March 02, 2024

My German Shepherd likes to play with an old garden hose and bites sections off of it. Will this impact her teeth or gums?

Full Question:
My GSD (19 mos, female, intact) likes to play with an old garden hose in our backyard for approximately 10 minutes at a time. She bites it like a tug and shakes it around hard. She bites/cuts off ~2' sections over time. She plays with it dragging the hose bundle up and down the backyard. It's good exercise, but my only real concern is whether this will impact her teeth enamel, gums, etc. She plays tug and fetch with me (fully engaged) using a ball on a string no problem. I can throw the old hose away, but wanted to get your opinion on this. Thank you
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
Since I can't see your dog while she does this or know what the hose material is made up I can't say whether you should allow it or not. I think I would probably replace the hose with something I know is suitable for a dog's teeth (like a jolly ball) I know some hoses are made of substances that may contain carcinogens and I wouldn't want my dog spending time chewing, biting or possibly ingesting particles of that.

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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