by Melissa Arnold

Created on: May 20, 2010

As the puppy years pass, dogs no longer desperately need toys. However dogs still need to be entertained. Besides walking your dog there are always toys, and over the years we have come up with some pretty neat stuff to keep our furry friends entertained.

Keep in mind that in order to keep your dog from possibly becoming possessive or hurting themselves, toys should always be put away in a secure place when you are no longer able to supervise play. It is best to never let a dog full and complete access to a toy as a dog should never think that something belongs to him and not their owner. When this happens, dogs can become upset and may growl or bite when someone tries to take away “their” toy. That is why “leave it” is an important command all dogs should know. Refrain from taking a toy out of a dog’s mouth or when they hover over the toy. This can lead to a bite either by accident as he tries to snatch the toy before you do, or on purpose.  Command the dog to “drop it” or “leave it” which are commands best taught as puppies, especially if you have children. Lastly, never let young children play with pets by themselves. They should always be supervised. Many bites happen when parents look the other way and children decide to pull a dog’s tail or ears.

Bones

Dogs love bones, especially real bones however you must be very careful in selecting a bone for your dog. Bones should always be too large to swallow and impossible to splinter. Baked and flavoured bones can possibly splinter, but you can flavour a bone yourself. You can brush on some peanut butter or canned dog food juice all over the bone. Nylabones are much safer than real bones and the same trick can be used to make the bone interesting. These bones should never be left for your dog to chew on if you are not there, no matter how safe you think the toy is. There is always a chance that a dog can chew off the end of a nylabone or even crack a tooth. Always replace bones as they wear down, and keep them clean.

Chews

There are a variety of chew toys, especially for puppies. The puppy stage benefits from this greatly as they go through teething and this will help save your furniture. Older dogs may not be as interested in chewing on toys, however if you want to ensure your dog will have hours of fun entertaining themselves or perhaps needing a toy to help Crate Training, Kong toys seem to be one of the best. These Kong toys are not only designed

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