Pet Travel Photo Contest – Enter to Win

Our other blog, Pet Auto Safety Blog, is having a pet travel photo contest. Details on how to enter to win a $25 gift card are HERE. Basically, send us a photo of your pet on vacation. It doesn’t have to be a long vacation. It could be as simple as a day trip such as in the first two photos below. In these first two photos, my dog Sephi met her play-date, Sunny, at the Shawnee Mission dog park. Sunny was a Golden Retriever and this was his first trip to a dog park. Sephi showed him the ropes. The third photo is of Sephi and my sister’s dog Mocha. Every year for the holidays my family and I pack up the car, drive from Kansas to Texas, and spend time with family. Of course, family includes the dogs. (And the dogs ride safe with their dog seat belts.) In this third photo, Sephi and Mocha are enjoying their holiday by playing together with this stuffed dog toy.

The Shawnee Mission dog park has a lake for swimming. Sephi wants to show Sunny how it’s done but she doesn’t want to do more than get her feet wet.

Sephi and Sunny explore the wooded area of the Shawnee Mission dog park.

Sephi and Mocha tear up a dog toy together. Sephi obviously has the advantage.

These are examples of the types of photos you can enter into our pet travel photo contest. Remember to visit our Pet Auto Safety Blog for more information!

More Indestructible Dog Toys

Pierson is playing with the Nobbly Wobbly.

Ever since I got Pierson, I’ve gone through more dog toys. Nothing annoys me more than buying a $10-$15 toy only to have it torn to shreds within a day. And since Pierson is still young, his chewing is worse than Sephi’s ever was and worse than Maya’s.

I’ve talked about the Kong in the past as well as the Kyjen Firehose dog toy, Tuffy’s, and the Buster Food Cube back in December 2010 – HERE. But now I want to share some new dog toys that I have found for my chewing dog Pierson:

Squido
The Squido is very similar to the Kong Wubba but cheaper. Although it did eventually get the material chewed off, it took Pierson two months of periodic chewing to do it. Keep in mind that Pierson did not chew on this toy every single day. He has several other toys to chew on.

Nobbly Wobbly
This one is a cute toy. It took Pierson four months of periodic chewing to break the Nobbly Wobbly. He only broke one of the pieces so I took it out and threw that piece away. But once that one piece was broken out, it didn’t take long for him to chew the other pieces. Still, four months is a long time so I felt like this was worth the money spent.

Busy Buddy Premier Chuckle
This is a great toy because you can put food treats in it. Pierson has not so much as dented this toy. He will chew on it for hours until he gets the treats out. I bet the Busy Buddy is as strong as the Kong. But it has a different shape and it is a different color. Busy Buddy has a bunch of other shaped toys to chew from but purple appears to be the common color (whereas the Kong’s common color is red).

I’ve also talked about the Bottle Buddy dog toys. These tended to last a while with Sephi and Maya but Pierson chewed his up within a week. It wasn’t just the bottle inside he destroyed, it was the doggy and piggy casing too.

I have to mention the Tuffy’s dog toy once again. Pierson finally managed to chew the stuffing out of the center of the Tuffy’s Octopus. But it still has the stuffing in its arms and all eight arms still have the squeaker. Pierson also has the Tuffy’s Gear. He has had it for at least six month now, perhaps longer since I think I bought it for him when I brought him home for the first time in January. And the Tuffy’s Gear is still completely intact. As far as plush dog toys goes, I will never ever again get anything but Tuffy’s.

Pierson’s Tuffy’s Gear dog toy.

If you are looking for some indestructible dog toys, be sure to check out the Tuffy’s and others. My dogs are well-entertained with these toys and I save money. Keep in mind, though, that each dog is different. Some dogs can chew through anything!

Fun Dog Game – Teach Your Dog “Find It”

My dog Maya loves the fun dog game “Find It” and my other dog Pierson is learning to like it too. See, dogs as smart as Labradors and Border Collies need more than just physical exercise, they need mental exercise too. The “Find It” game gives them that. “Find It” gives your dog the challenge of trying to sniff out and find his treats. Here is how you can teach your dogs to play.

