(Part 2) Best dog toys according to redditors
We found 2,925 Reddit comments discussing the best dog toys. We ranked the 966 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Decyam-Feeder-Bloat-Interactive-Puzzle/dp/B01MZ5RPOR That's my favourite slow feeder.
I've made my own version of this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Strategie-Spiel-Turn-Around-level/dp/B003TOKTEG I found instructions online but I can't find the link
This is also a favourite and fits about 130g of kibble https://www.amazon.co.uk/KONG-Wobbler-Treat-Dispensing-Large/dp/B003ALMW0M
And this treat ball which is big enough to hold a full meal https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Dog-Activity-Snack-Ball/dp/B00121XPS0
I've got a labrador and 3 lurchers. They rotate between the different bowls and toys so they don't get bored. I also use snuffle mats and scatter feed too. Deep chested dogs are prone to bloat and I prefer their meals to entertain them for longer than a 5 second inhale.
This is my advice from training lots of dogs and volunteering many years at the humane society (I am not a professional) - "don't work harder, work smarter." You are trying way too hard and you are burning yourself out. That does not bode well for you or your dog.
He is hyperactive and needs to get his energy out, but that said, no dog needs 4-5 hours of activity a day. That is just crazy. Instead of running or walking (save your knees, you need them!) with him, train him to do urban mushing. Since you says he pulls a lot, it would be dangerous for you to get a regular bike so I would recommend getting a cart.
Next, buy him a weighted pack. Throw this on him (and feel free to put your water bottles and snacks in there) while you are walking or for a couple of hours a day and it will slow him down and tire him out. It also makes him feel like he has a job to do. Since you think he may be a blue lacey, you really need to give him a job to do since he is a working dog. That also explains why he doesn't like doing tricks but likes finding stuff for you.
A couple of activities that are great for a working dog are agility and nose work. Sign up for your local agility and nose work class and the people there will give you great tips on how to tire your dog out without burning yourself out since they are actually experienced with training with working dogs. These kinds of jobs also train him to listen to your commands in a home setting.
Your dog is not a extremely dominant or submissive, he is what working dog trainers call a "soft" dog. This means they are very sensitive to loud, verbal yelling or negative energy. It is hard to see them react when you overcorrect but this also means that they are very trainable since they want to please you. Use a calm and low voice when you correct your dog.
For working from home, you have to learn to ignore him. I know it is heartbreaking to hear his whining but the truth of it is, if you give a dog an inch, they will take a mile. He knows how to push your buttons and he will so you have to harden yourself up not give in. Instead, get him a bunch of interactive toys
like this 1, [2] (https://www.amazon.com/Trixie-Mad-Scientist-Dogs-Level/dp/B003TOKTEG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1469997634&sr=8-11&keywords=interactive+dog+toys), [3.] (https://www.amazon.com/Trixie-Gambling-Tower-Level-1/dp/B002XCTUIQ/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&qid=1469997634&sr=8-38&keywords=interactive+dog+toys) Fill them with his favorite treats and let him learn to amuse himself.
Lastly, this is probably the most important advice I have - get a gentle leader. It jerks their head to the side if they pull, so they stop pulling. It works amazingly for dogs who like to pull on their leash and do not respond to training. It seriously is a godsend for many of the dogs I walked in the shelter and could not control. It will save you many a more broken bones.
Feel free to message me if you need more help. I love helping people who love their dogs enough to not give up on them.
This one.
I'm a dog fanatic, so here is a list of awesome dog supplies for under $25, for those interested!
-[vet wrap] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UELUXNO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9y2-yb13E3QJH) for any time you need to help your dog with his/her boo boo.
-[large chuck it ball] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9z2-ybMRKYDYG) that my puppy is addicted to.
-[topical spray] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025YKUIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mE2-ybRANQ1AN) to help with your doggos minor cuts.
-[slip lead] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QJU7FE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9F2-ybWB9FW9J) for quick trips outside.
-[Kong Zoom Groom] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AR1A0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_DJ2-ybD5EXKZH) for brushing out those thick double coated pooches without tearing the coat or scratching the skin.
-[treat pouch] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JCWAWA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LL2-yb1WKAR0N) for those fun training sessions!
-[large pet waterer] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057LAGNS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_TN2-ybCVJN55F) so you don't have to keep filling up a bowl.
-[Kong Wobbler] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ALMW0M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_zP2-ybPN8N34J) for those really fast eaters.
-[Herm Sprenger Prong Collar] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0F8702/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_4R2-yb0ZM4BGR), an excellent training tool for beginner and higher level dogs when used properly.
-[Red Barn dog food roll] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008DFOG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_wU2-yb83KED07), great training treats, and you can cut them up into any size you want to.
Let me know if you want more!
Oh Lordy I have a ton...I'll try to categorize them...
Best for Puppies
These are all easy toys that dispense a lot of kibble with very little movement. Perfect for baby puppies or really low-confidence dogs. These can also be upgraded in difficulty later by stuffing them with wet food and freezing, or stuffing with a large, hard to extract treat (like a slice of lunchmeat).
Easy Rollers
These basically just dispense kibble by rolling. Not particularly complex, but good for the dog that prefers to solve puzzles by brute force.
Wobblers
These require a more finessed rolling motion to empty, so they're the next step up from just batting a toy around.
Complex Action Toys
These need movement in more than one direction (or very specific movement) to get kibble out of, which makes them pretty challenging.
Soothing, Low Energy Toys
Along with the stuff n' freeze toys, these are good for dogs on crate rest or who need some extra help relaxing before bed.
My dogs (and cats!) eat all their food out of puzzles so I am constantly on the lookout for new challenges! I'd be happy to provide more details on any of the toys I have, or buy and review any toys people have been wondering about :)
EDIT: btw this Jackson Galaxy Asteroid is my favorite cat puzzle toy. They really need to make one for dogs because it is kinda quirky with its bounciness and super quiet.
We stay inside at -30C
We play until I make him stop at -20C (~10-15 min)
Anything warmer than that and I watch his body language. Any sign of loss of interest in playing or holding a paw up away from the snow and we'll stop. If he gets snow stuck in his pads I'll stop him and melt it.
We dont do much leash walking in the winter. We'll go to a dog park where I can throw a ball along a trampled path where we might not lose it. If we can't do that sometimes we'll go to an open area where he can chase around some larger toys like his egg or ball.
I have a lot of fun when there's a crust layer on top of the snow that a ball will roll on forever, but the dog is too heavy and has to fight through it.
To specifically address your question, at -10C for 30 min I wouldn't be too worried as long as he's moderately active. If you are doing most of your walks on city streets/sidewalks I would consider boots to help protect his paws from the salt.
Also check his paws nightly to be sure that the pads aren't split or cracking, there are balms/moisturizers you can use if they are. My pup usually ends up cutting his pads on icy snow at least a couple times a year.
My Golden tries to destroy his toys as fast as possible, anything stuffed doesn't even last 5 minutes.
Any other suggestions of toys that are hard to destroy?
This toy is by far my boy's favorite we've had it forever and he carries it around constantly. Tends to hurt when he swings his head around and smacks you with it though...
Are you looking for training treats, or longer lasting things? I'll give examples of both. Bobb only has 4 teeth and is about 10 years old, also from horrific unspeakable neglect (he also only has 2 legs). Things that have worked great for him:
-Treats: Baked sweet potato. I bake them at home so I can leave them a little bit soft. Super easy, I do peel them but you don't have to.
-Treats: Small bits of meat, cheese, pizza crust, fries, etc. Everything in moderation!
-Treats: Kibble. Bobb loves kibble and this is our #1 treat. We use high quality grain free kibble as treats for his physical therapy exercises and for a lot of our training and enrichment. Dogs don't need to chew kibble so it's great to use for training treats. Easy to factor in to his diet too.
-Long lasting: Himalayan Chews have been a big hit, they are too hard to chew but provide hours and hours and hours of licking and gumming. There are different sizes available.
-Long lasting: Licking stuff out of a small Kong or the Busy Buddy Twist n Treat. Peanut butter, plain yogurt, mashed potato, cottage cheese, canned food, cream cheese. If you're using it for training or reward, you can let him get a few licks.
Squeakers in toys: gone in 5 minutes.
I have to buy those PetsMart toys with 20 squeakers in them.
Clear duct
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000DZFTEO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510440969&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=clear+dryer+tube&dpPl=1&dpID=41AoDi00moL&ref=plSrch
Or ferret tube ($3 more)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002DJL0K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510440876&sr=8-1&keywords=clear+tube+ferret&dpPl=1&dpID=51UTXj57prL&ref=plSrch
Get puzzle-feeders; a bobbler is a good way to occupy time. We also have a Jolly-ball we drilled a hole in the side of and can now fill with kibble.
I got my dog this. I was really lucky that when my dog was a puppy, he'd get hyper and ten minutes of fetch would do it for him. I'm not entirely familiar with the specifics of your disorder, but is it possible your pup might give you a little more energy? I don't want to assume anything but my dog definitely gave me energy when he was tiny.
First, what a cutie. I hope he never grows into those ears. They’re huge and adorable.
So.. You have so many options. Everything from simple toys (like the wobble kong or the tricky treat ball) to more complex puzzles (like the mad scientist or the mini mover). If your pup is pretty smart, & the fact he’s border collie/gsd suggests he probably is, he might really enjoy the mental work out the more challenging puzzles present.
If eating too quick is your main worry and you don’t always have time for feeding toys you can also get bowls specifically designed to slow dogs down. Just search “dog slow feeder bowls” on google/amazon. (The outward hound bowls are great.)
Obviously as others have said, don't do it. If she really is that disruptive to your life, rehoming her to someone who can manage the behaviour is a better option for everyone involved. Declawing creates more problems than what you have now, and to a more severe degree than the immediate surgery pain.
Aside from what other people have suggested and what you've already tried, you may need to change up her routine and the spaces she's given access to. If she's scratching up living room furniture, keep her in another room when you're not there to supervise.
I've found this to work on all the cats I've met so far, but instead of something like a spray bottle or even a sudden noise, tell her in her own language what she's doing isn't cool - if I catch a cat scratching up my rug or doing anything inappropriate, I let out a loud, sharp SSSSS sound. Cats I've never met (neighbourhood cats) before have responded to this in an instant. It doesn't generate the confusion of "that was loud, what was it?" or "something got me wet, what was it?", but it mimics their own vocabulary of STOP IT.
You'll have to find a toy or set of toys that can really engage her for many short spurts. Cats will usually play, then rest, then play more, and then rest. If you can get her panting after a few play sessions, you can know you've done a good job. Obviously do this right before bed. Jackson Galaxy's Da Bird has rave reviews, but I've also had great success with Cat Dancer and shoe laces. My cat loves chasing small, bouncy things that make a noise when they bounce off of things, so when dollar store wand toys break, I take the end cap and use them as a chase toy.
Once she's tired, feed her - but you don't have to feed her straight from a bowl or saucer. Make her work for it. Feed kibble? Toss each piece of kibble and make her chase it down piece by piece.
You know those dog foraging puzzles? Get some of those. Cats figure them out quickly, but they don't always have the best dexterity, so it eats up some time as they maneuver the pieces to get their food. I think the puzzle toys for cats are way too easy. There are lots on Amazon like the Trixie or Outward Hound line, and there are also Wobbler bobbing toys, slow feeders, and treat balls (I reinforce these with duct tape on the inside so there are little blockages that prevent food from easily rolling out at once - straight out of the box, they are just way too easy), but you can also just get three pieces of wood, a dowel, and some water bottles and create your own version of this toy but customize the difficulty by putting holes in different parts of the water bottles and keeping the caps on.
Also, hide kibble all over her appropriate play areas like towers and cat-friendly furniture. I do this every night all over my room in every cat-appropriate nook and cranny I can find, and by the time she's done hunting down all the pieces she smells and wants, she should be ready to turn in for a few hours. I actually make a bedtime mini meal of kibble foraging and I love knowing that during a time she would naturally be most active, my cat is pretty mellow until she sees me get up in the morning, or even later beyond that.
