I have heard many options on the use of squeaky toys for puppies and dogs.
Many people think that squeaky toys should be avoided because they could
encourage hard biting in dogs. Whilst making a comparison, I've heard others
ask, 'Have you heard the noise a baby makes when crying'?!
I am of the opinion that dogs are slightly more intelligent than to think a
baby or a child screaming is a squeaky toy. They are self rewarding toys,
so probably not the best for most training situations but I don't think they
encourage biting puppies, babies, children or adults.
I would love to hear peoples opinions on this.
Tony Cruse
A dog might not know the difference between his squeaky toy and the squeaky toy that baby is carrying in his pushchair in the park. But I've seen a lot more dogs try to help themselves to the biscuit the baby is holding than going for a toy.
ReplyDeleteI used a squeaky toy to train Fred, he loves them so much he'll do anything for a 10 second game of chase or just carrying it around making it go squeak, but he's been taught he's not allowed to help himself to squeaky toys, so he knows not to touch unless he's told he can.
I hadn't heard anything about teaching hard biting, I'm of the opinion that you can let a dog have any toy you (or he) wants as long as the owner is in control. I also let two of my dogs rip up soft toys, another thing that's frowned on because babies and small kiddies play with them. My Greyhound prefers to cuddle her toys - all the dogs that come here learn to leave them alone, and my other two leave them alone. It's not hard to teach, although most owners probably wouldn't have a clue how to start.
In used a squeaky toy to teach sleet not to hijack football games. Any other toy didn't cut it because she could hardly tell I had gotten the toy out when she was running in the other direction towards a bunch of kids playing football. I knew she had an intense like for squeakies and so started taking one in my pocket. It also came in handy for other situations where her recall might falter a little.....worked a treat. As soon as she heard it, the U-turn was that quick, you hardly saw it.:P After a few weeks, she bit a hole in it and I had no other squeakies small enough to fit in my pocket...but by that time, she was a whole load better and never tried to run off and hijack footie games since and her recall is very reliable.
ReplyDeleteMy 9 1/2 year old dog ate the squeakers of 5 toys and died. It cost me 6,000 for surgery and he died 2 days later because he was so sick. I had been taking my dog to the vet for 6 months because of no appetite and the runs and by the time I took him to an internist, it was too late. Don't give you dogs squeaky toys!
ReplyDeleteMy dog has had 3 surgeries due to small objects being swallowed.
DeleteOne time it was a piece of a kong toy, then some weird plastic object, and a piece of flip flop foam rubber.
I'm writing this because I just saw her swallow a squeaker before I could get it away from her.
If she doesn't throw it up soon it's surgery # 4 for her tomorrow. I didn't think about the squeak toys.
She is a Pom with tiny intestines.