Step One – Be Obvious
First, make your dog sit and stay where he has full view of the room where you are going to hide the treat or his favorite dog toy. Let your dog watch you put the treat or dog toy somewhere. Easy places to hide the treat or toy are just under the corner of the couch, behind a table leg, or beside a potted plant. Don’t put the treats someplace you don’t want your dog to go, such as on the furniture or on the table. Then give your release command plus the words “find it”. My dogs’ release command is “okay”. So I say, “Okay, find it!” Spend a couple minutes a day, two-three times a day, for 3-5 days in a row. Start with hiding just one treat or toy at a time then work your way up to 3-5 treats in different hiding places. At first, stick to the same hiding places.

Now You Can Really Hide the Treats
Now that your dog knows what “find it” means and where the hiding places are, start having him sit and stay somewhere around the corner and out of site. Show him the treats or dog toy. Then go hide the treats in one of the places where you dog has seen you put stuff before. If your dog is having a hard time, give hints by pointing and saying “find it”. Once your dog has gotten good at finding the treats or toys in the 3-5 different hiding places you’ve selected, then start hiding the treats in other areas nearby. Keep in the same general area. Eventually, you will want to work the whole room, or maybe two rooms, and increase the number of hiding places.

Even though my dogs have great noses, they tend to use their eyes more than their sense of smell. The “Find It” game helps them learn to use their nose more. Perhaps as the challenge increases you can play “Hide-n-Seek” with your dog and say, “find Susie”. Your dog and your kids both will love this fun dog game!

Homemade pumpkin treat hiding in plain sight.

Another homemade treat in hiding.

Maya is close, but not close enough.

After much pointing, Pierson is the first one to find it.

But Maya finds the other treat.

After a 2nd round, they both find the treat.

Pierson finds a treat hiding on the crate.

Charlee Bear dog treats are great small treats with few calories.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday – Dog Logic Problem Puzzle Solved

Last Saturday (July 7th) I had a fun Logic Problem Puzzle to solve. In the logic problem puzzle, 6 clues were given so that you could try to figure out which dog of which breed had which dog toy and where. Before reading this, you might want to check it out. Below, you can also check out photos of my dogs with various dog toys.

Here are the answers:
Zoe, Tuffy’s, indoors, Labrador
Daisy, rope toy, under the tree, Staffordshire Terrier
Bandit, puzzle toy, pool, Shepherd
Lucky, Nylabone, dog bed, Chihuahua
Max, Kong, dog house, Rottweiler

Daisy is the Staffordshire Terrier (clue 4). The Tuffy’s dog toy was brought by the Labrador (clue 2). Bandit had the puzzle toy (clue 5), so he isn’t the Labrador. Bandit wasn’t the Rottweiler or Chihuahua (clue 6) so he must be the Shepherd. Max isn’t the Labrador (clue 1), Staffordshire Terrier (because Daisy is), or Shepherd (because Max is). He went to the dog house (clue 1). He also wasn’t the Chihuahua (clue 1), so he must be the Rottweiler. By elimination, Lucky is the Chihuahua. Lucky didn’t have the Tuffy’s dog toy (clue 2), so Zoe, by elimination, must have it. The rope toy was neither Max’s (clue 1) nor Lucky’s (clue 2); it was Daisy’s. The dog with the Nylabone went to the dog bed (clue 3), so Lucky went there since the dog toy or place eliminates the others. By elimination, Max had the Kong dog toy. Bandit wasn’t found under the tree or indoors (clue 5); so he must have been playing in the pool. Daisy wasn’t found indoors (clue 4); Zoe was, and by elimination, Daisy was found under the tree.

Pierson playing with a Tuffy’s. They still haven’t torn this dog toy up!

Maya playing with one of her Kong dog toys.

Pierson playing with a fleece rope toy.

For more fun pet photos, check out the Wordless Wednesday blog hop on my other blog, http://www.petautosafetyblog.com. Today, the Pet Auto Safety blog doesn’t feature pet travel, it features photos of Shiera, a lost dog who reunited with her owner after being lost on the 4th of July.