Also, if you haven't yet, try all textures, directions, shapes, and heights of different types of scratchers to see if she can find a preference over pieces of furniture, or rearrange to block those parts of the furniture away from her. You can also apply stuff like Sticky Paws double sided adhesive so it's uncomfortable where/when she tries to scratch.
And yes, definitely learn to clip her nails.
I adopted two older, female ferrets a long time ago. Luckily, neither of them were bad at chewing/ biting, nor were they climbers, but they still managed to teach me a few things;
Buy dirt-cheap (ie Walmart) bathmats, preferably ones with rubbery undersides, to line wire cage floors. You can cut them to the right size pretty easily, toss them in the wash when they get peed & pooped on - it *will happen - and you can replace them when they get shredded - this will also happen.
Ferrotone is your best friend when it's nail-clipping time. A few drops on their belly will distract them and leave their feet available. Lay them in your lap, their back resting against your stomach.
Don't buy clay-based litter, the dust will give your ferret a respiratory infection. Yesterday's News is your best bet and buy in bulk!
Buy a dish that attaches to the side of the cage for water - bottles are meant for small rodents, not longbois. Also, no matter how large, hamsterballs are not appropriate for ferrets. It hurts their spines.
I've posted about this before, this dog toy is amazing. My girls would hide all the squirrel-babies then sleep inside the log. I pulled the whiskers out of the toys just because they were kinda pokey: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B005VS9WO6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hRhBDbHZKGN5R
Room or walk in closet? Whatever works right?
Tubes and Dig Box. Hands down. You can even cheat, by putting socks in a box and calling it a day. Don't buy play sand, I don't like rice, I personally prefer biodegradable non-toxic packing peanuts. Tubes aren't too bad if you buy online, Pet stores are insanely over priced. This isn't too bad as you get free Shipping with Prime https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-FT-190-Thru-Way/dp/B0002DJL0K, you can also just go to your local hardware store and ask about the tubes they have available for saw dust collection. Usually Cheaper and more efficient to buy in bulk. Even the Marshall Tunnel is 15 Feet, so thats a good length to start with.
I'm not entirely sure why the cooing at toys would work. I feel like this is just anthropomorphizing the toy and your dog's "understanding" of the situation. If it is actually working for you, it's probably the fact that you are taking away the toy from her, letting her settle, and then returning it when her energy level/fixation are more in check. The "gentle" cue is definitely nice to teach, but it is probably working due to your addition/subtraction of reinforcer. That being said, "gentle" is a tough thing to teach some high energy dogs so props to you.
Also, the exercise thing is a great point. If you exhaust your pup with a good run or hour at the park they will be far less destructive in the house. Physical stimulation and mental stimulation need to go hand in hand, and one should not replace the other.
Just a point to bring up: if your (OP's) dog is chewing things like wires, socks, etc. he probably has a lot of opportunity to do so. How are you managing his environment - supervision levels, puppy-proofing, movement throughout the house, restriction when unsupervised (crating), etc? You need to minimize or eliminate as many possibilities for your dog to "mess up" as possible and set them up for success. For example, make sure he is in "puppy proofed" rooms with all foreign objects picked up off the floor and is provided with appropriate outlets for his energy (Kongs, stuffed bones, etc). A six month old puppy probably should not have free run of the house just yet, especially since he is most likely still teething and is still learning appropriate outlets for chewing. Slowly increase his freedom once he has learned these things. Start by keeping him in one or two rooms, gated off, and slowly increase his freedom once he learns more appropriate behaviors and has matured a bit more. Am I suggesting condemning your dog to a room for life? Absolutely not. You just have to manage his environment as much as possible and eliminate possibilities for him to fail.
It would also be worth investing in some brain toys to drain more energy, such as Wobble Kongs, Busy Buddy feeders, Buster Food Cubes, etc. In fact, feeding his meals exclusively out of these toys rather than a bowl would be a great opportunity to mentally stimulate him and drain more energy. Just make sure you supervise him as some of these toys could definitely be torn up if left unattended.
Just some food for thought. Hope you found this helpful! :)
Edit: Some products I've found helpful.
Brain toys for feeding:
Chew toys:
My dogs all love playing with Jolly Balls, they tend to last a very long time too.
Treat Dispensing Chew Ball, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YD8NS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_M-K0BbT1WXP3H
Am I right? Or is it the everlasting one?
https://www.amazon.com/StarMark-Everlasting-Ball-Medium-Large/dp/B003YHB8DO
My Boxer is a connoisseur of puzzle toys. In Minnesota, it gets way too cold for us to go on long walks to curb his energy, so I engage his brain when it becomes a frozen wasteland outside.
I feed Keenan out of a large Kong Wobbler -- he gets at least one meal a day out of this. It takes him about 30 minutes to work out all the kibbles.
IQ Treat Ball is great for pets that work out puzzles super quickly. This is a fairly difficult toy. Be warned, if you have hard floors, this is loudest thing ever. It's also the perfect size to get stuck under sofas with legs.
Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball is easier to roll around and get kibble sized treats out of. It's also a pain to fill and clean. We don't use this one much.
Everlasting Fun Ball is also hard to fill and difficult to clean, but it's tough. When Keenan is on my last nerve, he gets something super delicious in this and it keeps him occupied until he gets frustrated with it.
Monster Mouth is really tough to get things out of for pups. I'll stuff full sized milk bones in this and leave just a tip hanging out so he can try to pull it out. It keeps him pretty busy, but he gets frustrated by this one quickly.
Buster Food Cube is brilliant in design--you can make it easier and harder to get food out of by twisting the opening. This was Keenan's first puzzle toy and when he figured it out, he got a lot of enjoyment "hiking" it through his back legs at a hard surface to make it bounce off and spray kibbles around. It's loud on hard floors. So loud my ex SO threw it away.
I also pick up random puzzle toys at the store when I see them. I can't find accurate representations on Amazon. Most of them are soft/silicone that you can bend to open and put treats in. Keenan likes his big football one because he knows the yummy, big treats go in that one.
Apart from leaving mom early, which obviously you can't undo at this point, there are a few things contributing to your puppy's continued lack of bite inhibition.
Another commenter mentioned something along these lines with a playpen. That can be very helpful.
By nature, puppies enjoy rough play, so if you can encourage him to grab onto his Teddy while playing with you and walk away if he nips you he will learn very quickly.
Last thing: it sounds like your puppy easily goes "over threshold" (from sweet domesticated pet to wild animal in 2 seconds flat), causing more extreme play biting sessions. This indicates that he is over excited by the stimulants around him and needs time out / nap time. Being isolated to a play pen / crate or even a quiet bathroom space with a blanket and soft toy will help him to calm down and learn to self soothe.
Hope this helps!
Treat dispensing toys, puzzles, flirt pole (puppy can play with this some but no jumping or sharp turns), kongs, crate, training treats, blankets, enzymatic cleaner. And beanie babies for my dog that is obsessed with them :P
You can also get food/bully sticks/antlers on amazon but I usually order them from chewy.com
Edit:
Here are some of our favorite training treat brands.
Treat dispensing toy examples
Kong toy
Zukes treats
Jolly ball
E
Item under $10
This comment might help you out.
I don't know that we have a favorite. I like the the Omega treat ball or Snoop if I need a quieter toy (I have neighbors below me, so that's what she gets in the morning). When some noise is acceptable, I like the Magic Mushroom or the Bob-a-lot, they're both adjustable. I also really like Tug-a-jug because it's a bit different than the others, it's not something she can just roll around to get the food out. But I know some dogs would chew the rope to pieces so it wouldn't work very well for them.
The wobble wag giggle ball
Babble ball
Weazle ball; sometimes they are noisy just rolling around.
Interactive plush squeaky toy
https://www.amazon.ca/Wobble-Wag-Giggle-Ball-Dog/dp/B00PQ5UH0C
My cattle dog loves this crazy thing. It's not super hard but maybe a bit more dense than a tennis ball
Hey!
I totally know where you’re coming from. we brought home our toy poodle 2 weeks ago (he’s 11 weeks today) and I am home with him during 9-5 hours while my boyfriend helps out evenings and weekends. The first week I genuinely considered returning him because I felt so overwhelmed despite doing an absurd amount of research and having had 2 other family dogs where I wasn’t the primary caretaker lol. The breeder had him potty trained and crate trained and said he was the first of his litter to run to the food bowl but the first week he came home with us he whined in his crate + playpen, pooped on the floor and became a finicky eater lol
I can say even though I’m still struggling with a few things (he’s a pretty shy pup who's not food motivated, hates his playpen, and doesn't understand kongs lol ) I’m feeling better and seeing sooo much progress in our little man since he first came home.
Here are some things that work for us:
Crate training: This will take time and will also require some patience and understanding on your end - there will likely be whining and the best thing you can do is IGNORE IT - this is of course as long as your puppies needs are met - before ever putting him into the crate make sure he’s peed and isn’t hungry/thirsty. The #1 thing you need to be aware of is that if you let him out while he’s whining he will associate whining = attention/freedom.
Routine: Like I said our pup is awake for ~1 hour intervals throughout the day. Because pups do better with set schedules, I follow the same routine every hour and he seems to be doing better with this routine. Essentially what we do is : Wake up, pee, Train (5-10 mins max with his kibble or toys - like your ours isn’t food motivated but enjoys WORKING for his food, other times he’s more willing to work for toys so that could also be worth a try), fetch (physical exercise indoors), Train (5-10 mins max), play, leash train (indoors), play, pee, nap.
Other tips:
Hope this helps in some way shape or form, feel free to message me if you need to vent, compare puppy problems or ask any questions :)
Found it on Amazon and it's been one of his favorite toys till now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PQ5UH0C/
These have been very popular:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006G570G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KNWVPFO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
outward hound puzzle puzzle starmark puzzle 2
The only toy ours has not been able to destroy is this. Its hilarious to see her carry it around though.
Marshall Super Thru-Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DJL0K/ (We have the ball pit too because I got it on sale).
The tube is super stretchy. It says 15 feet on the box, but it can go closer to 20. If you have plastic chewers it won't last, but that isn't an issue for us.
Only negative - take it out of the box and let it air out for about 3-4 days to get rid of the smell of the plastic before using it. It stores neatly in the box it came in. :)
I used to have two single units strapped together side-by-side and I loved it. I loved the full 6 foot length of floor space that allowed them to run back and forth at mach speeds.
The dark gray liners that match the cage color look really slick.
Question; the clear ferret tube (Marshall Super Thru-Way?)... does it smell? I bought a similar tube from the hardware store and it smelled so terrible I just threw it away. I've read some reviews by people complaining about the smell. Have you noticed that or should I go ahead and get one?
ACDs are quite the toy destroyers aren't they? Although my guy isn't quite as esteemed in the destruction field as an ACD, he is pretty bad. Here's what has survived him:
Reading my list, god damn my dog is spoiled. Keep in mind, these are just the toys that have made it. I'm not even counting the ones he's destroyed!
Let me know if you have any questions!
Lastly, I don't own a husky, but man do I respect the destruction a husky can wreck. I would recommend going to a husky group on facebook or a subreddit to see what toys they would recommend. If it's husky approved... it should last.
I have a papillon mix and they are so much fun to train! I do agility with my pup, and you are going to love it. :)
You could do nosework at home, or teach different "practical" tricks (put your toys away into a basket, fetch a newspaper, close the door etc.).
We also play the "101 things to do with a box" game with clicker training. This one is particularly fun because the dog gets to offer random behaviors, and you never know what your pup might be capable of. With this game, we've inadvertently taught our dog "paw at that" and "get in the box".
