I love seeing new puppy owners and not so new puppy owners interacting with their puppy/dogs. This is beneficial not only for puppy but for the human too. It’s really difficult to focus on the mundane things of our lives when playing with our dogs.
During this blog post, I will discuss squeaker toys. I heard a lecture several years ago about the purpose for the squeaker in toys, and I was surprised to say that I had no idea that the sounds simulate that of a small animal dying. Since then, I make sure to either puncture the toy’s squeaker or, if at all possible, to remove it all together. The latter is a bit more difficult to do.
How many times have you witnessed your dog tear up the toy and remove the squeaker “bubble” and then you find stuffing all over the room and the toy dismantled and the squeaker nowhere to be found? This is what many dogs do to “kill” the toy. These toys are meant to stimulate their innate desire to destroy their prey, which is hardwired in most dogs dating back thousands of years. Working/sports breeds might want "live action" when they finally realize there isn’t a huge challenge and seek out a moving target that offers excitement, i.e., cat, small dog/animal etc.
Not too long ago, I thought I had successfully dismantled the “bubble” in one of our dogs’ toys and sure enough, in no time the toy had been destroyed, the bubble was chewed up, and stuffing was strewn everywhere in our dog park. The “bubble” isn’t the only thing we have to concern ourselves with but also the stuffing, which can pose a choking hazard for the puppy.
I would encourage you to keep away from or limit the amount of time you allow your dog to play with these type toys; Again, this message especially goes out to new puppy owners.
I don’t want to be a kill joy (pun not intended) but let’s find stimulating toys that won’t create unwanted behavior in our dogs.
Happy Tails 🐾
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