[nagdu] quiet toys

[Nicole Torcolini]

I agree with most of what has been said. For the most part, your dog should
not need to be entertained. If you find that your dog is restless quite
often, this might be a sign that he needs more opportunities outside of work
to get rid of some of his energy. That being said, I do agree with Raven
that younger dogs sometimes do need something to keep them occupied.
JMHO, stuffed toys are a big no no for pet and service dogs alike,
especially for leaving a dog unattended. The dog will chew open the toy and
then eat the stuffing and/or make a huge mess either from the stuffing or
from getting sick from eating the stuffing. Also, many stuffed toys have
plastic noses and eyes that can be hazardous. If you are dead set on it
being a stuffed toy, then there are stuffed toys that are made especially
for dogs which have a harder outside and, if I remember correctly, no
plastic parts.
Besides stuffed toys, you might be able to find a rubber toy that does not
make too much noise when the dog chews on it, just make sure 110% that it is
not something that your dog can break apart and eat. Lexia can chew through
certain brands of rubber toys in two minutes. Oh, and they excel at find any
weak points in toys.
Finally, there are rope toys. Some dogs will pull them apart and eat them
while others will just pull them apart and leave the pieces laying around,
but these might be quieter than rubber toys.

Nicole and Lexia

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 8:13 AM
To: debby phillips; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] quiet toys

Emily,
First, I applaud you for understanding that your pup is young and that he
needs to keep entertained. Some younger dogs do not settle as easily or sit
quietly for as long as adult dogs do.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure of any quiet dog toys that would really keep
York entertained. Soft toys would be gutted and shredded, and hard toys,
even antlers or hooves, would make noise with all the grinding, crunching,
and scraping of the teeth on the toy.
The best thing is to help your dog settle, and reinforce sitting quietly.
Give treats or just praise and pats every so often. Also, try to make your
dog as comfortable as possible so that he will sleep during these long
sessions of needing to be still and quiet. Perhaps take his harness off so
he can relax easier. Some dogs are just not able to relax with the harness
on.

On 9/28/14, debby phillips via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi, I agree with Cindy.  Soon your dog will just sigh, and go to 
> sleep.  On occasion if I know that a floor will be hard and possibly 
> cold, I will bring a blanket on the floor.  This does make for a 
> little more comfortable time for the dog.  But I only do it if I know 
> that the floor will be cold and hard.  Most of the time I don't know, 
> and wish I had brought something, and end up letting my dog lie on my 
> jacket if there seems to be
> discomfort.     Debby and Neena
>
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--
Raven
"if God didn't make it, don't eat it." - John B. Symes, D.V.M.
http://dogtorj.com

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