Edit: I wanted to mention that one of the few drawbacks with having a smart, "gotta have a job to do" dog means that you need to be mindful of keeping them from getting bored. We feed our dog all of his meals using various food toys/puzzles and that will usually keep him occupied for a while.
If he's barking when you leave the room and you're still at home, I suggest: puzzle toys like this, this, or this - it will keep him occupied and he will begin to cope without you in the same room.
If you're leaving him home alone and you're having issues, I suggest hiring a dog walker with excellent reviews to stop in every day. Check Rover.com or any local pet walking site. And take him to some obedience classes! Depending on the dog, he might really like the interaction with you & it could cut down on him having excessive anxiety.
the shelter i volunteer at gives kongs to all the dogs. i've never seen them tear one up. maybe i'll see an indentation on the kong, but i've never seen one break a piece off. seriously, hundreds of dogs, never an incident like you're describing. saint bernards, pit bulls, german shepherds, no kong incidents.
peanut butter alternatives: you can fill the kong with food mixed with peanut butter. sometimes i'll put rice and chicken in the food processor until it's a thick paste and fill the kong with that. or, you can make some "honest kitchen" wet dog food, put it in the kong, leave it in the fridge, and give it to her when you leave.
kong alternatives: i like busy buddies. I started with this one and moved up to this one (removed the rope) for my dog. This is where she gets all her food now. You can fill it with normal food if you're worried about the dog's weight. These are a little harder, so if the dog doesn't seem interested when you introduce them, you can fill them with really high value treats like hot dog pieces until she gets the hang of it.
you can give her the toys when you leave and take them away when you get home. Some people don't like to take the toy away when the dog is using it -- because it can lead to food guarding -- but that may be no big deal if you're only working on separation anxiety.
it sounds like the dog needs a lot of enrichment. in addition to toys, i would also check out clicker training. it's a good way to exercise the dog's mind and anyone can do it.
also, don't give them rawhide. bully stick instead.
more walks may help. take her down to the park and meet men. i don't have a fenced yard, either, so i got a 30ft leash so my dog can run around. i also run with the dog every now and then.
there's no magic bullet, but there are a lot of small things you can do. all this sounds like a big pain in the ass, but it's probably easier than cleaning up a bunch of trash when you get home.
also check out /r/dogtraining. there are people with actual qualifications there.
and if you decide to get professional help, check their qualifications. CeXXr MXXXn is like the Scientology of dog training. A lot of "trainers" and "behaviorists" will claim to be a "member" of a dog training association. That just means they go to conferences and pay dues. There are lots of CXXar MXXXns in disguise, like BXXk BXXXXXs. You want a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a Certified Pet Dog Trainer or a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant.
EDIT: Formatting
Treat Dispensing Chew Ball, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YD8NS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_INc4DbZ8K7JXS
Can't recommend these enough, my boy loves them and they can stand against his chewing for a good bit. I think kongs are about the only thing that we've bought that last the longest, we bought the large black one.
My wife bought the pup a tire and rope toy that lasts as well, but it's an outside toy since he flings the tire by the rope and it becomes a morning star.
Kongs (black, not red), kong wubbas, stick chews, tennis balls (squeaky or not, my dog likes squeaky), nylabones, antlers and ropes for tug (I also use the wubba). If I could only choose one from that list, I'd go with the wubba. My dog loves that thing.
You need to consider all dog toys as consumables. You will have to replace them from time to time. That should hold you over for a while though.
I have a 70lb dog (think slightly larger than a lab) in an area that does not have ticks and fleas, to put this into perspective.
$35 / month on food
$10 / month on treats
$60 / year vet checkup
$70 / year heart worm medication
$35 / night on boarding
$20 / day on daycare (we send her about twice a month to socialize)
Upfront costs can be pretty expensive. Some of the big items:
$100 - Kennel (this is optional. our dog just really loves her box!)
$45 - Dog bed
$25 - Collar and leash
$15'ish - Water and food bowls
Food can be expensive at first. Maybe your dog hates what you get and it takes a while to find the food that he or she likes. I recommend getting sample bags of food and see what they take to. You can get these at any mom & pop pet store and some of the chains as well, you just have to ask. Same with treats.
Toys are really cheap. We dig through the discount bins to find the right texture and sound that we know our dog enjoys. Balls can be cheap, too. I recommend fun squeaky balls you can get on Amazon. I've yet to meet a dog that doesn't love them!
https://www.amazon.com/Outward-Hound-32039-Squeaker-Squeak/dp/B001WAFT80
when my dog is bored because its raining outside i feed her her kibble out of a kong wobbler i suggest making your meals a little harder to eat by putting them in a puzzle of some sort
Right! I just figured this out with my pup. She would only fetch a tennis ball a few times and then ignore it when I threw it. The other day we were at our local pet store and she fell in love with it and now I can't get her to stop. Her favorite thing to do is play goalie.
I just found that Chuckit makes a kick fetch ball, the large seems to be similar in size to a soccer ball. It will definitely be the next one we purchase once she's a little bigger or destroys the one we currently have.
I like the Chuckit Kick Fetch. Most sizes of dogs can find a place to grab on it (and I'm pretty sure very few, if any, breeds could swallow it) and it really flies when you kick it!
My family's big into Bostons...my mom has had 8 total in her life. They are notorious toy destroyers. My first Boston is 1 1/2 now.
The owner at a pet store in town advised that we have "play" toys, and "chew" toys... so if we notice her chewing on a "play" toy, we take it away. For chew toys, I've given up on a lot of things and I advise either getting an edible antler or a bully ring It's completely digestible and doesn't mess with their stomach.
I've had some good luck with Chuck-It. As for balls, my BT loves this huge one, which is pretty durable because it's twice her size: kick fetch ball They also make small rubber balls and "indoor" balls that work well.
My BT loves fetch so we got her both a Kong and Chuck-It frisbee. They've lasted a while but we take them away from her once we're inside, otherwise she'll destroy them.
There's also this company called Helping Udders that is fairly durable toys, made from recycled stuff, and you can donate 15% of your purchase to a BT rescue. Mine loved those :)
Last bit of advice: if a toy doesn't last very long, take a picture and write the company a letter. I've done this a couple times and without fail, the company will send you a more durable product to try out. With one, it turns out it was a design flaw that they had fixed; the new product lasted much, much longer.
Good luck!
ive had a few of these, but i made some modifications since the wire just ends. i got some zipties and ziptied the ends of the wires very tightly to the rest of the wire coil (hard to explain, sorry)- i had to poke holes thru the plastic to do it but it was much safer after the modification imho.
it is literally hours of fun, lol.
http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-FT-190-Thru-Way/dp/B0002DJL0K
even more durable is the larger tunnel for cats http://bit.ly/Oui3MV that we used when my boy got too tubby for the thruway tunnel, haha. it's not nearly as long but he liked hanging out in it, and it folds up really nice for travel.
I got them a ball pit and some other fancy toys, but they honestly don't care about any of that stuff and much prefer shredding paper and cardboard.
I bought it online
It seems pretty durable. The size is perfect - even my chubby one can easily run back and forth. The plastic has a strong smell to it at first but it goes away after airing it out. I wouldn't suggest folding it once you unpack it. Mine just lies on the floor all stretched out.
[$9.23] (http://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Company-Extreme-5-Inches/dp/B0002DJXGC/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2WE7NVT4WQQRX&coliid=I1GF4YDHMTIA53) + [$12.99] (http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Paperwhite-Resolution-Lifetime-Warranty/dp/B0083OZHGW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=28NLV2YGYH4YR&coliid=ISS9TYTTUS1CU) = $22.22
Edit: Because the first time I read $22 instead of $22.22...
So far this Hol-ee Roller X Extreme is the sole survivor out of all the various toys we've tried. As far as other toys... If it squeeks, it's dead in no time, if it's rope, it's in tatters soon enough. The ball eventually did crack after 9 months of hard core tug of wars, bought another that lasted a year before a break. These balls take the hardest abuse and just keep on going.
http://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Pet-8-Inch-Romp-n-Roll-Red/dp/B0002DK9OW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1395431056&sr=8-5&keywords=jolly+ball+dog
My parents' GSD Max is also a chewer, and that's the only toy that lasts for him. He can still destroy it over the course of 6 months or so, but it holds up much better than anything else.
Dude, those Jolly Balls are incredible. We have the Romp-n-Roll one, and the puppy LOVES it. It's easily his favorite toy. And the ball part is pretty much indestructible! (Though the rope is almost completely shredded now >.<)
Seriously. I had danes and mastiffs that would tear through any pet toy in just a few minutes.
Bought one of these
and one of these
and both outlived the dogs. My current german shepherd is still playing with them after about 15 years of originally purchasing.
My 10 lb dog loves the IQ ball and we've got the larger size (4"). We've also got a Wobbler that she enjoys, but I think I should have gotten the Bob-a-lot instead. I borrowed a Bob-a-lot from a friend, and it seemed like it was more challenging and I liked that the hole size is adjustable (I taped over most of the Wobbler's hole to make it smaller). The Busy Buddy Twist & Treat is pretty good too.
Twist and Treat
I prefer these to kongs
I love the twist and treat (link). It's nice because you can set the difficulty by deciding how tightly to twist the top down. I screwed it down all the way the first time, and my dog couldn't figure it out, but once I loosened it, she was able to really start working on it. Now that she's realized how to twist it open (she's also part pittie and used to just stick her jaw in there and wedge it open!), it still takes her a while to rub it against the carpet while pulling at the top. Good luck!
Tuffy makes some good stuff. We have a number of them. I just picked up the large sheep, it's almost as big as she is. Great for tug. She will chew the ears off. But in 14 months she's only got through 1. There's bones, bully sticks, balls etc to distract her also.
These are the favorites:
http://www.tuffietoys.com/
https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Buddy-Twist-Treat-Small/dp/B0002I0RLW
https://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Tricky-Treat-Large/dp/B0002DK26M
My go to toy for Charlie when she's home alone is always a Kong with mix of kibble, veggies, chicken/turkey and peanut butter/greek yogurt depending on what I have in the fridge. Freeze overnight. Charlie loves working on those and they're indestructible. Another treat dispensing toy Charlie likes is the Pet Safe Buddy Twist Treat.
I smear peanut butter or greek yogurt on the insides and then put her kibble in. Takes her maybe 5-10 minutes to finish if I haven't put it in the freezer overnight.
My dog loves this: http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Busy-Buddy-Barnacle-Large/dp/B008JCH2A2
I've heard good things about these two, and want to try them, but haven't gotten around to it yet:
http://www.amazon.com/Starmark-Treat-Dispensing-Pickle-Pocket/dp/B007K5CL9Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1381943161&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=pickle+pocket
http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Buddy-Twist-Treat-Small/dp/B0002I0RLW/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1381943180&amp;sr=1-9&amp;keywords=treat+dispensing+dog+toys
We adopted our cocker spaniel when she was about 2. She'd been severely neglected. She has no idea what toys are. She had no idea how to play.
After 3 years of effort we have made some progress.
She enjoys chewing on Nylabones and regular bones, but won't touch a kong.
I don't think she'll ever be terribly playful, but I've never found female cockers to be very playful anyway. Perhaps your dog is simply more serious minded?
Her favorite activity is checking the perimeter of our fenced yard. It is quite large, with chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits. She absolutely loves it, and flushes small animals from the bushes for the st.poodle to chase down and...
Well. I won't elaborate. Some people are squeamish. But they're quite a team.
Maybe your dog would like to learn some tricks. Perhaps a job, like opening drawers or turning lights on/off.
Good luck. I know it is disconcerting to have a dog that doesn't respond to any toys.
$9.95 POO POURRI!
THIS STUFF IS SO AMAZING!
Why I need it is self-explanatory. I'm a girl. Girls don't poop. Never. We fart glitter dust and rainbows, but we don't poop. But when I have guests, I want them to use this stuff so my home doesn't smell atrocious.
