T’is the season to buy gifts for our loved ones. Do you know anyone who doesn’t include the dog on the holiday gift list? Sorting through the quagmire of treat and toy options can be confusing…not to mention, expensive.
Toys vs. Chews
It helps to separate your dog’s playthings into two categories: toys and chews. You and your dog play together with toys. These include balls and discs as well as plush toys. When the game is over, place that toy in an area which is inaccessible to your dog. Plush toys are targets for shredding, which not only destroys the toy, but can pose a choking hazard. There are also behavior and training benefits to storing toys this way.
Chews provide independent engagement, environmental enrichment, and mental stimulation. Chews include bones and bully sticks, antlers, and Himalayan chews, among others. Check with your vet to make sure your choice is healthy for your dog. Some dogs don’t digest rawhide, for example. Food-dispensing devices rank high for the enrichment and mental stimulation they provide. It’s easy to scoop dog food into a bowl, but much more interesting to present it in a food-dispensing device or puzzle. Here’s a worthwhile New Year’s Resolution: put the food bowl away until the spring thaw. Provide all meals and treats in a food-dispensing device. The foraging activity keeps your dog busy and out of trouble. And it’s an indoor activity….
Toy Recommendations
The following toys are safe and fun for everyone. Use them as training motivators and practice obedience cues.
ChuckIt – there is a glow-in-the-dark ball option for fetch games at dusk
ChuckIt – Paraflight Max Glow (disc)
JW Pet Crackle Heads Ball – various sizes; every client who bought one says the dog LOVES it
JW Pet iSqueak Ball – all toys are better with a squeaker
Outward Hound Hide a Squirrel Puzzle – a plush toy with other animal varieties; a game for the four-legged “problem-solver”
Outward Hound Plush Squeaker Matz – these durable tug toys are available in several lengths; go for the long toys for larger breeds
Ethical Pet Skinneeez – long, stuffingless toys are great to play tug; they squeak, too
Kyjen Hedgehog – it grunts; hilarious
Chew Recommendations
Chews include items that dogs love to gnaw on as well as food-dispensing devices for foraging. The only toy, which is safe to leave with your dog while he/she is unsupervised, is the KONG Classic. Buy the heavier black KONG Classic if your dog is an insane chewer.
USA Bones and Chews – knuckles, marrow bones, antlers, bully sticks, hooves, sterilized bones
Himalayan Chews – made from yak milk and very long lasting
Outward Hound Fun Feeder – available in a variety of colors and designs; helps to slow down food “inhalers”
Outward Hound Paw Hide Puzzle – channel your dog’s persistence in a constructive way
KONG Classic – perfect device to introduce your dog to foraging activity; every dog needs at least one
KONG Stuff A Ball/Puppy Activity Ball – two age appropriate styles; use it to play ball AND deliver dinner
KONG Wobbler – fun for the more advanced food “forager”
Busy Buddy Twist n’ Treat – available in two sizes as well as a puppy version; also a good intro to foraging.
JW Pet Hol-ee Treat Ball – fun and well-designed for a practiced “forager”; perfect for kibble, not just treats
Nina Ottosson Puzzles – wonderful variety of interactive fun from the “Founding Mother of Dog Puzzles”; pricier than some, but great design and quality
Where to Find the Good Stuff
Especially when buying food and chews, read the fine print on the packaging. Look for products that are sourced and processed in the U.S. Packaging can be deceiving. There may be an American flag on the bag or a “made in America” statement, but it is produced elsewhere.
The following is a list of reputable retailers and a website where high quality standards and outstanding customer service prevail.
Faux Paws Pet Shop (Summit, NJ)
Chewy.com
Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming (Westfield, NJ and other locations)
Pet Valu (multiple locations)
Pet Supplies Plus (multiple locations)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Copyright © Kimberly B. Mandel CPDT-KA, 2015 all rights reserved
Kimberly Mandel Canine Behavior and Training LLC