Toys, Treats, and Other Products
Dogs need toys for their well being. Chewing toys keep them occupied and their teeth clean, and fetch toys provide a safe and fun way to play with your dog. Dogs don’t care about the color or shape of their toy, just about the taste, (if it is flavored) and how it feels. Dog treats are useful in training and for rewards and bribes. However, some toys and treats can actually harm your dog.
- Vinyl toys. Vinyl is extremely toxic to humans and animals. Not only if you eat it, but even breathing the smell of vinyl can and will harm your dog. It is slowly killing us and our pets. Don’t give vinyl toys.
- Sugary, fatty, chemical and by-product laden treats. Treats made by several dog food companies are just as bad if not worse as their foods. Worse because of the high sugar content. A few commercial dog treats are okay, but very few. Even if you find a “good” commercial treat, due to the high sugar content, feeding more than a few per day can cause obesity, and it is necessary to give several treats while training.
- Pig’s ears are awful dog treats. I’m not sure whose idea it was to give these to our dogs. It is almost all fat, and animal fat [other than purified chicken fat] will damage the pancreas and cause canine diabetes. Lamb ears and cow ears are no better. They are addicting and your dog may even come to depend on them. Hooves of any animal are dangerous because they will splinter in the dog’s mouth and require surgery to remove all the pieces. Real bones [except sterilized bones] are dangerous to dogs. They can splinter.
- Toys with bells or squeakers inside. They sound too much like prey and their natural instincts to kill kick in and he will destroy the toy, and he may ingest pieces of the toy, requiring immediate veterinary care.
- Rawhide. The pencil type of rawhide cracks and splinters easily. Some dogs can figure out how to work out the knots in a larger rawhide, and then choke on them. Soggy rawhide is floppy, and is easy for your dog to swallow and choke on.
Some toys and treats are safe for dogs, and here are a few wonderful ones.
- Kong toys of all shapes and sizes are wonderful; there are special Kongs for puppies, seniors, and adults. They have them all sizes. There are biscuit balls, (a stuffable ball that doubles as a fetch toy), dental sticks, stuffable rubber bones, and tug toys. Also, any rubber toys that don’t have any bells or squeakers inside are good. To make a toy more appealing to chew than the sofa, if it is a stuffable toy put some of your puppy’s food or treats in there. If it is a non stuffable toy then put some peanut butter, cream cheese, or your dog’s other favorite spreadable treat on the outside. Kong actually has a line of spreadable treats that come in a can and can be used to stuff a toy. It is also good for spreading a non-stuffable toy. After the dog has eaten this treat he will always love the toy if you occasionally respread or restuff the toy to keep his interest.
- Nylone bones. These are excellent. You can now get nylabones that are flavored, and they are next to impossible to destroy. Dogs love them.
- Healthy homemade dog treats: slice a turkey or chicken hotdogs into small coins. You should get about 30 coins from each hotdog. Then microwave on high 6-9 min until dry and crispy. Also you can oven-bake them at 350 degrees until crispy. If microwaving use paper towels and if baking use a rack with a pan underneath to catch the oil.
- Cheerios, Chex and Kix cereals, plain popcorn, and pieces of their dry food make great training treats, as do baby carrots, apple pieces, other fruits and veggies [no grapes or raisins!] , and even ice cubes!
4. Make your own dehydrated liver treats at home. Start with calf liver or chicken liver. The liver filters out toxins from the blood over the life of the animal, so a calf liver or a chicken liver has had less time to build up toxins. Boil the liver until it is no longer pink. (Careful, cooking liver does not have a pleasant aroma). Slice the liver very thinly and cut into smal pieces. Dehydrate 9-24 hours, depending on the humidity of the air, until dry and brittle. Unless you really like the smell of liver, do this step outside.
lf you do not have a dehydrator, spread the cooked liver pieces evenly on a cookie sheet and fput in the freezer for about a month, stirring the once every few hours until it is frozen, and then every few days. Dehydrated liver is very rich, so feed sparingly.
Other products
FOOD / WATER BOWLS: We prefer stainless steel bowls for our dogs. They are lightweight, unbreakable, chew-proof, and easy to clean. Crockery bowls are also good, but they are breakable and a lot heavier. We prefer no-tip bowls. We never use plastic bowls, as these are breakable, chewable, and the coloring from the plastic can seep into the water, poisoning the dog and staining the face hair. A good set of 2 stainless steel bowls should last a lifetime.
COLLARS / LEASHES: We use Nylon collars with good, strong buckles. Test it before using it, because cheap, weak collars, especially if your dog is a puller, will easily break, letting your dog free. However, remove your dog's collar while not on a walk, because it can catch on something and strangle your dog. Also, the nylon collars can wear away the fur on the neck and cause irritation. As for leashes, nylon ones, although attractive, brightly colored and strong, can easily burn your hands if the dog makes a sudden movement. We prefer to use a retractable leash. They can retract to as short as you want and lock in that position, or they can stretch out up to 16 feet to give your dog some runnimg room.
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