...I don't know, fly casual
---
If that's too expensive (I don't want to be greedy, but I thought it was funny):
I need THOSE because my pup LOVES tennis balls, but sometimes she chews on them while I'm gone and they break. She's a big white husky, so she has a strong mouth. We always need replacements, and THESE ones SQUEAK!
I'd post a video of her playing with them if I win!
My dog loves this giant squeaky fur ball, and these squeaky tennis balls (but the tennis balls don't last that long). Also I know it doesn't look like much but she also really likes jute tugs like this; I think because she can get a really good grip on it. She's not a huge tugger but she is still always excited when the jute tug comes out.
The ones I have don't squeak, but these seem to be some Kong squeaker toys. It does seem like there are other options.
I'm so sorry for your loss! It's awful to lose a furry friend, especially so unexpectedly! Koda husky is my baby and he's been having a rough week :\ He had a tooth pulled on Monday and is just finally getting back to his reckless self :) He would love to tear this apart. Thanks for the contest and I hope you start feeling better soon :)
My two current faverites are the Tricky Treat Ball and the Tug-A-Jug.
For the ball getting the first half of the kibble out is pretty easy but the second half is pretty tricky (aka getting the dog hooked and then upping the difficulty). The Jug is just awesome but it's loud as hell on wood floors and drives me nuts so I'll only give it to her when I'm about to leave the house.
I've also heard good things about Buster Cubes because they've got adjustable openings but I really need to stop buying stuff for my spoiled pup so I don't have one.
We alternate between the Kong Wobbler, the Buster Cube, and the IQ Ball every morning for breakfast. The wobbler is definitely the easiest, the cube is definitely the hardest, and the IQ ball is Sequoia's favorite (but she loves balls of any kind, so no real surprise there).
The total surprise winner was the Pickle! I was convinced it would be torn to shreds in minutes, but it has held up well! It doesn't last super long, but it is easy enough to just stick a little more peanut butter and some more kibble in when she is done.
I have this post saved from u/manatee1010 and have tried several:
I keep this list of brain toy links handy to send to friends who get dogs. It's getting pretty long...
Toys that get stuffed with food and frozen:
Kibble dispensing toys, hard material (good for carpeted areas)
Kibble dispensing toys, soft material (good for hardwood/tile/laminate)
Time-release kibble dispensing toys (good for work days)
Lastly, there are also these two that I haven’t tried yet, so I’m not positive how to classify…
ETA: If you have any others you like (or don't like) that I've left off this list, please chime in!
The Kong Wobbler and Bobs-a-lot are great toys. I also use a Tricky Treat ball a lot. My dogs also really love the Snoop.
You could also try the Tug-a-Jug, Kibble Nibble, or Buster Cube.
Start with clicker training and free-shaping, since he seems curious and driven. I like 101 things to do with a box.
Toy recommendations:
Impulse control exercises:
Essentially, you want your dog to "ask permission" before doing things. Do lots of eye contact exercises. I did a lot of the things on kikopup's youtube channel when I got my dog. If you keep at it, you'll eventually have a dog that looks at you once he recognizes a distraction.
What kind of treats are you using? I love using Easy Cheese (aerosol can) as my highest-level reward. You can put some on a wooden spoon and give the dog a tiny lick of it as a treat. Very few dogs don't go crazy for it.
I would agree that settling into a routine seemed to help the most with our grey. It took about 3 months for her to settle and for the separation anxiety to fade. We also got her some puzzle toys that we give her only when we leave. She now knows that we give her a toy before we leave and we always come home. The best one I've found is this one but we also have this one and this one.
I have a few for my bun that I've bought, but I saw that box at Michaels and thought the same thing! I might have to pick it up when I got next. I got this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TOKTEG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1 & https://www.amazon.com/TRIXIE-Pet-Products-Board-Level/dp/B0054Q9TMA/ref=pd_sim_199_1?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B0054Q9TMA&amp;pd_rd_r=5PA45VWEP2AZ8VXYSN9R&amp;pd_rd_w=l77F1&amp;pd_rd_wg=1LEIl&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=5PA45VWEP2AZ8VXYSN9R for my bunny and he loves them. Figured them out very quickly. There is one I can't find right now I saw that has pull tabs, and essentially the food drops down layers (it's tall) and the animal has to pull the string tabs out to get it. I want to try that one next :) Mine is spoilt as hell.
Did you mean only outings or things you can do at home, too? We have a homemade agility course in the backyard. There are some good videos on YouTube about how to make your own inexpensive course. Alternatively you could do a rally course with just cones or similar markers. We also like interactive toys like this one.
I have a papillion chihuahua mix who just turned 2. If it were up to him I would play fetch all day long. When I need him to keep busy independently, I have a couple things I try:
Bully sticks. Sometimes he's into it, sometimes not. Depends on the day. Some days he'll chew on a bully stick for over an hour.
Puzzle toys like these:
http://www.amazon.com/Outward-Hound-41008-Flapper-Training/dp/B006ZTTSOE/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1463561315&amp;sr=8-16&amp;keywords=dog+puzzle
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NSVIRY/ref=twister_B009NMOZKM?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Tricky-Treat-Large/dp/B0002DK26M/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1463561410&amp;sr=8-25&amp;keywords=dog+puzzle
I also rotate his toys, he loves digging through and discovering the "new" toys.
Other times I put him in his crate. This is usually when he's had exercise and play time, but is not calming down any time soon. It's funny because it takes about 5 minutes before he's fast asleep in his crate!
The Kong Wobbler was perfect for my pup with the same problem. The dog has to paw the dispenser to get any food out so it's great for getting energy out too! The hole is fairly large, so it's pretty easy for the food to just fall out when the dog tilts it, but I put tape on the inside to adjust the hole size, and I can keep my high energy pup eating & playing for 15-30 min! Oh and the small size can hold up to 1.5-2 cups of kibble and is plenty big, even for large dogs.
Use the Kong Treat Dispenser(wobbler) for his kibble. It should provide him interaction and slow down his feeding by A LOT.
Link to wobbler on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/KONG-PW2-Wobbler-Small/dp/B004NSVIRY/ref=asc_df_B004NSVIRY/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=218421090408&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6838922508306478072&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=m&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9029014&amp;hvtargid=pla-355380579545&amp;psc=1
We now feed with one of these for our JRT mix. It's loud as hell on wood floors but he gets a lot of energy out and makes him eat slower.
I use the wobble Kong for my puppy and it takes him 10 minutes to eat.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B004NSVIRY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1527126180&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=wobble+kong&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51dnutDe-lL&amp;ref=plSrch
Super congrats on the new and better job!!! Great contest! ^^^^Not ^^^^really ^^^^I'm ^^^^being ^^^^sarcastic!!!
^^^I'm ^^^not ^^^actually ^^^kidding ^^^or ^^^being ^^^sarcastic!
I just wanted something to go with Jim Carrey's look. I swear I didn't mean the first part in tiny words!!!
I don't know if you have prime or not, but if you do there is this dog bone under ten dollars. If you don't have prime let me know and I'll find something else if the shipping is too much. That is, if I win.
This stick bone: https://www
.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005DGIA26/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1465924193&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=stick+bones+for+dogs&dpPl=1&dpID=41LSpgXROfL&ref=plSrch
She's had it for months and it looks completely disgusting, but she just turned 1 and still chews on it every day. Really seemed to help.
Edit: I just realized you are looking for actual treats for your dog to eat. Sorry!
I got mine here!
In addition to the hol-ee ball idea these things are pretty cool and come in various sizes!
Do you take him for a long walk at night?
This is a kong. You can fill it with peanut butter and some small treats, freeze it, and it will preoccupy your dog for hours
This is how I feed my dog her meals, she has to push it to get her kibble out, so it mentally stimulates her
Here are some other mentally stimulating toys we use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZTTSOE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lcQAzbWNWKYBJ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054Q9TMA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FbQAzbTVZQGKH
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014OAYVKG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8cQAzb365KDN2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F0RRTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HdQAzbMD3G61W
IT's nice to meet you, redditor who I presume is named Kelly. :) I have a good friend who lives in the Netherlands - I want to visit properly someday. :D
I think it's cool that you're doing a contest with your intro. I have two basset hounds, one of which is a puppy that came from a situation where she wasn't properly trained or cared for. We are working on getting her lots of puzzles to help with training her. This is just one of the puzzles we hope will train her to think and work for her food instead of jumping all over us begging for it.
You didn't mention, but do you have any pets of your own? What was the most interesting pet you got to work with when you were working with a vet?
Zoey has a few (this one and this one), but she figured them out way too quickly.
We try to teach her new stuff and reinforce old stuff that she learned. Practical things, like new words, new skills, and old skills in new languages.
These things are super tough -- plus it's amazing to watch our little Frank take on this monster ball.
They're a bit pricey, but worth it IMO.
Depending on your yard/outdoor situation, I'd suggest a ball large enough to roll and be chased. Chuckit makes a small soccer ball with ridges that our girl loves to chase. It's big enough to roll along the ground rather than bounce in the air, and she can't fit the whole thing in her mouth, so I feel a lot better about safety. She can grab ,the ridges but can't fit her mouth around the whole thing, so she has to work on catching it, and even though shes had it for about a year she hasn't chewed through any part of it!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pfoPDbRX4149Y
Also, anything fuzzy that squeaks! Our girl didn't know what toys were at first, but boy did she know what to do with a squeaky rabbit! Animal shapes seem to have the biggest draw for our girl.
Also I definitely second the winter coat. I'd also recommend a thunder shirt, ours is terrified of thunder but sleeps like an angel with her shirt on.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JPL4193/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_t6TQNgUiR7ueE
My dog really likes the Kong Wild Knots toys. There's a rope inside the toy, to give your dog the full "disemboweling a wild animal" experience. They have minimal stuffing too. Not all of them have squeakers though.
Kong makes a teddy bear, indestructible. My blue has had it for 3-4 months and it only has a small tear, even been outside some of that time, playing tug etc. Made with rope instead of stuffing.
Wild Kong Knots
Lucy has been way calmer since we moved. I have no clue what got into her last night! Maybe she just majorly needed some mommy cuddles. Btw!! Keep an eye out for these. I don't know how pricing is in Canada, but I watch these because they'll occasionally drop below $3 a piece and Lucy absolutely loves them. They don't last long, so I wait for them to be super cheap and buy like 3-4 at a time.
Finn plays with most of his toys on a big area rug. He knows to pick it up and take it back to the rug when it rolls off. I taught him by picking up his toys and taking them back to the rug every time they fell off. He eventually got the picture.
Even so, our favorite toys are soft rubber ones. The Omega Paw Tricky Treat ball is great, and so is the Orbee Tuff Snoop. To make the Snoop harder, you can buy another ball to put inside it.
Not sure if this allowed couldn’t find anything in about section that prohibits sharing links but here ya go!
Nina Ottoson Outward Hound Dog Brick Treat Puzzle Dog Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9XTF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dzNPDbQ0N6AW1
PAW5: Wooly Snuffle Mat - Feeding Mat for Dogs (12" x 18") - Encourages Natural Foraging Skills - Easy to Fill - Fun to Use Design - Durable and Machine Washable - Perfect for Any Breed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dANPDbB4NDWAG
The last thing we did was get tennis balls and a muffin tin, filled a few with treats and covered the muffin slots with the balls to have her sniff them out.
And the easiest is to hide treats and have her sniff them out throughout the house.
Training? Learn shake/salute/wave/tricks that don't require moving too much.
I like plastic puzzles like this but it's easier to find the wooden ones.
