[NAGDU] Soft toys for hard chewers

Tracy Carcione carcione at access.net
Sun Jun 12 15:22:30 UTC 2022


My new boy Igloo cannot have hard toys like Benebone.  He broke a tooth
while he was in the kennel at Seeing Eye.  They pulled the bad tooth and
banned him from chewing hard things.  He's a hard chewer, so it's been quite
a hunt for me to find toys he can have to get a chew fix.  Luckily, he
doesn't swallow pieces he pulls off, just strews them around for me to pick
up. 

I've figured out that there's nothing I can give him as a pacifier to
entertain himself while I'm busy with something, but I have some things he
can play with.  If other people have ideas, I'd welcome them.

 

We have what looks like a giant Nylabone Big Chew, a super-sized rubber
bone.  One of the TSE trainers gave it to me when the dog who'd been sharing
his office went off to train with his blind person.  He likewise inherited
the bone, and didn't know what it was.  I'd call it a Big Chew monster or
dinosaur.  It's about a foot long, and as big around as my arm.  I can't
find anything similar on Chewy.  Igloo can have it for 10-15 minutes, which,
now that he's settled in, is long enough to satisfy him.

 

The Tuffy boomerang.  We call this the Y.  It's pretty flat, made of tough
fabric, and shaped like a Y. This isn't a chew toy, though it can take some
chewing.  It's my boys' favorite toy.  My retired dog Krokus still has good
energy, and they play with the Y all the time. It's also fun for playing tug
with the human.  It has withstood 2 dogs yanking on it several times a day
for more than 4 months, and is still in good shape.

 

The big black Kong.  Both these attributes are important, I think.  Black is
Kong's toughest color, and big keeps Igloo from getting leverage to really
chomp down on it.  He chews on it, but has only taken off a little on the
small end. 

 

The Goughnuts stick.  Susan suggested I try rolling this thing on the floor,
and that did seem to make it more acceptable.  Igloo will pick it up
occasionally and try to chew it, and they sometimes try to play tug with it,
though it's hard to grab.  It hasn't got a scratch on it yet, so it's tough,
but maybe too tough for fun.

I thought about getting the Goughnuts ring, but there was one in the playpen
at TSE, and Igloo wasn't at all interested in it.

 

The Squeak ball.  I bought this from indestructibledog.com.  It's a rubber
ball about the size of a tennis ball, and it squeaks if they bite hard
enough.  It's very firm.  They like chasing it, and it doesn't have a
scratch on it. 

 

We also have a rope toy (Buddha-bone?).  They used to play with it more, but
lately not so much.  Strictly with supervision, but then so are most of my
toys//playtimes.

 

Anyway, that's what I've worked out so far.  Hope it's useful to someone.

Tracy, Igloo and Krokus, the crazy cousins

 

 



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