standby smart dog toy because it's safe and hardly any dogs can chew it up. You can load a Kong up with all kinds of goodies, like kibble, wet dog food, treats, pieces of chicken etc. and freeze it to keep

it on hand for giving it to your dog before you leave for work or for a long period of time. It's a good way to keep your dog preoccupied without worrying about them choking on anything. The Kong is always a great option for keeping your dog busy and is the perfect thing to leave with a dog that has separation anxiety, chewing, or barking problems. Instead of having a panic attack and unleashing their frustration on your house, your dog will be more than happy to see you leave because he'll be excited to chew on his yummy Kong.

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Good Dog Toys.

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I was in Petco earlier getting my dogs' food and I noticed all the dog toys. They've got a lot of good dog toys that I hadn't seen! So I thought I'd make a list of those that I recommend. You can find most of these at Petsmart and Petco or some online or in specialty shops around town. Click the pictures for you to be directed to a place online to buy.

A note on toys. Dogs are canines. They have loads of teeth, and sharp ones at that! They were designed to rip meat off of bones. So there is truly no such thing as an "indestructible toy" no matter what marketing you see. Some dogs are very good with not destroying toys and others will rip things to bits. The following recommendations are sturdy, and are more durable than many toys. I only like to recommend toys that will last. However, there is no guarantee that any toy will last, every dog is different. (Also, if your dog absolutely demolishes all toys you need to contact me, it's a sign of high anxiety and/or stress.)

Red Barn Filled Knuckle Bone: My favorite for passing time. They can be messy so I recommend putting this in the crate with your dog. This would be good for someone needing to keep the dog occupied while in the crate. Take it out when you take your dog out of the crate.

Booda Dogzilla Dumbell: All things made of thick rubber are often a good choice. They are durable and can often be stuffed with goodies. Rubber alone isn't often a dog's favorite so get the type that can be filled with dog kibble and make it a fun, challenging way to eat!

Chuck-It! Ball Launcher: If you have a dog that enjoys a good game of fetch this is a good one. While it's not really practical for most backyards (it throws too far!), it is ideal for a day at the park! My Jack Russell will go after a ball when I toss it for hours. I cannot throw so this is super handy!

Coop Pet Beast Ring: This is a heavy duty rubber ring for chewing. I think I may like this one because it just looks cool. However, if you have a chewer this could be good to leave in the crate or to occupy Fido while you work!

Nylabone Double Action Chew Bone: Anything from Nylabone is a good one in my book. I really like their products. They have many durable bones and chews for dogs. My own dogs have Nylabones that have lasted for years. This one is rather attractive and looks like a winner!

JW Pet Dexter the Elephant: This is an obnoxious squeaky toy that dogs usually go nuts over. You will have to have some real patience as it can be very annoying. The squeak could drive anyone to insanity but the dogs just love it! I also wouldn't leave your dog with this alone. The rubber isn't highly durable and the squeaker can be a danger if it's removed by your dog.

Jolly Pets Teaser Ball: This is one of my favorites. I've had this ball with my four dogs for about 5 years. It is quite beaten up, chewed up and battered but it's completely intact and still keeps them happy! It's clunky and big so be prepared for that. The outer ball is a very hard plastic, not rubber.

JW Pet Amaze-a-Ball: This is soft, thin rubber and has openings for food. Fill it with your dog's meal and let them go to town! These come in several sizes and colors. Don't leave this in a crate or with a dog unsupervised, may not last! Remember to use fillable toys for a food bowl alternative. Don't buy the icky goo that is supposed to go inside or stuff with treats--actually feed your dog out of these types of toys!

JW Pet Rubber Rings: If you haven't noticed I like JW Pet's toys as well as Nylabone! They make some very good and fun toys of many calibers. These rings can be used for a good game of tug and to practice "drop it" or if your dog likes to self-entertain he can toss these around for some good fun! They are a thick rubber, heavy duty.

Petco Canvas Dog Tug/Toss: Petco has a line of toys they make. I don't know that they are too incredibly durable but they are cute. These last if you use them as a "bonding toy". This is where you only get it out to play one-on-one with your pooch, don't leave it out for Fido to get on their own. It will last forever if you control when it comes and goes!

Petstages Rope Ball: This is good for a game of fetch and also another "bonding toy". Many dogs find joy in shredding all rope toys so I don't recommend this one be left alone with Fido either. Use it to play with your dog. Petstages makes some cool toys, some of the most eye-catching on the market but only a few can be used with no supervision!