I got my guy this one and he loves it! I love watching him try to figure the different parts out.
https://www.amazon.ca/Outward-Hound-Dispensing-Exercise-Ottosson/dp/B0711Y9XTF/ref=asc_df_B0711Y9XTF/?tag=googlemobshop-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=292999120956&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=12127162462042952341&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=m&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9001598&amp;hvtargid=pla-349361985826&amp;psc=1
my puppy has one toy that he really loves, its a long grey raccoon that squeaks and makes other noises. whether he's in the crate or out, that toy keeps him busy while he wrestles with it. it also helps that we pull the toy up and he jumps up for it, so he's getting excited for it. I would try to find a toy that he really enjoys OR one of those treat dispensing puzzles https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0711Y9XTF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I bought that for my puppy, haven't tried it out yet.
My jindo also loves going for walks/sniffing, and does not care at all about toys. He is very food motivated, however, so we keep him mentally stimulated with different types of feeder puzzles/toys.
We have this snuffle/sniff mat for nosework and we have an assortment of the Nina Ottosson puzzle feeders (we started with this one which is a level 2). The puzzle feeders are great because they are labeled by difficulty level and, depending on which one you have, can be more mentally exhausting than others. We have a variety of level 1, 2, and 3. He's still trying to figure out how to master this one.
We only feed him his meals through these puzzle feeders/sniff mats and just switch up which puzzle he gets every day so he doesn't get bored. He really enjoys working on them and it's always entertaining to watch him think and figure them out/get better over time.
Like another commenter mentioned, we also do moderate obedience training every day for about 5-15 minutes. We work on reinforcing something he already knows to get a really solid response (and use these commands at the end of the session to end on a good note!), and we'll also incorporate a new command slowly within these sessions (the new commands we never go beyond 5 minutes of training within a session so he doesn't get frustrated). They're really smart dogs so they can pick up new commands quickly!
We're also looking into taking him to nosework classes, which are becoming more popular, so you can search and see if your area offers any near you, though I'm not sure that's what you're looking for if you're at home working.
And to reiterate what everyone else is saying, our boy loves to be near us and is very chill indoors, so I'm sure your pup is just glad you're home and around.
I have a mini Aussie so I feel you. I try to be as inventive as possible with my budget but I suggest most interactive/treat dispensing toys. I make large ice cubes that are half chicken/beef broth with a jerky or bone sticking out only a little. Then because it’s a mini and she’s not a huge chewer I can make these inside a talenti gelato container. So basically inside a Tupperware (which plastic isn’t ideal because they can swallow it but mine doesn’t and focuses on the bone) there is the half and half broth with a bone and an easy treat to get. She also doesn’t eat paper/cardboard so I can put a bone or treat inside a tissue box or empty pasta box or whatever and she’ll rip it apart to get to it. Once again, I can only do it because I’m watching and I know she does not ingest this.
Here are some toys I suggest that are proven safer:
Lumo Ball
Snuffle Mat I really like the snuffle mat because you can feed all your meals in this and bring it with you if you want to keep your dog busy wherever you are.
OSPet Interactive Feeder
Trixie Puzzle
Ottosson Puzzle I really like most toys Outward Hound makes.
My dog’s favorite kong I find I can put just a biscuit or fill it full of kibble and pb and she’ll spend quite a bit of time getting it out.
My pit loves her wobble wag ball. It's a great toy. They sell it on Amazon for around 14$ sometimes a few dollars less.
It's a very durable ball with grips for her to bite on to and throw around. It also makes a whizzing noise that she likes.
It keeps her entertained for hours. I bought it over a year ago, and it'd still her fav. I bought an extra for the inside so I wouldn't have to keep cleaning it as often.
Wobble Wag Giggle Dog https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PQ5UH0C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0Az5xb1MAR0S7
I’d focus on all around confidence building at home - obedience group class is probably overwhelming for a shy dog, so set your expectations low for slow progress in a class environment.
First of all, I’d implement a Nothing in Life is Free regime at home for now. It sounds harsh but for a fearful dog, knowing what your expectations are can reduce her anxiety and earning affection/privileges successfully by doing what you want her to will help her build confidence and trust in you - which should translate to her looking to you for leadership in all situations.
Work on reinforcing/teaching basic commands at home with really high value treats, lots of short training sessions (90 seconds to 5 minutes each session multiple times a day if possible) and way more reps than you think necessary. Once she has a command down, you can work on transitioning it to the world outside your home.
Puzzle toys are also an effective way to help build confidence. With shy/fearful dogs, we typically feed all meals in puzzle toys - solving them helps boost their morale. The Starmark Bob-a-lot is my favorite for meals, but Kongs are a good option too and the Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Snoop Dog Toy is another great one.
Nina Ottosson makes great puzzle toys for treat puzzles (too small to feed full meals), with varying levels of difficulty. There are also tons of DIY puzzle toys on the internet. Anything that works her brain and requires her to think through to solve will help her become a more focused, confident dog.
Hopefully all of the above will translate into increased focus and confidence in class too, but if not, you might want to consider doing some in home training if you can (obviously with the caveat that in home training is expensive af, especially compared to group classes, so I totally understand if this isn’t an option). If group classes are your best option, don’t worry too much about her performance IN class, just focus on doing the homework and building up her responsiveness at home and then slowly transition to the outside world.
With regards to men, it’s probably not something you can completely “solve,” but if she’s food motivated and you have male friends she doesn’t know, ask them to come over and hand feed her. This is one of the most effective ways to build a bond. When men are around, have them give her high value treats and ignore her as best you can, so all good things come from men. But let her take it on her own terms and don’t push her either. Contractors can be scary - generally they’re wearing work boots, carrying big/loud/heavy objects, etc., so that may be a situation you just want to manage instead of trying to train her to be more comfortable - just keep her crated or confined to an area where your contractor won’t be, maybe put on a noise machine or the radio and give her a frozen Kong or bully stick to keep her calm when they’re around.
Not all of this will be helpful or apply to you and your dog, I’m sure, but these are some of the things I find the most successful with my fearful fosters! Best of luck to you and your pupper! You sound like a very dedicated owner 💕
Yep - hard surfaces can be extremely echoing if you don't have anything down.
Also make sure to keep up on nail trims.
If you're looking for food toys that are more apartment friendly I highly recommend this one it's not the most challenging but it's relatively quite and my dog loves chasing it around.
This toy is awesome.
KONG Jumbler Ball Toy,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KNWVPFO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I've added that! My dog is a super chewer as well. He loves his bacon ball a lot and usually takes him a while to chew through. We also have a tug ball that he can't chew through and has tons of fun with.
Hey OP, i work at the company that used to make the Rocket Ball, and it indeed was from Costco. Unfortunately we no longer make or sell that item anymore, and I dont have any left in stock in our warehouse. We did sell the design to Kong though and they made a "spiritual successor" of the Rocket Ball, called The Jumbler. Hope this helps!
https://www.amazon.com/KONG-Jumbler-Large-X-Large-colors/dp/B00KNWVPFO
You can find it at pretty much any pet store near me and it seems very durable! Maeby has spent hours gnawing on it to squeak it and trying to get the tennis ball inside http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Jumbler-Large-X-Large-colors/dp/B00KNWVPFO
I would try with amazon if it’s not too late. this is a great treat ball, made of rubber and it has got also some accessories to make the game more challenging!
Mine is 9 months old. I work from home and still enforce naps and have her in her crate for roughly 4 hours each day during my work day; sometimes a little more if she's being too unruly. It's just not feasible for me to keep an eye on her constantly despite being home. And quite frankly wasn't fair to me; I need a break from her too once in awhile despite how much I love her. Watching a puppy is also work, and trying to do both my work and the work of watching her at the same time was too tough. And my pup doesn't always settle on her own when she sees that I'm doing other stuff. Sometimes her nap is broken up into 2 2 hour naps, and other times it's a solid 4 hour chunk. I let her sleep until I see she's awake; I have a webcam pointed in her crate and I cast the image to the TV closest to me so I can keep an eye on her.
As far as keeping her occupied when she's awake, I use bully sticks, nylabones, kongs stuffed with string cheese, and an Orbee Tuff puzzle ball stuffed with chicken jerky which keeps her occupied for usually a couple hours at the least. Orbee Tuff: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Dog-Interactive-Dispensing-Puzzle/dp/B00EE1660O chicken jerky: https://www.costco.com/Top-Chews-Chicken-Jerky-Fillets-Recipe-100%25-Natural-Dog-Treats.product.100246298.html definitely not how the Orbee Tuff is supposed to be used but I tear the chicken jerky pieces in half and put them inside the ball and they're super hard to get out. They're a high value treat for her though so she stays at it. I try to keep toys out for her that are mostly rubber and not soft, so I don't have to be constantly staring at her to make sure she isn't pulling out strings or stuffing from soft toys.
I also moved her crate from our family room (was in there per the advice of this sub so the dog 'wouldn't feel left out from the pack since they're so social' or something like that...worst advice ever for us) into our guest bedroom. I cover her crate with a blanket, close the door, and have a white noise machine running in there so she can't hear me when I'm on a call. Moving her crate was by far the most beneficial thing I've ever done for her I think. She sleeps more soundly and is so much better behaved overall. Her demand barking when awake and out of her crate pretty much stopped after I moved her crate. I'm chalking it up to her actually getting restful sleep for once and not feeling like she's missing out or being disturbed by what's going on around her. 🤷
We use the large KONG Extreme Dog Toy, Medium, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GUDZO2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sQ81AbHCEGYVC, trixies flipboard 2 TRIXIE Pet Products Flip Board, Level 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054Q9TMA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RR81AbJEX56X9. treat ball OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oS81AbJ0XDRE8, a treat hiding thing Dog Smart Treat Dispensing Dog Toy Brain and Exercise Game for Dogs by Nina Ottosson https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9Y8W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MS81AbJWBH0TC, a rolling nibble kibble PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble Meal Dispensing Dog Toy, Medium/Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F0RRUA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FT81AbYG9PW7N, a self toy KONG Rambler Ball, Large (colors vary) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BBGRT4Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wU81AbYC200R4, and a large tug a jug PetSafe Medium/Large Sportsmen Tug A Jug Pet Chew Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4KZ8M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LV81AbFBTP67F.
The kong I use spread treats inside because dry treats last only a few seconds.
Trixies flipboard is low to meh at getting her attention, sometimes she doesnt care for the food to bother with it.
Iq treat ball she finds a way to break, pushing into a wall, chomping on it, the moment you look away.
The hide a treat thing is easy for her.
The nibble kibble is the same as the treat ball.
The kong rambler she easily pulls the ball from its station and the toy is moot, now its just a ball.
The tug a jug becomes a weapon that she whips around until it smashes open.
The one thing I have noticed that can keep her attention is a pile of wood we have outside. Inside that pile of wood is chipmunks and squirrels that she messes with until I call her over. I'm thinking that she enjoys live toys? Or does she it as just something for her to herd.
Overstimulating sounds right to me. It’s almost like a human, if you run 3 miles every day, you’re going to be a bit stir crazy if you don’t get your 3 mile run in for a day. Your Aussie is dependent on that stimulation everyday because he’s been so active.
Try rotating between focus training and problem solving some nights and exercise other night. Aussie will literally never tire if she’s playing with a dog or chasing a frisbee. She does get drained from activities like hide and seek because its mentally draining. We’ve started to hide a toy and while she’s looking hide another toy, then give her commands like “warm, hot, cold” based on proximity to the toy and when she find Squishy we tell her “Good job, now find Bear” and she goes searching for her bear.
Instead of toys that will just get destroyed, look into toys that promote problem solving.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0798K86LR/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1536457543&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=Pupper+Pamper&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51HL1EmZOoL&amp;ref=plSrch <— You can make these with 2 liter bottles but this is a good way to switch up dinner time. Don’t let your pup chew through these, he has to solve the puzzle. No brute forcing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0711Y9XTF/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1536457614&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=dog%2Bpuzzle%2Btoys&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41uG8OG2guL&amp;ref=plSrch&amp;th=1&amp;psc=1 <— Same sort of thing, just changes it up so it’s a different puzzle.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0038WP1YC/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1536457667&amp;sr=8-15&amp;keywords=dog+puzzle+toys <— I have a friend that ditched the food bowl and went with this for feeding. Just don’t let them brute force his way through it, keep your dog focused on the puzzle.
https://www.amazon.com/ZippyPaws-Woodland-Friends-Interactive-Chipmunks/dp/B008PFB3HG <— Toys like this are great for “Find the toy, then go put it in a bucket” then when the bucket is full, give a sign and you set the toy back up for him.
