CHoosing the appropriate toy for your "power chewer"

Post by Julie Randall, LDDR foster/volunteer

Many dog owners find toy selection hit or miss at best. michonne And for many power chewers, the toys they love best aren’t strong enough to resist their attack. Case in point, many years ago my Lab/Pit mix had an affinity for shredding plush toys. The solution was to cease his seemingly endless supply of plush toys. Imagine my confusion having awaked from a nap at dusk only to find what appeared to be plum fog across the floor of the living room. As I shook off my sleep, I realized what I was seeing was the filling to an extra‐large dog bed. It’s a household joke that upon his complete destruction of the bed, he said to himself ‘best toy ever’.

So while for dogs who covet their toys- toy selection isn’t a big issue, those who seek to destroy- the search is continuously on for toys that will maintain their interest AND hold up beyond a single play session. The traditional Red Kong (and the newer Black ‘Extreme’ Kongs) are well known by many pet owners and serve a definite purpose. They can be filled with Kong stuffers, treats, peanut butter, etc to preoccupy and entertain many dogs. Throwing them in the freezer
for couple of hours will extend the length of time it takes for the treats to be removed. Kong has expanded their collection to include plush toys (these will not hold up to the most determined to destroy), round balls, Frisbee like discs, and many other products.

But what is there beyond Kong products? There is a product line by Kyjen called ‘invincibles’. Sadly they are not for the most powerful of chewers, but for moderate to moderately‐strong chewers, they hold up quite well. There are numerous options including with and without stuffing and 3 to 12 squeakers.

Jolly Ball has a line of Teaser Balls in 4 sizes. These have cut‐out circles that dogs love to use to pick up the balls. They also have an inner ball to engage dogs in trying to remove. This is a favorite of many with dogs who readily go through toys. As these are a harder plastic, you will need to watch for rough/sharp edges and replace when needed.

Lastly, there is a line by Goughnut. These include bagel shaped toys, rubber balls and ‘sticks’. They guarantee their bagel shaped products saying if you see the inner red layer, they will replace.

So while finding products for more aggressive chewers can be a challenge at times, there are options out there. Hopefully one of the product lines above will work for you and your dog.

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