I could go on but I'll stop there. That's a good selection. And remember toys last longer if you don't have them out all over the floor like a 3-year old's play room. Keep them guessing, bring out a different toy every other day or so and play with your dog, involve yourself in their entertainment! Use it as a training lesson!

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Puppy Necessities

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New Puppy Necessities

Here is a list of all of the things that you may need for your new little furball and where you can find them around town.

Pet Stores in the Area:

Noah’s Ark Holistic Nutrition (Cass st. and Grand in PB) - Perfect for starting your puppy off on the right healthy, yummy food. They are growing so fast and need highly nutritious food for proper health and brain development. You can also find puppy friendly toys and chews like Kongs and Bully sticks.

Muttropolis (on Girard in La Jolla Village) – They have good food, plenty of puppy toys and cute collars.

Pet Stop or Petco/Petsmart – You can find collapsible exercise pens and crates.

Craigslist.com – a great resource for finding crates or exercise pens that have been outgrown by other puppies. Just make sure you wash them well.

Puppy Essentials:

Puppy food- It’s best to get the food that they have been eating while with their litter.

Dog Bowls- Try to find the kind that don’t tip over easily. Usually they are wider around the bottom.

Crate- A large collapsible wire crate with a divider is the best so that the puppy can grow into it, but you can still make it smaller.

Exercise pen- It usually consists of a few panels so that you can make it larger or smaller.

Toys- Kongs are an essential puppy toy so that you can stuff them with goodies to keep your puppy busy. Rubber toys are great because they can’t chew pieces off unlike plastic toys. Ropes are perfect because they can’t chew them apart. Stuffed animal toys are ok as long as your puppy isn’t tearing pieces off and eating them. When playing with a stuffed toy it’s always good to supervise your puppy. Make sure they don’t have plastic eyes that can be choked on.

Chews- Bully sticks, flossies, and raw bones are good, but only in moderation, They can really upset your puppy’s tummy if allowed too much of it. Puppies will chew on their other toys happily and then chews can be introduced when they get a little bit bigger.

Collar with ID tag- It’s always good to have ID on your puppy in case they escape, but make sure it’s taken off when he is in his crate by himself.

Harness and leash- It’s good to walk your puppy on a harness when they are really little so that you aren’t pulling on his neck accidentally.

Treat pouch- It’s never to early to start positive reinforcement training with your puppy! Fill up a training treat pouch with your puppy’s kibble right away and start having fun!

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Puppy House Training Quick Tips

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House Training Quick Tips:

Manage your puppy’s time and space consistently and effectively
Create a small, safe puppy space where they have room to only sleep and turn around
Provide your puppy with good safe chew toys like a stuffed Kong, rope toy or chew resistant rubber
Don’t buy an expensive bed right away because it might get chewed up. Just use some comfy towels
Take young puppies out consistently every two to three hours.
Throw a puppy potty party when your puppy relieves himself. Tell him ‘Good potty!’ in a happy, excited voice and then play with him.
Make sure that you give your puppy plenty of time to eliminate himself completely before bringing him inside.
Allow your puppy time, 10-30 minutes to play and run around in a larger puppy proofed, gated off space while you are watching him.
Always keep your eyes on your puppy so that he doesn’t eat something bad or make a potty mistake.
You can connect him to your waist with a leash to keep him out of harm’s way.
If you can’t watch your puppy closely—if you’re busy or if you need to leave the house—place him in his safe, small puppy place.
As you gain more confidence in your puppy’s ability to hold it, you can lengthen the amount of time that your puppy is let out into the larger puppy proofed space and you can start to leave the crate door open at night.
Make sure all wires, rugs, books, shoes, plants etc. are kept far away from your puppy’s exploring teeth.
When your puppy is about four months you can expect him to hold it for sure for about four hours. At four months, if he is 95% potty trained you can start leaving him in a larger puppy proofed area of the house while you are away.
Gradually expand areas of access throughout the house as you become more and more confident with your puppy.
Remember, it’s usually human error—you expanded the time and space to quickly, didn’t throw enough puppy potty parties, didn’t have enough patience, etc.—that caused your puppy to mess up.
Please don’t ever, ever smack or yell at your puppy. Otherwise you may damage your puppy’s trust and confidence in you.
It’s a gradual process, but very successful, positive, stress-free experience in the end!