Not great but way way way better. The anxiety is still a big thing but the toys and treats are better (not great, she’s so picky and it’s so hard to figure out what she likes, but better) and she’s more confident now - doesn’t keep her tail between her legs anymore. It seemed like time really does help with the treats and confidence, but Jesus it sucks for all involved. We found that cooked chicken is a very reliable treat. And greenies! She loves greenies. Thank god.
I’m just going to info dump you in the hopes something helps (I'm guessing at timelines here if I say something like 'it was a few days' so if they don't line up, that's why).
We had to trial by fire it - we can’t call out of work. It’s terribly hard to leave her when I can hear her crying the whole time, but the poor dog kinda just has to live with it and I hope it’s not too much emotional damage. It’s been about 3 weeks now and the downstairs neighbors tell me that she only cries for the first hour I’m gone now instead of the whole time.
On the plus side, she totally loves her crate now; it’s her den. She’ll go into it when she’s bored and lie down and nap, or bring chicken into it to lie down and chew on.
After 2 weeks, she stopped walking with her tail between her legs and a couple days ago starting actually playing with other dogs we run into when walking (which is great except many dogs are aggressive and I'm worried they're going to teach her to be aggressive...).
She’s eating now, which is cool. At first she would only eat cooked chicken (Costco + slow cooker ftw), and then we went through various different dog foods till we found one she liked. She would only eat a bite at first but a bite was better than nothing. After about a week, she eats about half a cup at a time. We have her eating this: https://www.chewy.com/taste-wild-pacific-stream-grain-free/dp/181318
The vet said we have to teach her when mealtime was and put the bowl down and then pick it up 15 minutes later, but not to start doing this until she's actually eating because calories + feeling safe is more important (vs feeling already anxious AND hungry).
She also likes some toys now - she’ll sometimes chew on a bacon flavored nylabone (turns out nylabones come in flavors, btw. She likes the bacon one and ignores chicken), and we got her a Go Dog stuffed dragon and a whale that she LOVES - but she tears them apart in about 5 minutes, and I have to keep sewing them back together; don’t leave your dog alone with them! It’s cute; she carries them around like a teddy bear. It helps a lot with the emotional support, I think. She also likes puzzle toys. But this all started pretty recently. Before that, she would just mope around the house and we would feel like shitty parents. (She still mostly mopes and we feel like shitty parents). The first toy I got her to like was a PB filled kong, and she would only eat it if we were holding it. After several days, we got to being able to put the kong down (huge accomplishment) and as long as we were still standing next to her, she would keep at it. As soon as we took even a step away, she would leave it. But after some time, that got better. She’ll take it to her crate now. She still doesn’t play fetch or like balls. So for us, in the order we got her to like them, she likes PB Kongs, and then she loves her whale and dragon, and she likes the puzzle toys. The nylabone is a recent development and she’s not hugely a fan but occasional chewing is better than none. Because she doesn’t eat treats, most of the commercial toys are useless, since they’re all treat dispensers. We started with this puzzle and put chicken in it. https://www.amazon.com/Outward-Hound-Ottosson-Smart-Puzzle/dp/B0711Y9Y8W
Whenever I see anything she vaguely has an interest in, I capitalize on it. I noticed she likes to look out windows, so I’ve opened all the curtains that I can and leave them open so she isn’t too bored. Hopefully. She still seems bored 90% of the time :/. We still feel pretty shitty as parents because she does the puzzles really quickly and really only likes the whale and dragon, but I have to keep taking them from her because she keeps tearing through them.
I read a ton about separation anxiety and talked to the vet:
During the day, when we’re gone, we originally barricaded her in the kitchen but she figured out how to get out (she jumped the baby gates), so we just dog-proofed the house as best we could and now we let her run around and cross our fingers she doesn’t hurt herself.
Aight I have to work but throw any questions (or ideas!!!) my way.
My dog was inhaling her food to the point of horking and gagging every time until I got her a slow feeder [similar to this one] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2BEPD8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yRb-Bb7Z93DRC) but it got too easy for her. Lately I've been feeding her food in [this puzzle] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9Y8W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7Sb-BbY9PZQM1) where she has to remove the bones before getting a few pieces at a time.
I linked to the wrong toy on my post. This is the correct one. A month now and still going strong. Not only has the toy survived a dog who destroys EVERYTHING in seconds, but he's still absolutely fascinated with it. Totally worth what I paid, and if he does kill it now, I'd buy another immediately.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KNWVPFO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=3S781TIQTC7DI&amp;coliid=I3MG4MOEL2R1UH
This puzzle takes him awhile to do and you might have to teach him how to do it the first time, there are others but they seem to be less challenging for our guy.
We've been having the same struggles with our 12 week old lab! He will only start to eat his kibble if something (boiled chicken, rice, carrot, etc) is mixed in with it. Once he's eaten all of the treats from it, he'll leave the kibble, despite the fact that he's still hungry. However, put that exact same kibble into a puzzle toy, and he eats it right up!?
We've been putting his 'leftovers' into this puzzle toy and he loves it. Always finishes his kibble.
This looks pretty close! [Amazon ](Nina Ottoson Dog Brick Treat Puzzle Dog Toy by Outward Hound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9XTF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7VY.BbGTE8GHV)
hi
Yes this. We have one of these and also have an Ottosson-style puzzle toy that keeps our good boy busy for some time.
https://www.amazon.com/Ottoson-Outward-Hound-Brick-Puzzle/dp/B0711Y9XTF?ref_=w_bl_sl_ap_ap_web_12214477011
Try this maybe? There are other ones that may be different sizes.
Wobble Wag Giggle Ball Dog Toy As Seen On TV
from the product video "designed to mimic human laughter and joy"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PQ5UH0C?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf. Wobble ball definitely won't be chewed through.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017J8NDY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cCySAbPTN8V75. Extra large rope that took my rottie a very long time to chew through, plus it made smaller ropes for her to play with. I'm not 100% sure this is the same rope as I bought it at Jungle Jim's, but it looks the same.
If you call Barkbox and request toys for extreme chewers, they will send sturdy (but not indestructible) toys. It's a great price for what you get.
get some kongs from amazon, and rope toys they freaking love them this is what i have bought for mine, he is currently 5 and so months and finishing the teething cycle, sorry for the links in mexican amazon but we are from mexico :P
https://www.amazon.com.mx/gp/product/B004VBC0SY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
https://www.amazon.com.mx/gp/product/B00KNWVPFO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
She goes freaking bonkers for this ball.
This is it!
https://www.amazon.com/Allstar-Innovations-Wobble-Giggle-Ball/dp/B00PQ5UH0C
My whippet, who is not a destroyer of toys, absolutely LOVES her Wobble Wag Giggle Ball.
She gets her teeth into the holes and carries that thing all over the backyard. We had to confine it to an outside toy, because she can HURL it with softball pitch speed. Inside, it's a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Though you didn't ask, I'll volunteer: Be very careful when giving your ferret(s) toys to play with. Avoid anything made of foam, for example; chewed pieces can get caught in their intestinal tract and cause serious problems. For similar reasons, avoid anything that has pieces which can be chewed off (e.g., a plastic eye); anything with plastic bits (like ribbons); and all kinds of squeaky toys and things made of thin rubber. Good toys: Cardboard tubes and boxes. Ping-pong balls. Super Thru-Way. Cotton rope toys. Large towels. Small cotton unadorned stuffed animals.
Pet store, this is the over priced Marshal stuff most pet stores have. But it works great as a clear tube. If you must have clear, any pet store will do, or you can get it here:
http://smile.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-FT-190-Thru-Way/dp/B0002DJL0K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1414617745&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ferret+tunnel
https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-FT-190-Thru-Way/dp/B0002DJL0K I pretty sure its one of these! But the link you sent could be a pretty awesome alternative :D THANK YOU!
Three of four
Old man!
Toy!
Toy two
It's still a black KONG type, but it's awesome.
So far I like it. I use it for tugging and it hasn't broken down yet and my dogs tug hard. I'm happy with it!
My husky destroys everything. This toy is intact but squeakers no longer work.
https://www.amazon.com/KONG-659138-Tri-Fun-Stick-Large/dp/B013QY1D02/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469863677&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=kong+trifun
You can try getting this and putting a tennis ball inside:
https://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Company-Extreme-5-Inches/dp/B0002DJXGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469863741&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=extreme+holee+roller
for something rawhide-ish that isn't raw hide I'd try "Earth Animal No-Hide" though I don't know how long it'll take a dog to go through it cause my boy has a sensitive stomach so he get's these sparingly for 10-20 min tops (though I know other people who just give these to the dog and love them)
I'd also be worried about the hard cheese scratching up the throat if it's too big, but I'm a worrier and overly paranoid so idk? What I do instead is I get the West Paw Qwizl (cause my boy doesn't care about kongs but LOVES these) and find treats that fit snuggly inside so that I can have them stay by the opening but they're too snug to get out without effort on the dogs part and he just munches on that, you can also fill it with peanut butter (one that's safe for dogs, don't forget to check that) I also have a HOL-ee Roller X Extreme that he can't chew though and squeeze some cookie treats in there that are just big enough to fit and he munches on the ball to try to get them out. Besides that I just have antlers and the benebone maplestick (he loves eating sticks but he can chew through all the imitation wood ones which isn't good)
Those balls are usually a hit, but I recommend buying the "Extreme" version if your dog is rough with toys.
I rate the survival time of that at ~45 seconds.
I stuff ours (a cheap-o version as we expected it to get destroyed) with rags (cut-up, old tea towels) and some treats (just normal kibble). The mutt loves to shred and can pull the rags without damaging the toy. Once enough are pulled out, the treats fall.
Up-shot is, he ignores the ball and eats the treat; thus allowing me to grab it and re-pack.
\ The UK price is ~2.5 times as much!
Ours is a power chewer. She lives for her [Kong ball] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VBC0UC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1). We fill it with peanut butter and freeze it. Shes also a fan of this ball. Both haven't been destroyed yet.
This is our Bambi we rescued her about this time last year. Her favorite food is pizza, and she loves chasing cats. Bambi is so big, her toys usually don't last long, she can skin a tennis ball in like 2 minutes.
She really loves ball/rope toys rope toys are her favorite, but she destroys them too quickly, ones that have a ball on it, she will tend to keep it longer.
Our past doberman,Felix had one of these in blue and it held up extremely well.
Bambi would probably appreciate these eye wipes she gets a lot of eye gunk.
Jolly ball! We have two, they are awesome!
http://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Pet-8-Inch-Romp-n-Roll-Red/dp/B0002DK9OW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417857906&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=jolly+ball+dog
I buy 100% cotton rope, like this, and use it to tie rope "bones" and other similar toys. It's fairly cheap and pet safe, plus I use it to replace ropes on other toys like this one, since he had pulled the rope completely out of it.
I second the jolly ball. If you dislike the handle, Hubble has one with a rope through it.
Hubble also has a planet dog orbee soccer ball he loves, it is smaller than a regular soccer ball (about as big as those kid's size ones they make) but it's durable and great.
Lastly there are remote control options but they are pricier and I haven't personally tried them yet, maybe I will this summer.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002DK9OW?pc_redir=1395120294&amp;robot_redir=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BP751G
http://www.inthecompanyofdogs.com/itemdy00.aspx?T1=D13290&amp;utm_source=shoppingcom&amp;utm_medium=comparison&amp;utm_campaign=datafeed&amp;srccode=NXCDC2
Zoe is a toy destroyer! I've found a few good toys that I will list below.
