# to chew toy, or not to chew toy...that is the question.



## KonasPop (Aug 9, 2011)

Our 13mo. female has the need to chew soft stuff - slippers, undies, socks and the like. I'm an avid trainer and exercise for at least 1.5hrs a day. This isnt a boredom issue, but rather a adolescent or perhaps personality/character trait. She wont destroy something unless left with it for too long...mostly she'd rather toss it around, roll, it shake it, and then mouth it. Classic.

I've never been a fan of soft chew toys (especially squeaky ones). But, the breeder did have her on one when we picked her up. The habit is hard to break and i'm considering breaking down and getting one of those kong, non-sqeaky, furry toys. Plan would be to teach her the toy from our stuff. 

I've never been a fan because w/ the other dogs if you let them have one thing that resembles another, they'll consider any furry item a chew toy...eg. if she never learns to like to chew soft things, she wont want to. But, I am now thinking I might be able to train her into liking just this one thing that she gets. All others off limits. 

Question:
too late given that she has gotten a hold of other things?
Is my original assumption correct/wrong that just no chewing on soft things is the better route?
Teenage stuff here and just let it pass like the others - like wait til 24mo and see if she still has that much urge?

She has bad allergies, so my normal tricks are out -hence the problem. Bully sticks and smoked beef bones (the super hard ones) cant be given anymore. I dont beleive in nylon bones. W/o a snack in it - the kong only has its place as a fun mental activity but not near as fun as the fluffy slipper that you can rip to shreds if no one catches you first.

Have not tried antlers, but my suspicion is she'd rather the antlers one day, and the softy the other. 

Anyone have stong opions on chew toys?


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

We only buy Tuffie dog toys for Riley now because anything else (and I mean ANYTHING else) soft, fluffy and stuffed is immediately de-stuffed and torn to bits. She still eventually destroys the Tuffie toys, but it takes her weeks compared to hours. We actually have had this starfish for months and it still hasn't been ripped open:

http://www.tuffietoys.com/the-general

You will notice they have numbers next to each toy representing how "tough" they are. It's been a good way for us to get Riley to leave our socks and clothes alone.

We do give her an antler as well, but sometimes she just needs to chew on something soft and these are the best toys we've found.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Those Tuffie Toys look great, threefsh! Might have to get one for Willie Boy!

KonasPop, you might get lucky, and it might just be a teenage thing, but... Willie is 4-1/2 to 5 years old and still loves to destroy soft, fluffy toys! If I buy him the cheap ones they sell at the hardware store, they are torn to shreds very quickly! He seems to really love doing this. So... once in a while I buy him a cheap one, knowing he will rip it apart, and I just consider it collateral damage in the quest to keep my dog happy! HA-Ha-ha!! I know it's time to throw it in the trash when I start seeing tiny little pieces of it all over my floors. 

Willie also has nice, tough toys that have lasted three years so far, and he does enjoy playing with them, too. ;D

p.s. How does Willie know what's okay to chew and what is off limits? I keep all of his toys in a big laundry basket. Whatever is in there belongs to him. He knows that.


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

Hi Konaspop,

I don't know, I'm a big fan of chew toys because I think vizslas have such big oral fixations that it keeps mine occupied and he knows very well what's off limits and what's not. I could be mistaken, but I am of the belief that having those toys helps to curb him wanting to put other things in his mouth that shouldn't be there. Mine has a very durable fabric frisbee (he will totally gut any of his soft toys, but I get him one once in a while), and kong has some durable fabric toys with pieces of fabric (kind of like canvas) coming off that he loves, too. They don't last forever, but they do make it much longer than anything else. I use them for water retrieving too. Good luck with your decision!


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## kristen (Oct 18, 2011)

I am a big fan of the skinneeez stufflingless toys. We have one upstairs and downstairs, and if Odin manages to get something he shouldn't I always swap him for it. He definitely knows the different between a sock and his toy. 
Will he always leave the sock alone?....debatable thus far.


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

I agree that dogs are smart enough to know the difference between their toys and your stuff. Gus has a big basket full of toys that he knows he is allowed to chew up, and he only chews that stuff. I haven't lost a single sock, or shoe, or anything in the 9 months we've had him! 

He does absolutely destroy his toys, but he still plays with the "shreds" and loves them still. Actually, his favorite toy right now is nothing more than an empty piece of fabric about the size of a golf ball (an old cat toy). He loves that thing and carries it around everywhere, he is so weird!


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

haha, jjohnson! Mine loves the "skin" of an old stuffed pheasant that he destroyed. He carries it around, too.


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## KonasPop (Aug 9, 2011)

Thanks everyone - so the resounding feedback is these dogs are quirky, yes? 


Haha - j/k - preaching to the choir i know.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I noticed the tuffie toys post and my jaw dropped. I've tried them and they lasted all of 30 seconds!!!!  The only thing I have found which lasts more than a few minutes, is either ropes, or rope animals. I had a rope Giraffe which lasted 4 months and I have two other rope toys which have even been washed four or five times and are still hanging in there. Anything else I find just gets torn apart almost instantly. I must have veracious dogs!


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

I second skinneez stuffingless toys! We have 2 for Pippa and she LOVES them! She carries them around all the time in her mouth and they are still going....4 months after we got them 

We do use antlers with Pippa and they work really, really well. The the Kong Wubba is one of her favorites and has lasted since when we brought her home 6 months ago.

She has not destroyed anything thus far (KNOCK ON WOOD), but she does love to run around with hats, socks or sneakers with the hope someone will chase her! I do think she knows the difference though...she only goes for the socks and sneakers when she is miffed because we are not paying attention to her!!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Ozkar said:


> I noticed the tuffie toys post and my jaw dropped. I've tried them and they lasted all of 30 seconds!!!!  The only thing I have found which lasts more than a few minutes, is either ropes, or rope animals. I had a rope Giraffe which lasted 4 months and I have two other rope toys which have even been washed four or five times and are still hanging in there. Anything else I find just gets torn apart almost instantly. I must have veracious dogs!


Well, you do have 3... I'm sure if mine had a sibling or two to assist her in destroying the toys they wouldn't last so long... haha! ;D


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## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

threefsh said:


> I'm sure if mine had a sibling or two to assist her in destroying the toys they wouldn't last so long...



So true! Finch can only have stuffed toys in the car by herself... if it comes in the house with the other 2 dogs, then it is destroyed in no time flat!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

;D ;D Doesn't seem to make a difference to mine. Ozkar lives without a sibling 4 or more days a week and he still destroys them instantly. I give him a new toy sometimes when I drop him home and i get a text message from the ex once he has ripped it apart. Normally before I am at the 1st set of traffic lights!! ;D ;D 

I even hunted around for some even more hardy ones. Found a thing called Telula the turkey, supposedly indestructible. Zsa Zsa had it apart in about 3 minutes with the stuffing all over the lounge room floor! :-[


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