A Fun Dog Logic Problem Puzzle

It has been a while since we’ve done a dog puzzle. I love logic problem puzzles so I thought it would be fun to make one. Make a grid which lists each of the five dogs, toys, breeds, and places (as indicated below). Then with the six clues given, use a process of elimination and other logical techniques to find the answers.

The first five dogs (Max, Bandit, Daisy, Lucky, and Zoe) to the Doggie Day Care were all dogs of a different breed (Labrador, Shepherd, Rottweiler, Chihuahua, and Staffordshire Terrier). Each brought their own dog toy (Tuffy’s, Kong, rope toy, Nylabone, and puzzle toy) and each went to a different part of the Doggie Day Care play area (one stayed in the dog house, one in the swimming pool, one under a tree, one in the dog bed, and one stayed indoors. Can you tell which dog was which breed had which toy and went where?

1. Max, who wasn’t the Labrador or the Chihuahua, went to the dog house with his toy, which wasn’t the rope toy.

2. Lucky didn’t have the rope toy and he wasn’t the Labrador with the Tuffy’s dog toy.

3. The dog with the Nylabone is the dog who spent time on the dog bed.

4. Daisy, who didn’t stay indoors, was the Staffordshire Terrier dog breed.

5. Bandit had the puzzle dog toy but he didn’t stay under the tree or go indoors.

6. Bandit was neither the Rottweiler nor the Chihuahua.

We will post the answers on Wordless Wednesday along with some photos of my dogs playing with certain dog toys.

Wordless Wednesday – Pierson’s New Toy

Pierson Loves the Nobbly Wobbly Dog Toy

Our free WordPress site doesn’t let us link to other Wordless Wednesday dog blogs but you can find them by visiting our other blog at http://www.PetAutoSafetyBlog.com.

How to Keep Your Dog from Chewing

 

Pierson is about a year old. For a dog his size, that means he is still a puppy. And a puppy means chewing. In my experience, dogs tend to love to chew for the first two years of their lives. Pierson has been no exception. Here are some tips to keep your dog from chewing that I am also using for Pierson.

Crate Training
The thing that best helped to keep my other dog Maya from chewing was crate training. Maya did very well in a crate so it was easy to teach her which things were hers to chew on. And crate training was an easy way to prevent her from chewing on things when we were not home. But crate training is not always easy, as we have found with Pierson. So if your dog hasn’t gotten used to his crate yet, there are still other things you can do to keep your dog from chewing.

Don’t Leave Stuff Lying Around
Putting things away out of your dog’s reach is a great way to keep your dog from chewing them. Put your shoes in the closet and close the closet door. Make sure small chewable things like toys or remote controls are put up. Put away his dog bowls when he is done eating. If your dog can’t get to these things, he can’t chew them.

Use Positive Reinforcement
If your dog still manages to find something he is not supposed to chew on, take it away and say ‘no’ in a firm voice. Then give him a toy he can chew on. Whenever he chews on his own dog toys, tell him he is a good dog. Give him praise or even a treat.

Make Sure Your Dog Has Plenty of Toys to Choose From
When your dog is in his crate, only give him indestructible dog toys to chew. But when he is out of his crate and you are able to keep an eye on him, give him lots of dog toys to choose from. Pierson has fleecy dog toys, Kong dog toys, other hard dog toys, a Tuffy’s dog toy, and a hard unbleached beef shin bone purchased from the pet store. We don’t recommend rawhides because if your dog tears off and swallows a big chunk, it can get lodged in his stomach causing great pain and even death. Be careful with any dog toy you give your dog. Make sure pieces cannot be torn off and swallowed. Watch him as best you can.

Squirt Bottle or Loud Noise
I have to admit that using a squirt bottle or loud noise to keep your dog from chewing is not a method I have used. I haven’t needed to. But this is what I have heard about how it works. When your dog chews on something he is not supposed to, squirt him with water or shake a can full of coins to make a loud noise.

