Favorite Pet Toys -

How to Light Up Your Best Friend's Life

The winner of the March Question of the Month is Terri Stevens. She tells us that Gypsy, her Pug, and Sara, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. have a favorite toy - and it's their owner. Way to go, Terri!

In the wild, young canids like wolves and coyotes sharpen their future hunting skills with games. Young coyotes, for instance, will play "keep-away" with dirt clods, sticks, and pieces of animal fur. They stalk insects and small rodents, instinctively shaking captured mice much as our own pets will shake a furry toy, and instinctively "pointing" game in tall grass (Hope Ryden, God's Dog).

Modern dogs, much-altered descendants of the wolf, retain many of their ancestors' hunting instincts, and we see some of those hunting behaviors when we play with our pets. "Tug" and "keep-away" are perennial favorites in my home, and any squeaky toy will instantly bring even my sleeping Basenjis to full alert. There's nothing they like better than a wild chase, ending with a triumphant shredding of the unfortunate "Mr. Hedgehog" or "Mrs. Beaver." My more refined Corgi, even as a senior citizen, would eagerly race after a toy and "fetch" it for me. The ancient prey drive and play drive continue to motivate dogs of every size and breed.

When people play with dogs, we have the marvelous privilege of entering their world and experiencing a partnership that predates written history and our relationship with every other domesticated animal. For our dogs, it's an opportunity to socialize, exercise mind and body, and come fully alive. Human and animal, we both need play.

However, not every object is a safe toy for your pet. So let's start with...

Some Hints for Your Dogs' Fun and Safety

• Intestinal blockage is a real threat for young dogs, who often eat inappropriate objects, such as knee-high stockings, the edging from blankets, and inedible toys (or pieces of toys) that will not pass through their digestive systems. Whether you make or buy your dog's toys, check the toys' condition frequently. Discard worn or frayed toys before tragedy strikes.
• When you buy a new toy, read the label carefully. If the manufacturer recommends that the dog be supervised while playing, watch your dog! If the manufacturer recommends throwing away a worn toy, do it! Many of us remember the recent news stories about dogs that died after eating pieces of a commercial toy; owners ignored the manufacturer's warning to discard the chew toy when it became old or worn. Even the safest toys can become dangerous over time, so inspect your pet's toys regularly.
• Make sure the toy is an appropriate size for your puppy as he grows. A 10-week-old puppy may not be able to swallow a small toy or chew it into pieces, but six months later, your gangly adolescent may be able to harm the toy - and himself.
• Dogs can choke on partially chewed chew hooves. When the hoof gets small enough to swallow, discard it.
• Some aggressive chewers will break teeth on tough toys such as chew hooves. For instance, Basenjis (my favorite breed) are very prone to tooth damage from hard chewing. Check with your vet or breeder to see what toys she or he recommends for your specific breed.
• Prevent fractured molars and broken teeth by soaking rawhide chews and pig ears in warm water for a few minutes before giving the chew to the dog. The softened chews will also be easier to swallow, making it less likely that your dog will choke or throw up on the carpet.
• Look for toys that challenge your dog's body and mind. I highly recommend the Buster Cube--when your dog knocks it around the room, dog food falls out. If you're feeding dry dog food, why not turn mealtime into a game?

Making Your Own Pet Toys

Here are some of my dogs' favorites:

• Take an empty paper towel or toilet paper tube. Bend over one end to seal it, and drop in a few pieces of dog food or biscuit. Bend over the open end, and you have an instant (but short-lived!) dog toy.
• For a cheap and easy tug toy, tear an old t-shirt into strips, braid the strips and tie the ends into knots. My own dogs won't touch the big rope tugs from the pet stores, having whacked each other in the head too often, but they like this softer tug, and it works well for smaller dogs. You can braid a couple of round rawhide chews into the tug if you want to make it more appealing.
• If you can sew, visit your local library or bookstore, and get a book on "soft toy making." Good materials to use include: faux sheepskin or fleece, denim from your old jeans, strong cotton fabric, and fake fur. Polyester fiberfill is a good safe filling. Do NOT use old pantyhose or any material that will harm your dog if swallowed.
• If you're pattern-challenged like I am (believe me, I am not a seamstress), keep it simple! Sew and stuff an easy round disc or doggy bone shape, and don't worry about creating a recognizable teddy bear.
• Order squeakers to put in your toys, or make them more interesting by adding a noisemaker. Here's an easy, home-made one: put raw rice or a few dried beans inside a film cannister. After closing the lid, seal it with duct-tape and spray it with no-chew spray, and sew it up inside your dog's new (or refurbished old favorite) toy. (Supervise your dog while she plays with any toys containing home-made noisemakers! I have no data and no guarantees about dog-choking hazards with film cannisters.)
• Don't overlook yard sales and thrift stores. I can buy a whole bag of stuffed animals for $1.99 at my local Saver's. My dogs love foam balls too, but will "shreddy-tug" any "Nerf" toy to bits in minutes--and I refuse to pay full retail prices for five minutes of fun. So keep an eye out for second-hand stuff; it pays.

  Stuffed animals or second-hand bedding should be washed in the washing machine and put in the dryer for at least 30 minutes. This will kill lice and help protect your dog from disease. Other toys should be sterilized by soaking in a hot water and bleach solution for ten minutes, scrubbed, and allowed to dry thoroughly before use.

• Read pet catalogs for toy-making inspiration. For instance, in The Whole Dog Catalog's chapter on "Best Dog Toys," I discovered a toy made from a dowel, a rope, and a tennis ball. Can I drill a hole in a dowel? Can I find a way to get a rope through a tennis ball? You bet.

More Resources for Intrepid Toy Makers*

Books

Crane, Anita Louise. Two-Hour Teddy Bears. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1998.

Dandaher, Mary-Anne. Pet Projects for Your Dog. Alexandra, VA: Time-Life Books, 1999.

Davis, Jodie. Easy-to-Make Stuffed Animals and All the Trimmings. Charlotte, VT: Williamson, 1991.

Reed, John Avalon. The Whole Dog Catalog. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1997.

Online Sources

Hints for cutting & sewing fake fur

Squeaker Sources:

Michele's Bark-n-Purr Toy Store ($1.00 each)

dogtoys.com (6 for $4.95 or 84 for $39.95)

Pet Patterns And Ideas

sewing.about.com

Doggie Tug of War (Crocheted)

A cheap & easy dog toy (from an empty juice bottle)

Adapt a Dog Bone Neck Pillow pattern to make a throw toy

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©  2002 Mike Rowe Productions, Inc.