Limit her access to unsupervised rooms and give her something to do! Any dog, but particularly a young doberman, needs mental stimulation the same way as you or I do. We can pick up a book or watch tv, but if a dog isn't provided with stimulation then they will find stimulating things to do. Like tear things up or throw cushions around. Great fun!
Suggestions:
Any and all of these options should help your situation. The problem is likely just plain boredom.
We have Labs and have to slow them down while eating or otherwise they can get bloat, which is potentially lethal.
The behavior consultant we hired to iron out some cat cohabitation issues recommended we feed our dogs by putting the food in one of these.
Works great, and it's actually intellectually stimulating for the dog.
Yes, I think splitting for meals is helpful because then they have more motivation to actually work on the dispenser (because they are still hungry.) This is what we have. It might be nice if your dog doesn't like the wobbler because he can just push it around with his nose and doesn't have to use his paws. https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Dispensing-Chew-Ball-Large/dp/B0009YD8NS/ref=pd_sim_199_7?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B0009YD8NS&amp;pd_rd_r=KJ9R09QF6WAE0D2G1VAF&amp;pd_rd_w=Mtwhr&amp;pd_rd_wg=p9P0G&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=KJ9R09QF6WAE0D2G1VAF
I have a variety of treat balls that keep my heeler busy and last quite a while. This Starmark ball is one of his favorites. It provides a challenge if you find some chewy treats (anything not hard and crumbly, like dog jerky) to stuff in there.
Bullymake box is a subscription box made for power chewers, there's some good durable stuff in there. Or you can buy their toys individually here.
It looks like one we have, which is this one
My dog loves when I fill this ball treat dispenser with different treat.
You're welcome!
We adopted our dog 10 years ago and he is part GSD. He needed lots of exercise! After trying many toys, we used mostly this one for him: https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Dispensing-Chew-Ball-Large/dp/B0009YD8NS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
He played with this toy about 6-8 hours per day. For YEARS. It was very entertaining to watch.
If you try something like this, make it easy the first few times. Remove the little nubs that keep kibble from falling out, so that it falls out easily.
Later you can start varying what is inside for maximum fun. I used to get the fattest carrots from Costco and put chunks inside the ball. It helped to slow the kibble from falling out, and also makes a noise that would make our dog want to play with it more. He eventually learned how to stomp on the ball and make carrots fly across the room. :)
Also we used more than one treat ball toy at the same time. When our dog became bored with one, he would switch to the other one for a while rather than asking us to "fix" the one he was bored with.
Now he is almost 14, so I've made it a lot easier while keeping his play routine intact. He now eats from a traditional kong toy. It can be loaded so that there is more licking and less physical movement required. But he still likes to treat it like a ball even though it is not necessary.
We used a trainer but pet smart is a great option! We chose group classes since it teaches socialization and that's where you will get bite inhibition. It will be frustrating at first bc puppy won't listen to you but stick with it!
We use several treat dispensing toys and as for the Kong I will actually soak her food in water for a bit until it absorbs some and then freeze it because she is having stomach issue so we aren't using treats. She really has to work at it to get it out. Here are some of the toys we use:
Yeah Squeaky Tennis Balls!
Pesky AddOns
A whole bunch of these
Add ons are the worst and the best things. But some of them save SO much money. My pups squeaky balls are 50% as an add-on on Amazon. I should really spend time to make an add-on list so I remember when I make bigger carts. Thanks for hosting and welcome back! (WAIT: Are you implying that you can make a whole cart of add-on items as long as they total over $25???)
Georgia o Keefe is pretty rad. What other female artists do you enjoy?
the cheaper ones work perfectly
Regular tennis balls will be cheaper, but if they need to be squeaker ones Amazon is the cheapest place I've found (they are a similar price on chewy) These work out to be a little over a dollar a piece.
Bonus, they even say happy birthday.
Can I ask why 48 specifically?
I think the good medium is to reserve soft toys for interactive one-on-one play with you, and put them away when you're done playing. Ropes and fleeces are good for that purpose. If it feels soft then it's also chewable.
If he likes the squeaky noise the plush toys make, you could look for rubber toys that squeak.
If he likes dismantling toys, he may appreciate toys that have things inside for him to tease out and remove, like these. I use these ones with squeaky tennis balls to get my dogs' interest in them.
If he likes chasing things, he may enjoy a jolly egg
Food is always a hit. You've already got a kong (stuff that with food for him!) so maybe a puzzle ball?
Dunno what your position is on feeding raw, but, raw meaty bones are great for dogs like this. The plush toy shredding/eating behaviors are almost exactly the same as the behaviors exercised pulling shreds of meat off of raw bones.
Happy cake day!
Best gift I have ever received almost made me cry. I got a signed copy of "American On Purpose", the autobiography of Craig Ferguson. He called me Dickcheese (inside joke between me and the friend). It was glorious.
Item! My pup needs a new toy
Malcolm the Puppy's list has this alligator on it.
I think green and orange are the very best colors! Too few things come in those colors! :)
These watch straps should fit over the top of a wet suit, useful for diving, with a waterproof watch of course.
When I used to have a dog it had a favorite toy, this is similar to what he had.
A hat for the transfer to colder weather, it's also your favorite colour.
An NBA basketball so you can be pro.
Mmmmm Chocolate.
Crocodile disguise.
And all I can say for the last one is just go visit them:)
http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-Plush-Puppies-Squeaker-Squeakers/dp/B001WAFT80/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1373413524&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=kyjen
This has been Monte's favourite toy for the last two years.
Hiii I'm Toto... And I like all them furry toys :3 I want to be friends with Hanners and Viktor :D I think you'd like this :)
This thing is awesome. It has a little bit of stuffing but is basically just a dozen or so squeekers sewn together. Lasts a while and the pups go nuts for it.
I don't think I have too much to add beyond the great advice others have given you, but I just want to encourage you to hang in there. We definitely went through similar frustrations (adopted a 2y/o lab border collie mix 10 months ago), and plenty of tears over this with our pup. I'm not going to lie, the first few weeks, and even months were hard, very hard at times -- we'd solve problems, and then others would pop up, and 10 months in, we're still figuring things out, but at this point, not a day goes by that I'd wish for it any other way. A great thing to remember is your pup has lived for a year in who knows what condition with who knows what, if any rules. Dogs love routine, so give the guy a chance to build a routine with you and reward him when he's being good without you asking. It won't happen overnight, but a very precise routine helped us tremendously. Other game-changers that others have already mentioned -- fetch on a long-lead to replace one of his walks in the late afternoon (this was the BEST thing we ever did, and taught him a great drop while we were at it, and has also helped buckets with recall -- also just got a flirt pole, which is equally amazing), using brain games to feed him (if he's a chewer like mine, and can clean a frozen kong out in 5 minutes, start with this one, since it's too big to easily chew, on the flip-side, it's also pretty hard: https://www.amazon.com/OurPets-Buster-Interactive-Large-Colors/dp/B003A23HZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1466528343&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=dog+cube -- totally nuts how much this tires my pup out, panting and everything, not to mention 20 minutes of peace), impulse control training, and capturing calm techniques. My pup is too anxiety prone for daycare settings, but if you can find a facility that works for your pup, this is amazing too, even for just a couple of hours a week, not to mention fantastic for socialization. Once we got my pup's leash skills a bit more under control (this took him months, ack!), running with him was also a great addition. You got this, and I can almost promise you, it will get better!!!
I use the Bob-a-Lot (linked above), the Tug-a-Jug and the Buster Cube.
They are all fairly loud, but keep him occupied for a while. I switch them out daily so he doesn't get bored with one.
We bought our goldendoodle some puzzle toys. These help a lot. Unfortunately he has figured them out and just solves it in seconds now lol.
https://www.amazon.com/TRIXIE-Pet-Products-Board-Level/dp/B0054Q9TMA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518452513&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=dog+puzzle&amp;dpID=416kgbG3sHL&amp;preST=_SX300_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch
https://www.amazon.com/Trixie-Mad-Scientist-Dogs-Level/dp/B003TOKTEG/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518452513&amp;sr=8-9&amp;keywords=dog+puzzle
Are any of those toys puzzles that work her brain instead of her body? They need mental exercise too, not just physical, and sometimes getting overly tired physically can make a dog act more goofy mentally.
If you don't have puzzles for her, I'd look for a black Kong to start and feed some of her dinner out of it. They're nice for bullies b/c the dog can't just bite it open and spill all the food out after 30 seconds like a lot of plastic toys that stand up to smaller dogs for years. :D Gotta love "bully strong"!
You can also make an inexpensive answer to The Mad Scientist with water or 2 liter pop bottles, a dowel rod from the craft section of a department store, and a couple pieces of wood or a ladder. Here's a video of how it works with a Belgian Malinois, which is another SUPER intensely high-energy, and thinking, breed of dog.
Dogs still have the instinct to chase and beat something up before they eat. BUT, dogs and wolves living wild also have to pull apart a carcass before they can eat it, so that kind of problem-solving, fine-motor-skill play (taking apart stuffed toys, shaking the thunder out of a sock with a tennis ball in the toe, whatever) can do wonders for a hyper pup too. :)
I have been wondering the same thing for our dog. I have recently bought one of these;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Strategie-Spiel-Turn-Around-level/dp/B003TOKTEG/ref=sr_1_15?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1481548734&amp;sr=1-15&amp;keywords=interactive+dog+toys
But have been keeping an eye out for non-food toys also.
I tend to leave talk radio on when we leave the house too.
My chis love the Kong Wobbler. And it's dishwasher safe.
https://www.amazon.com/KONG-Wobbler-Treat-Dispensing-Large/dp/B004NSVIRY
Kong wobbler
I feed my dog half in her bowl, half in the wobbler and she loves it. She’s a picky eater, but loves to play. So it was perfect for us.
My dog loves her Kong Wobbler.
https://www.amazon.com/KONG-PW1-Wobbler-Large/dp/B004NSVIRY/
I feed her twice daily, each time I give 3/4 of her meal on a snuff mat and 1/4 of it in the wobbler.
She's a GSP. A velcro dog that loves her people. But in the morning, when it's time for us to leave for work, she's practically pushing us out the door so she can have her wobbler.
Also take a look at "Wobbler" and "UFO" .. we have all of those, only had to replace them maybe once every 18 months or so (but they get daily use) .. rotate them so he doesn't get bored. Fill this one with Peanut Butter (smear it on the inside with the back of a spoon) you can throw it in the freezer first for an hour to stiffen the spread to make it last longer of course. And actually that is a small advantage of the ones that have the two separate parts that unscrew for cleaning (unlike RFB) .. you can add something in to them that is messy (PB) and its cool cuz you can easily clean them later. The PB makes them freaking insane for w/e is in there. So you put the snacks inside and just ONE with a little dab of PB (or cheez whizz) on it and the PB actually makes the whole process of getting them out more difficult .. so its good play for them. The only down side to those top two is that they are louder than RFB cuz hard plastic. Enjoy!
toys that are mentally stimulating. Corgis are smart and get bored with toys that are too boring. Get some toys or puzzles that can keep their interest and/or last a long time.
My boy Frank likes nylabones that come in different shapes and flavors, Kongs with peanut butter, and toys that you roll around for food. We give him meals in a Kong Wobbler so he doesn't eat to fast and he has fun with it. The small size works well for a corgi. http://amzn.com/B004NSVIRY
The herding/nipping instinct they have from being bred to be herding dogs can be annoying. From my experience and others I've talked to, they just grow out of it. A vet tech, who's had corgis all her life, suggested getting those cheap inflated bouncy balls that they sell at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc.. that are kept in those big bins. Your corgi can herd those instead of you. It seemed to work for Frank.
You should also have an enzyme based cleaner for accidents during potty training. The enzymes break up the particles and get rid of the smell better than other cleaners so they won't be tempted to use it as a permanent potty stop.