Bitter Apple, Peppermint, or Cayenne Spray Chew Deterrent
To keep your dog from chewing things like furniture legs, pillows, plants, or other things which are not easy for you to keep out of his reach, try spraying these things with Bitter Apple spray deterrent or another spray chew deterrent. Bitter Apple and other chew deterrent brands can be purchased online or at a pet store. But if you have peppermint extract or cayenne pepper, you can make your own spray chew deterrent. Peppermint might be best for things you and your family touch regularly.

Having a young dog can be a lot of work. By being diligent, consistent, and patient, your young dog will grow up and out of these bad habits. My older dog Maya knows exactly which toys are hers (although she does get stuffed animals confused with her plush dog toys). If Maya can learn, your dog can too. You can keep your dog from chewing his way through your personal things.

Great Christmas Toys for Dogs

Maya and her Tuffy's Dog Toy

Christmas is coming and we dog-lovers can’t help but to give gifts to our beloved four-legged family members too. I’ve already gotten my dog Maya some great dog toys. And some of those I couldn’t wait until Christmas to give to her.

Revisit some of our blog posts about dog toys reviews.

Tuffy’s Dog Toys
The smaller star-shaped Tuffy’s dog toy I had bought Maya some time back didn’t last but a few days. But I got her the larger purple octopus a few months ago and she still has it! It has a few hole punctures but the squeaker in the octopus head and all eight squeakers in the arms are still there!!!

Kyjen Puzzle Dog Toys
Maya loves the Kyjen Puzzle dog toys. But she does chew them to pieces if I let her. By only giving her the toys when I am able to supervise, they have lasted a few months.

Bottle Buddy Dog Toys
Maya still hasn’t chewed one up completely. I’ve replaced the plastic bottle inside several times but the plush bottle buddy dog toy is still in decent shape. It shows some obvious chewing and I have washed it a couple times, but otherwise it has easily lasted her several months (with supervised play only).

Kong Dog Toys
The Kong dog toy has lasted years. I loved the classic red Kong so much that I also bought the Kong Flier. There is not a single dent or chew mark on the Kong dog toys even though Maya plays with them all the time.

Tug of War with Dogs?

Playing Tug-of-War with Dogs

I keep hearing that tug of war is not a good game to play with your dog. However, I have to disagree. While there are many good points about why you shouldn’t play tug of war with your dog, I believe that if you play the game properly none of those reasons matter.

Why do people say that tug of war is not a good game to play with your dog? Many people think that tug of war can encourage aggressiveness in your dog. By allowing your dog to play tug of war, your dog may think it is okay to grab something he wants. And if your dog wins at tug of war then you may be allowing him to think that he is the dominant one instead of you. Another reason people say tug of war is bad for your dog is because it may hurt his teeth.

To prevent damage to your dog’s teeth, don’t play to rough and stay in control of the game. Also play with gentler tug toys like the Fleecy Clean dog toy by Kyjen. Sephi and Maya love fleecy toys and play with them for both tug and chew. Because the Fleecy Clean dog toys don’t break up into stringy pieces, I feel better about them chewing on and playing with them.

By establishing rules when you play tug of war with your dog, all these issues can be avoided. The first rule is that you control the game, not your dog. Tug of war should only be allowed when you initiate the game. And the game is over when you say it is over. Don’t let your dog goad you into playing more when you are done. It is okay for your dog to decide he is done playing first, but when you are done that’s it – no more.

The second rule to playing tug of war is that your dog must let go when you tell him to. Teach your dog the ‘drop it’ command before allowing him to play tug of war. You want to be sure when playing tug of war with your dog that when you say ‘drop it’ he lets go. If your dog is not consistently good at letting go when you say ‘drop it’ you are going to have a more difficult time being in control of the game if he doesn’t let go when he is supposed to.

By being in control when you play tug of war with your dog, you can stop the game if it gets too aggressive or if you think your dog may hurt his teeth. You are also making sure your dog understands you are his leader. He is less likely to exhibit dangerous dominance issues if it is perceived that you are in control.

To check out other dog blogs for the Saturday Blog Hop visit AllThingsDogBlog.