Should I allow my 5 month old shep to have play toys out all the time? I mean not the tug toys but squeeky toys and bones? Things for her own amusement while I am busy doing other things.
Chris Duhon Webboard User Reg: 08-14-2004
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Loc: Southern Louisiana
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Melissa,
IMO no, I only let my dogs have toys when I am working them. Any toy is a toy. Imagine if you got a brand new rolls royce but were only allowed to drive it every monday or so, you would be excited as hell probably forever about driving it. Now imagine 2 months down the road when you have driven it everyday to work and everywhere else, kinda would loose the thrill wouldn't you? You want your pup to dream about getting out there with those toys playing with you, which unknowingly to him will be work <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Patrick Hennigan Webboard User Reg: 09-01-2001
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Loc: Boston, MA
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You can give him a bully stick, rawhide, marrow bone or something to chew on. If it is a dog your going to do obedience and stuff with I would limit the toys like Chris said, but if it is solely a family pet then safe toys wouldnt hurt IMO.
Usually the squeeky toys are made of cheap plastic or fabric so be careful. If some of that material is swallowed he could choke or it could cause an obstruction in his digestive system.
Also if you do give rawhide make sure you are near by. Some dogs will try to swallow a piece that is too big when it gets towards the end and they can choke on it. I had to pull a piece out of my Justice's throat when he was a young pup.....thank god I was there.
IMO those marrow bones are the best and the dogs love em.
Matt Hammond Webboard User Reg: 05-23-2004
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Loc: Georgia
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Toys you use for training are just that for training. Raw hides and thing to keep them from tearing up your house then that is a different story. I would limit the toys so they don't loose value but let her have one or two little dog toys in the house. I don't think it will hurt anything.
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Sammy Blondin Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2002
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To me it depends if you plan on seriously working the dog.. or if it is going to be a pet.
My working dogs get no toys (except a rawhide to chew on in their crate), my pet dog has a basket full in the living room at all times <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Hmm, actually ONE of my working dogs does have a Jolly Ball in his kennel. This was in an attempt to stop him ripping his buckets off the side of his kennel. (4 heavy duty plastic and two METAL buckets in one week.. D-ring attachments and all, all torn to shreds.. it worked by the way!)
Matthew Grubb Webboard User Reg: 09-27-2002
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IMO- If you let your working dog have toys all day, it takes away the dog’s incentive to work for a toy. Kinda like the old why buy the cow adage. I do however let my dog have rawhides with regularity on his “days off” because chewing seems to provide some sort of mental stimulation or relief….nothing to back that one up just something I observe.
Kristen Cabe Webboard User Reg: 06-09-2004
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Loc: Asheville, North Carolina
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But if the 'readily available' toys are different than the toys used during training, how would that affect the dog's desire to play with those 'special' training toys?
For example, I leave Jack's 'Tirebiter' toy and a rawhide bone in his kennel with him, but use a ball or rope or cloth retreiving dummy thing for playing with him when he's out of the kennel. Having that tire in the kennel with him has certainly not made him less eager to play with the other toys.
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Sammy Blondin Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2002
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Kristen, just a word of warning with the tire thing. I had one in with one of my working Mals (the one who tore his buckets up) and the way he could hold it and grind down on it has worn his canines down BIG TIME. I took it off him because of that and gave him the Jolly ball instead.
If your dog is pretty intense with it, I would pull it.
Kristen Cabe Webboard User Reg: 06-09-2004
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Loc: Asheville, North Carolina
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Ahh. Thanks for the heads-up. I honestly don't know how much he plays with it during the day; I need to watch some of the DVDs (yes, we have a camera on his kennel 24/7 lol!) and see. I do know that when we let him out in the evenings to play with us, he'll bring it out with him and chew on it pretty good. I'll keep a closer eye on him and may even take it out of his kennel and just let him keep the rawhide in there. Can't have the little guy wearing down his equipment! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
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Should I allow my pup to have toys?
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