# Toys for my boy



## Tilly Smith (May 6, 2009)

I am have trouble deciding what types of toys to get for our new GSD pup. He has some tugs and a treat ball. Our other (7 yr old GSD) dog loves squeaky toys so his favourites are the Cuz range.

Are these suitable? I have been told these types of toys can cause the pup to be mouthy and not give solid bites ... it this true?

Are there any types of toys I should avoid?

I want to go shopping ... so suggestions please


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## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

Very interested in what others have to say. My pup's 10 week old, he likes to wrestle with a watering can and empty gallon milk jug, compacts empty beer cans too. Keep a rag or ball with string on me to re-direct when he goes for feet/ankle/pant legs.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Tilly Smith said:


> Are there any types of toys I should avoid?
> 
> I want to go shopping ... so suggestions please


The plush toys avoid .. a strong dog destroys them fast. 

It is not so much the toy that destroys the dogs drive to bite it is to much access to them. All the toys should be controlled and the pup crated for a lions share of the time. I would be claiming ownership of those toys and only allowing the dog access when you have time to control the game. Another thing is do not let the pup get into the habit of playing keep away if the pup presents his butt while he has the toy ignore him. A pup for sport - work needs to know that game will not happen and that all good things come from the handler-trainer. 

For a pup keep it simple a leather chamois or rag on a rope. Even a kong on a rope is a lot of fun. Those everlasting treat balls or other food dispensers where the pup has to use his brain are great as well. 

Above all just keep it fun for both of you.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

I would use a Geoff doll...teaching early puppy aggression and how to play hard with it. As the puppy gets older go for the real meal!!!! :razz:


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> The plush toys avoid .. a strong dog destroys them fast.
> 
> It is not so much the toy that destroys the dogs drive to bite it is to much access to them. All the toys should be controlled and the pup crated for a lions share of the time. I would be claiming ownership of those toys and only allowing the dog access when you have time to control the game. Another thing is do not let the pup get into the habit of playing keep away if the pup presents his butt while he has the toy ignore him. A pup for sport - work needs to know that game will not happen and that all good things come from the handler-trainer.
> 
> ...


words of wisdom.
I raised my latest pup like this great results.

So get a crate and use it when the pup has had enough or you have make it a happy place,you own the toys he gets to play with them when he does good no toys lying around.


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## Tilly Smith (May 6, 2009)

Apart from a kong and cube buster ... is there any toys I can leave with him?

I was planning on keeping the fun toys in a toybox he can't access ... but I don't want him getting bored and being a problem. He will be in a puppy pen for long periods of the day when I am at work.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Geoff Empey said:


> ... Those everlasting treat balls or other food dispensers where the pup has to use his brain are great as well.
> 
> Above all just keep it fun for both of you.


I am so with you on this. :lol:

Pawing the dispenser around in the right direction to make tiny rewards come out -- so much more taxing (seriously) on the dog's brain than simple Kongs, which require nothing but chewing.

Leerburg has a lot of this type toy. Someone posted a link to one at Petsmart recently, and the Leerburg price was $4 lower. (I think it was one of the Chuck It things.) I was pretty surprised. More than made up for the shipping.

I don't know if they all are, and maybe an item-by-item comparison is better than assuming from one thing, but I also like that all the stuff I like best is pretty much on one page.

I think it's leerburg dot com slash toy


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Tilly Smith said:


> Apart from a kong and cube buster ... is there any toys I can leave with him?


Not much more than that in my opinion. Fill the Kong with Peanut Butter and freeze it for best effect if you are going to leave him. Another thing would be 'real' cow knuckles from the butcher. 

Don't leave him with rawhide though that stuff is a recipe for an injured pup from ingestion, just not worth it to give any dog rawhide. Especially a strong dog. 




Tilly Smith said:


> I was planning on keeping the fun toys in a toybox he can't access ... but I don't want him getting bored and being a problem. He will be in a puppy pen for long periods of the day when I am at work.


Why are you worried about him getting bored? He is a dog so don't worry about it. The more you fret about it the more the dog will. Also forget the puppy pen! [-X Get a properly sized crate get him used to it quick, in the long run the puppy pen will do more harm than good for a pup 12 weeks and up. It will take you forever to house train the dog cause it will keep on crapping and pissing in the pen cause it can. But in a crate they don't want to do their business where they sleep so potty training the pup will be a lot easier. Gives you a lot more control over the dog too when you are away. The crate is an easy thing to get into a routine my dog just crashes out in her crate all the time with the door open. The only time I close the door now if we have company over.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I'm not a fan of free access to to many toys. You want the dog to enjoy the toy with you, not on it's own.
The squeeky toys and the ones with bells in them are totally off limits, IMHO.
It's to easy for the dog to pop the squeeker or bell out and swallow it.
The food balls, kongs with peanut butter, etc are great for times when you need to leave the dog alone.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Yeah, I gotta say I agree with Geoff and Bob. The pup has to learn to be on his own and to settle down anyways. When I have a puppy he has lots of play time and toys but it's interactive with me. As far as those toys you stuff with food, I am NOT a fan of those either. I don't give my dog snacks for free. Training bait I am known to use, but not just snacks for nothing. And even when I use bait for training (other than tracking), it's very short term then to ball and/or jute roll for higher drive.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> ... The food balls, kongs with peanut butter, etc are great for times when you need to leave the dog alone.


That Everlasting Treat thing is great. JMHO. I use it inside the dispenser thing for a real dog, and just use the naked food part for a Pug.


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## Denise King (May 31, 2009)

My Rott has a "Tug A Jug" that she has a lot of fun with. You put food/treats inside and they have to shake and rattle it to get the food to fall out. I started out with pretty small treats until she got the idea and increased the size as she got better at it. It keeps her busy for quite awhile and makes her think. She also has the "Bob A Lot". same principal different shape. Any regular toys she just destroys!


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## Louise Jollyman (Jun 2, 2009)

My dog totally destroyed several treat dispensing toys! The only things I leave with my dogs are stuffed kongs (stuffed with yoghurt, chicken hearts and veg-mix ice cubes and frozen) and 6 inch soup bones which are beef leg bones. These I also froze and used to throw them straight in the dog runs when I left for work.

As far as which toys have been the most well liked, my shepherds just adore Jolly balls.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Louise Jollyman said:


> As far as which toys have been the most well liked, my shepherds just adore Jolly balls.


My Malinois loves Jolly balls to. But they are not easy on teeth I've found. I only give her the Jolly ball as a special treat or when I want to show people that she will climb trees. :lol: She loves her Jolly ball to much it is almost OCD! 

We also have an eGGe here she is farting around with it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1xwN0OIgY


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

I like the free toys when I can find them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BDLPtmzZ6w


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## vincent demaio (May 6, 2009)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> I like the free toys when I can find them.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BDLPtmzZ6w


that camera has got some picture wow..is it the high def one


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## Guest (Jun 8, 2009)

Black Kongs with peanut butter and raw meaty knuckle bones are the only things my dogs get left alone with. All other toys have been tried and denied. My dogs break open buster cubes like those plastic easter eggs. They get to play with ropes, tugs, bite pillows, large Kong balls and an assortment of planet dog toys with me. The large kong balls are the only ones that last more than a few months worth of fetching. My dogs love the spring pole and flirt pole too.


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