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BANG FOR THE BITE
Sustainable materials are better for the earth, but they're a bit pricier (and Sparky might still go after your shoes).
COCKTAIL FACT
In 2006, a guard dog attacked an $80,000 teddy bear that used to belong to Elvis Presley.
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home › tip library › Animal Toys
Has your favorite pair of shoes become a chew toy?
The Bite
Pets can be Biters, too, but that's no reason to write off your fave summer wedges. Put yourself in their paws, and give 'em something to play with, like recycled polyester and organic fleece toys.The Benefits
- Wagging tails. For pets, playing with a toy is like watching TV or reading; it keeps them stimulated.
- A cleaner world for future pet generations. A toy made from recycled materials gives polyester a place to go other than the landfill.
- Saving endangered animals. Our pets are top predators of wildlife outdoors, so give them non-living playthings.
Personally Speaking
Cricket loves to pull the squeaker out of toys, so Jen got her a fluffy toy frog from West Paw, and it's stood the test of time.Wanna Try?
- West Paw Eco Toys - both fabric and filling are made from recycled plastic bottles ($15).
- Katie's Bumpers Heave Hose Fire Hose Bumpers - long-lasting canine interactive toys made from fire hoses ($14-$19).
- Kitty Hooch Monogrammed Catnip Toys - get your own funny message embroidered on an organic catnip toy ($7).
- WorldWise SmartyKat Toys - produces a wide variety of cat toys made using recycled materials, available at Target (prices vary).
- DIY Bite: Old stuffed socks make good dog toys, while cats love packing peanuts, paper bags, and pinecones.
Jul 26,2007
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Gym Towel
Q: What takes the place of a dog toy and a gym membership?
A: A towel.
While you can spend your entire paycheck on pet accoutrements (I'm thinking of one Biter in particular), some of the best pet playthings in life are free.
Just look at my dog back home, Junior. He's a big guy, so you can get a workout just trying to get stuff away from him. Grab an old towel to wrestle him with and it's on.
-Toshio...off to work it out...
Biter Comments...
Great store that carries tons of cat toys is Plain Brown Tabby. http://www.catniptoys.com/
lol! my dog has her very own towel that she loves dragging around and chewing on. I gave an old one to her bc she kept trying to steal the ones hanging up in the bathroom.
The only thing my dog will chew on are large bones like:
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/treats_detail.php?c=22&s=78016
She isn't a big fan of toys and isn't very active due to getting kicked in the hip by a horse, about 8 years ago. She does however like to lay near the couch on her bed and chew on her bone. We've tried smaller bones but she is a 80 lb. Black Lab so nothing else lasts more than a couple of minutes.
I have a question about the packing peanuts issue. My cat loves styrofoam peanuts. No, wait, I mean she LOVES them. She will climb, crawl, hang, swing, jump, or any other thing necessary to reach a box of peanuts (which I save to re-use, naturally). She can get one delicate little paw into the tiniest crack in the lid to get said peanuts. However, I worry since she doesn't just play with them, she eats them too (it is kinda like her indoor domesticated cat version of cat-and-mouse). I assume this is very bad, and keep the peanuts away from her. If this isn't so harmful, let me know. And, let this be a warning for folks who might think their pets just play with the peanuts - keep a close eye on them!
Our dog gets a "new" toy for her birthday and for Christmas. I say "new" because I have learned to buy them at garage sales for 50ยข, even a quarter sometimes. I know they're not made of recycled materials, but they're already manufactured and out there, so I'm recycling/reusing the whole thing. I've also found that these garage sale gems that are made for people last much longer than the ones I previously bought in pet stores. I just make sure I don't tell the folks running the garage sale that it's for my dog. Little Sally probably wouldn't want her precious teddy to wind up in my dog's mouth.
A great and easy recycled toy to make for your dog is a stockings rope. I save all my stockings that have a rip or a tear. When I have three I braid them very tightly, tie a knot at each end, and voila! My dog loves to play fetch and chew on it. The best part is if it ever gets chewed up, I can always make a new one.
My cat loves to play with the rings off of milk jugs or the plastic pull tabs in orange juice cartons. He will bat those all around the house.He also loves to get the light-we play with him using a mirror to reflect the sunlight on the kitchen floor.He goes crazy trying to get it. He's 14 this month but still plays like a kitten.
I had a hamster once, years ago, who got out of his cage and ate styrofoam packing peanuts. I held him as he screamed (I had no idea hamsters could scream) from the pain of the styrofoam expanding inside his little body for several hours and finally died. The new corn starch peanuts will dissolve, but styrofoam is extremely dangerous and NEVER a good idea to give any pet (or young child) to play with.
I found a source of good, loose catnip online, which I buy by the pound. My cats adore it! I stuff a handful into a clean white cotton sock, tie the open end in a knot and give one to each. They adore them and play with them until they look really nasty. Then I make new ones! Please don't give your pet of any kind anything unnatural.
Not to be a crab but many trainers recommend NOT playing tug of war games with your dog. I am sold on the training systems recommended by the Monks of New Skete ( How to be you Dog's Best Friend, The Art of Raising a Puppy) and they say that tug of war type games encourage agression in dogs and teach them to pit themselves against you rather than defer to your authority. Maybe this only applies to to large working dogs. I have followed their suggestions and have a HUGE shepherd that is very mellow and devoted. I do use recycled things for fetch toys and the "love toys" that he carries around. His fav is a plush soccer ball that I bought for my son 12 years ago. It is the size of a real soccer ball and it fits easily in his mouth! So if you want a mellow dog consider NOT playing tug of war.