Jericho. he's still a puppy. He's a biter still :/
My item - add on
Your item - bacon dura chew! . Any pics of your dogs?
Thanks for the contest!
I have my adorable little kitty, Munchie! She's a silly kitty. We names her as we did because when she was a baby, she was mildly feral and would eat anything and also steal food.
Item for her!
Item for you!
Thanks for the contest!
My dog will be a year in July and he still chews everything he can. We have to be constantly buying toys because they don't last!!
The best thing we've found is one of these. They are extremely hard and Jake's now looks like the 6th picture on the site but it's still going strong!! It's one of his favorite toys.
I'd say the positive side of chewers is that they keep their teeth super clean :)
Cake Party
Arts
If you haven't seen this show yet you really really should
For my puppy
Thank you for the contest. I didn't know what price range to go with so I just linked items of varying cost, hope that's ok. :)
Since your dog doesn't eat the stuff he rips up, maybe this can also work with him. I collect junk mail papers you typically get in your mailbox. I wrap some treat multiple times with those paper. Then I stuff those paper balls into a large toy with pockets such as this and this (or even a small bag would work) to make it more difficult.
Then the dog 1) tries to get the paper balls out of the pocket/bag and 2) uses his nose to locate the treats and shreds the paper to get to them. He will probably eat only the treats and leave the shredded paper alone.
You have to clean up all the mess afterwards, but I think the dog has fun doing it.
DIY - freeze some kibble/treats in a Popsicle, put some kibble/treats in an empty water bottle (our dog really likes the really cheap/thin ones that crinkle when squeezed), take a muffin tin and put kibble/treats in the holes and put tennis balls on top of them (we started with a mini muffin tin so the tennis balls just sat on top of the holes so they were easy to remove, then when he was good at that, we moved to a regular muffin tin)
Commercial - Kong, Kong Wobbler, Trixie Toys (lots of options), Omega Ball, Hide-a-Squirrel, Tornado
If you haven't already, read these books; I can't stress enough how much they saved our lives. Perfect Puppy in 7 Days and Before and After Getting your Puppy. They're highly recommended here and for good reason.
May I ask what part of the world you are in? Just out of curiosity of where you have adder snakes. :)
You might ask the vet for a tranquilizer for her. Or even morphine to keep her doped up, even if it means boarding her with the vet for the period of time she needs to stay quiet.
Prednisone (corticosteriods) will give them a euphoric feeling, make her drink and piss several gallons a day, but make her slightly drowsier than normal, too. You may want to ask your vet about this.
Something that you can do right now that will make her happy is to brush her and brush her. She would soak that up like a sponge. And maybe the additional love will help to offset her energy.
You may want to put her into a giant crate to keep her confined, but them give her stuff animals to nurture as "babies. I got my oldest son's little pit one of these hide-a-squirrel toys, because she is bad about kidnapping babies. Stuffie babies, neighbor's dog's puppy babies... I thought she would extract all 6 babies, and be happy for a week or two. Come to find out, her greatest joy in life is to go through the same actions as a dog that is digging a flea on the log part of it. My son said she is spending about 4-5 hours a day, digging fleas on that log. It is too hilarious to us. But what I find works best for me is to find toys on Chewy, and when my order is going to be less than the free shipping amount? I get them off of amazon. But keeping her mind occupied while she is crated, so she can't elevate pulse and breathing rate, might be of some help.
The reason for my first question. I live in an area where we actively have rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. They don't call them adders, so to speak. My middle son's ex-girlfriend was watching the farm for me while I was gone out of state for a year. She had a little doxy-cocker cross that kept getting bitten by copperheads over and over. And over. The first few times, we were in an absolute panic, and didn't understand why the vet just laughed (as we called her... first time at 1 am, the second time at 3 am), when we told her the dog had been bitten. She just told us to give benedryl, and bring him in, in the morning. But after the second bite, she explained that in our area, that the snakes would do dry bites. That only a few drops of the venom would get into anything bitten. But out in west Tx for instance, the Mojave rattlers out there would inject so much venom into anything it bit, that all of the antivenin in the world would not help. So just the benedryl, and about a week's worth of antibiotics were all we ever needed to do.
There’s this item: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00J63AAAM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1550377198&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;keywords=bow+tie+dog+collar+formal&amp;psc=1
This is also supposed to be a really good toy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005VS9WO6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1550377247&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=squirrel+dog+toy&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51biFtYvRsL&amp;ref=plSrch
I've got an 18 lb dog and we usually alternate between a kong with frozen dog safe peanut butter, a ball that she can push around until treats come out ( https://www.amazon.com/OurPets-Smarter-Interactive-Treat-Colors/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1485722531&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=dog+puzzle+toy ), and also this toy with flaps but she figured it out too fast: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ZTTSOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s04?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
aww<3 I have a dog that also needs the black kong toys so I recommend getting him a learning toy. my dog doesn't try and devour them.
one of my doggies<3
prize: would a gift card be acceptable? If not, my doggy would love this
My dog would love this. Unicorn!
Honestly, I love the interactive toys....make them use the nose and be dogs! I have a couple on Murphy's list...he has another few at home. Things like this
Also....here is a photo of Murphy at a couple weeks old or so , before he was shipped to me. I am having trouble locating photos of when we brought him home. we lost a lot when our server crashed :-(
Have fun with the pup! And thanks for the contest!
EDIT TO ADD LOST PHOTO ... Murphy a day or so after we picked him up at the airport
This is for my dog, not me, I swear
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HDATZ !!!!
It's a chuckit brand ball!
Canine Hardware Chuckit Kick Fetch Ball Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KskoDbAWSW1B8
He loves it too, not totally indestructible, but still holds up great
Definitely time to get back to the basics on potty training, consider investing in a set of potty bells. Bring treats, and a clicker if you've been doing clicker training, and click and reward any time your puppy correctly goes outside.
We trained our puppy to ring his bells by using his 'go outside' command, ringing the bells by hand, and then immediately heading outside to his bathroom spot.
I like to joke that my Doberman puppy is a miniature nuclear reactor, just an endless supply of energy that seems to defy science and logic. He's about to turn 1.5 yrs old and we're still doing 3-5 walks a day for upwards of 4 miles total, and that's barely enough to tire him out.
Walking alone isn't enough, larger, high-energy breeds need to run, and run, and then run some more. We got him a 30' cotton leash and this large ball that we take out to the park a few times per week for him to chase until he won't run anymore.
Not a football, but this is my dog's absolute favorite durable toy. They usually last her about a month, and she's a rough player.
I haven't tried one of these yet, but a lot of people here usually recommend Jolly Balls for tough chewers.
EDIT: Apparently Chuckit makes a football too! http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/chuckit%21-fumble-fetch-football-dog-toy
Our boxer has a special love for destroying things, but a few toys that have managed to last:
https://www.amazon.ca/Chuckit-Large-Kick-Fetch-Ball/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1478117626&amp;sr=1-8&amp;keywords=ChuckIt%21
I'd say this is another good one for bigger dogs, who seem to destroy other rubber kind of balls. The inside is foam and the covering is ChuckIts rubber and canvas. My dog does eventually chew through the cover, but it lasts for a good year or two. It's soft enough that he can squish, but sometimes will get it stuck in his mouth.
We tried the clicker and it was not effective. Honestly what worked for us was a remote vibrate/shock collar. I know it sounds terrible but I am so thankful I went this route. When we took our puppy to training he was a pain in the ass. The teachers alway used me and my dog as the example and talked about how they are stubborn as can be. When training dogs, they suggest using a choke collar to "correct" your dog. However the amount of strength the trainers used to "correct" my dog made me feel very uncomfotable. They would pull so hard all 4 legs would come off the ground, but after that he listened to every command. I did some research after that and discovered these remote zap/vibrate collars for training (The is the one I use, it is fully waterproof with a 3 mile range, I have never had any issues and it has the best power control setting).
When I got them I tested them on my skin to make sure they wouldn't hurt him or anything. I got it to the point where you could barly feel it. This allowed me to gain his attention with-ought excessive for on a choke collar, which I was very happy with. The collar works amazing, after a few times he misbehaved or didn't listen he got that hint that after 2 vibrations came a shock, so he would listen after 1 vibration. This turned him into the most obedient dog every, he was even happier because we could walk him without a leash.
I know this is not typical of all dogs, but this is what worked for me and my Mini Aussie. I am so thankful I found this collar because I would have no been able to take in for walks in public without it.
We keep him in his crate during the day, usually he is only in there for 5 or 6 hours max a day. When he comes out he is ready to play play play so fetch time is a must after work.
For toys, I purchased TONS of real tennis balls from Walmart, a Chuckit Kick Fetch, Frisabee, Bones with marrow from our local deli, and rope toys. His Chuckit Kick Fetch is his favorite!
We bath the dog once a week, usually on days he swims. In the winter not so much, only when we notice him licking himself or if we notice any fleas to keep that under control. We have had a hard time with fleas in the past because his fur is so thick its hard to get rid of them once them have them.
I have a 10 month old female Husky, and she loves to destroy everything. That was until I bought this:
https://www.amazon.ca/Kong-Knots-Squeaker-Medium-Colors/dp/B00B4UR08K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540559637&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kong+bear&amp;dpID=51-oSV3miSL&amp;preST=_SY300_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch
I bought her the large one and she loves to play with it. I've had it for almost two months now and it's the first thing she hasn't ripped apart in 30 seconds. I purchased 5 more of them, in case they get too ratty and stinky.
My Husky also likes the Kong treat thing...The one that looks like a buttplug. I got the extra hard rubber one, and the large, and she plays with it a lot. I put in a few treats, and make sure there is one too large to just fall out. This keeps her preoccupied for a while.
I've hear nylabones are great, but I haven't had any success with them.
This lasted my golden a while KONG Wild Knots Squeaker Bears for Dogs, Medium/Large, Colors Vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B4UR08K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_iX4UAbK87K82M
We've gotten the Kong bear which lasted a while but eventually ended up without a skeleton after about a month. We immediately bought a replacement after seeing how sad he was that his new favorite toy was no more.
Does that rope giraffe hold together pretty well? Every rope toy we've gotten (except the bear which had the body to protect the rope) has shredded after he starts grinding on them with his back teeth.
Kong Floppy Knots, Kong Cruncheez, Kong Scrunch Knots, and Kong Wild Knots have all held up well with my boy :)
Three of the four have a "rope skeleton" and minimal stuffing. They hold up pretty well, and they're all a bit different! They're pretty fun for chewing and whipping around.
The Kong Cruncheez has a big round bottle inside, and it rattles. My boy LOVES this toy. Very difficult to ruin. He ripped off the tail, but that's about it.
How much physical and mental exercise is he getting daily right now (in hours)?
It sounds like he's food motivated! An easy way to introduce some mental stimulation is to get some treat dispensing puzzles and feed him his meals in those! If he's never done them before I would get a few and start him off on an easy one first. This one is a great one to get started with and this one has a piece in the middle you can take out or put in for more difficulty. Other than that, just two 5-10 minute sessions of trick or obedience training daily can make a big difference. There's lots of great guides on youtube for that. Taking a fun training or sports class together is also a great way to tire out his brain and body and a wonderful way to bond and become closer.
As far as off leash back yard play time, I always like to recommend a flirt pole. They are super easy to make yourself or you can order off Amazon. I've got a BC/Cattle Dog mix and we like to alternate flirt pole, fetch, tug/keep away/chase, and blowing bubbles!
But honestly if he's getting a lot of exercise and fairly chill, not destructive or having other behavior issues he might just be fine. Not all dogs like to snuggle or be right up in your face all the time.
Hope im not to late, id love to get this http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-Plush-Puppies-Squeaker-Squeakers/dp/B001WAFT80/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341727396&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=large+dog+toys for my dog, he's lacking toys at the moment, just has one tug of war rope