[OreoCookieMom]

I find that many dog owners have difficulty finding the right dog toy for their dog.

I have come up with a few suggestions, but I was hoping you all could help add to my suggestions.

In order to figure out what will work best for your dog, there are a few things to consider. First, what breed or combination of breeds is he or she? Many breeds are hardwired with tendencies toward certain activities. For instance, terriers like to dig, bury things and then try to find them. Retrievers obviously like to fetch. Of course, that is not the only thing to consider. Every dog is unique. I would suggest to try several toys that all encourage a different play pattern. See which he or she responds best to.


Any other suggestions?

[superdoglover]

Originally Posted by OreoCookieMom

I find that many dog owners have difficulty finding the right dog toy for their dog.

I have come up with a few suggestions, but I was hoping you all could help add to my suggestions.

In order to figure out what will work best for your dog, there are a few things to consider. First, what breed or combination of breeds is he or she? Many breeds are hardwired with tendencies toward certain activities. For instance, terriers like to dig, bury things and then try to find them. Retrievers obviously like to fetch. Of course, that is not the only thing to consider. Every dog is unique. I would suggest to try several toys that all encourage a different play pattern. See which he or she responds best to.


Any other suggestions?

I have a retriever and he likes fetch, but he hates giving the stick/ball back. He thinks since he got it's his. Most of all, he likes squeaky tennis balls, squeaky stuffed animals, and tug-a-war ropes. Plus the ropes last forever! But it depends on the dog. I have a friend and her dog had the exact same rope as mine and the dog didn't like to play with it. Every dogs different.

[Lunareclipse]

As long as I keep the dinosaur femur sized rawhide bones around in bulk, I'm good.

[xtopdawg386x]

Originally Posted by OreoCookieMom

I find that many dog owners have difficulty finding the right dog toy for their dog.

I have come up with a few suggestions, but I was hoping you all could help add to my suggestions.

In order to figure out what will work best for your dog, there are a few things to consider. First, what breed or combination of breeds is he or she? Many breeds are hardwired with tendencies toward certain activities. For instance, terriers like to dig, bury things and then try to find them. Retrievers obviously like to fetch. Of course, that is not the only thing to consider. Every dog is unique. I would suggest to try several toys that all encourage a different play pattern. See which he or she responds best to.


Any other suggestions?

well i have american pit bull terrier's i don't really no how this become there toy of choice but they play with a 5 gallon plastic bucket . they also play with foot balls .

[Nerodia]

Originally Posted by superdoglover

I have a retriever and he likes fetch, but he hates giving the stick/ball back. He thinks since he got it's his. Most of all, he likes squeaky tennis balls, squeaky stuffed animals, and tug-a-war ropes. Plus the ropes last forever! But it depends on the dog. I have a friend and her dog had the exact same rope as mine and the dog didn't like to play with it. Every dogs different.

This is an interesting thread! So many different potential "toys"!

My mini Aussie Shepherd started out as a "fetcher" with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (typical herding dog). We started out with small balls, rope toys, etc. Then my partner gave her a ball one day that was almost as big as she was. She spent hours "herding" that ball, sometimes balancing on her nose, sometimes chasing it around the yard, throwing it up in the air, getting on top of it and sliding off--it was hysterical! I thought we would split a gut laughing.

After going through several balls, only to have her chew them to bits, we got her an 8-inch Jolly Ball, which is virtually indestructible. Her favorite game in the world now is: I kick the ball, she runs after it, then, using her nose and front legs, she "herds" the ball back to me, barking and growling the whole way. (You'd think, being deaf, she wouldn't make so much noise, but on the contrary!) Any guests that we have over get quite a chuckle out of it. They wonder how I trained her to do it, but there was no training at all--she was hard-wired!

[Krissy48lowes]

That's so funny about your Australian Shepherd...mine loves carrying around stuffed animals. He has a plush pet duck that really is a dog toy, but instead of playing with it he prades it around the office showing to everyone. Of course that gets everyone going on how cute he looks, but then instead of playing with it he goes back it gives his little duck a bath... Its hilarious

[chiclet]

Mine has a variety. Almost anything can be used for tug and chase and fetch. He has kongs, a puzzle toy, ropes, stuffed toys, etc. He plays with all and will go hunt for the one he wants.

[CorkyMax]

Was just looking on the net about safe toys and wouldn't you know I found some disturbing news! This link is a couple years old but prob. just as true today as nothing ever seems to get taken care of in respects to making things right for our dogs---not if some greedy person is going to lose money! And this has nothing to do with what you prob. think--It is about toxic materials! Be sure to read the answer (#5) at bottom of the link I am giving. Sami is crazy about tennis balls and I got about 5 of them as she is always getting them underneath furniture and I get tired of going after them. Well, I just gathered them all up after reading on this very ball with the painted words on it and also being made in China. I did it without Sami seeing what I was up to. Now after coming inside, she is looking all over for a ball, darn!

Anyway I had no idea on this issue so thought I'd better let everyone take a look at this link too: Toxic Pet Toys May Kill Your Dog | Dog Health 1

[Ghst]

My JRT, Murphy plays with about anything that he can carry! His favorites seem to be two very old footballs and an old basketball, that had to have been lost by my two boys about 10 years ago. Murph found these balls and allways places them on my porch, so I will play with him with them. The footballs remind me of when I tossed them around to my boys. He seems to understand that they are familiar to me.