The cat nip in socks thing works great with our cats too. And by the way my big dog does not chase cats either.
My trainer and most things I've read, say do not play tug or wrestle with a dog. Wrestling is done to show dominance, even if in play. Tug should only be played if it is a forward-backward motion and the dog will release the toy when given a command (i.e., drop it). Tug should be stopped immediately if there is a side-to-side movement. This is a sign of aggression.
Actually it CAN foster some aggression. HOWEVER..that being said there are also BENEFICIAL factors to playing tug-a-war with some dogs!
A very shy dog or one that lacks confidence will often respond favorably to playing this lively game. Sometimes they have to be encouraged to actively participate if they are REALLY SUPER INHIBITED...or have developed deeper fears. The trick to playing with this type of pup or dog...is TO LET THEM WIN most of the time...this boosts their self-confidence!
When you play this game and then add Positive Reinforcement training (praise and treats) it not only gives the dog acceptable behaviors to do, it gives the dog opportunities to SUCCEED at life...this helps to remove the lack of confidence, build the self-esteem AND cut way back on a shy dog becoming a "fear bitter."
With a pup that is overflowing with confidence, one who is fond of always having things his/her own way, one who is not quick to properly respond to commands that they have learned and mastered...I would NOT play this game...they are already full of themselves and so do not need a lot of "EGO BUILDING!"
This type of dog needs positive reinforcement to becoming PART OF THE TEAM...of YOU and the dog! He or she needs to realize the VALUE of working WITH YOU to do correct, trained behaviors upon request!
I would say that if your dog is quick to drop things ON COMMAND...(an advanced level of training!) then you and your dog have a GREAT relationship and a wonderful understanding in your communications. Your dog has learned that doing what is told results in some sort of REWARD, which means you've done a great job and have a bright, willing dog!
(I would hope as opposed to some sort of punishment for not complying...the positive is always better, although the negative will often get results...the usual case is not as accountable as the positive!)
I judge each individual dog before making any suggestions such as "never do or always do." Some dogs will benefit from this game...some will not...you have to look at the individual dog, in my opinion...if it will cause no harm or impede the dog's GOOD behaviors being done...I say have fun!
Drop it is one of the BEST commands we can teach our dogs...along with LEAVE IT! Right up there with Sit and Come!
Here is another reason to skip tug of war. Tt is easier than we think to do damage to our dogs' neck and back. The "swing the dog around" play is obviously the extreme case (even though some dogs seem to love it), but even during rough tug of war it is possible to do serious damage to a dog's spine. Even if your dog is as heavy or heavier than you, you have a lot of leverage, and a towel or other tug-of-war item extends this. With a smaller dog, it is of course even more drastic. I'm not trying to be a buzzkill - play fetch or frisbee with your dog until you both need a nap - but skip the tug of war altogether!
Yes...a modicum of COMMON SENSE would be in order, no doubts! Remember too that even a flat collar (when a person starts yanking away on the lead) can cause neck, shoulder, back injuries. A standard choke, used incorrectly causes more injuries to more dogs than most owners imagine possible.
Even a Gentle leader or a Halti used incorrectly can cause pain to the neck, shoulders and back.
Dog are great, the don't need any expensive toys like kids do. They can have fun with just about anything. http://www.transportdogcrates.net
"Tug should only be played if it is a forward-backward motion and the dog will release the toy when given a command (i.e., drop it). Tug should be stopped immediately if there is a side-to-side movement. This is a sign of aggression."
- Posted by: KIm | July 31, 2007 at 09:06 AM
THANK YOU! I didn't know this. We play tug, and gladly, I followed the rules without knowing them. But I'm glad to know that the side-to-side movement is a sign of aggression.
We also give him old/hole-y socks, braided very tightly. They get thrown out once they get frayed.
Great info here, thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts.
We adopted a large dog, part Rhodesian Ridgeback and part pit, last year. She loves to play tug of war. She started the game by bringing us a toy and then starting to pull it. She is not an aggressive dog (to humans) and is very loving to us and our grandchildren. we can't give her soft toys (like socks and towels) to play with because she chews them apart so quickly. I like the stockings idea and will try it to see if it will last longer than soft toys. Is it really that wrong to play tug of war with her, even if she pulls side to side? Thanks.
I am not an expert or a trainer. I would say use your own judgment and if the dog is not aggressive- probably not a problem. We had a lab as kids that loved to play tug of war for HOURS with an old rug. I have avoided tug of war games with my shepherds on the advice of my sister in law who is a dog trainer. She feels that it encourages aggressive tendencies and reduces the human's role as dominant.
My shepherds ( 3 so far) have not ever been aggressive towards us or any of the kids who visit. The dog training books I love and have used are: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete. They have a very holistic approach to dog training and focus a lot on avoiding behavior problems. They train many types of dogs but breed and raise German Shepherd Dogs. The monks do not recommend playing tug of war games with dogs. By the way my dog eats his toys as well- even the ones that are advertised as "indestructible". He sometimes carries them around for many months first but eventually he eats them.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Laura Redhawk | July 26, 2007 at 06:55 AM