Sounding out toys

Hi there,

just wondering if you or any of your followers could help me.

I have an eight-year-old Staffie cross who lost her sight to retinal eye disease just over a year ago. She still loves to play but is not so good at playing fetch anymore. She has a Kong, which she loves, but I'm struggling to find her other toys to play with.

She loves squeaky toys so I bought her a Squeaky Kong toy. She destroyed it within 20 minutes (she loved it too much!).

If anyone knows of any durable dog toys that focus on sound rather than sight myself and Kia would be very grateful.

Thanks so much.

Suzy Baines

Latex-free toys

Hi Dogs Today magazine.

You may have been asked this before but I'm wondering if you can help.

As you probably know a lot of dog toys that are durable are made from latex. Usually this isn't a problem unless you have a latex allergy. I am currently hunting for a durable (Staffordshire Bull Terrier-durable) latex-free toy.

I've searched the copies of your magazines I have in the house in hopes of finding an advert or even an article but no luck. I'm hoping that you may have something or may consider doing an article about it as even organic toys can contain enough latex to cause serious problems.
Many thanks,

Carol-Ann Winterbourne-Welsh, by email

Toy story

Can anyone suggest any good toys for our wee baby Lurcher to chase on walkies?

The other two dogs have tennis balls and a rubber ring/a Safe Stix, so those are ruled out.

Frisbees are out too as I've heard they snap dog's teeth and destroy their hips after years of jumping into the air to catch the things.

Help!

Becky James, via Facebook



Hannah from KONG, who has a beautiful three-legged Lurcher, writes...

Lurchers are sighthounds and therefore love to chase, they also like toys that squeak which mimic a rabbit in distress. Although you will find each type of lurcher very different. The Lurchers with collie in them are often easier to train and are very owner focused whereas the Saluki Lurcher is often very independent. You need to find out what motivates your dog and what reward she likes for example food or toys and use it to enhance your training. I find some Lurchers need their rewards changing to keep high owner interest, making you fun and beneficial to be around. I would use a range of toys so they do not lose their reward value and she never knows which one she is going to play with, I would keep the high reward toys/food for training outside where they are more distractions.

Lurchers are born to run, so they need the freedom to go off leash and have fun. If you doubt your recall, then start off in an enclosed area like a horse arena or small paddock, use toys or food to interact with your dog so she likes and wants to be with you, as you are fun. Every time she comes back to you when called give her reward and praise, even if it has taken her 10 minutes as you still need to reinforce her coming to you.  

The toys which are strong favourites with sight hounds are KONG Squiggles, as they are fun, soft, great for tugging and they have two squeakers. The Aqua KONG makes a great throw toy on land, as it flies through the air making it great for chasing. KONG Plush toys such as the frog or bear, make great toys to reward your Lurcher as they are soft and squeaky. Every Lurcher should have a KONG Wubba Rabbit, they are great for chasing, shaking, easy to throw and are a nice shape for them to pick up.


Eco Dog Company says...

If you are worried about your dogs teeth on plastic frisbees, then we have a wool version called a 'Frizee' - it's soft for dogs mouths but still weighty enough to fly through the air. We also stock the Zisc, a frisbee style toy from Zogoflex.  The Zogoflex range are made from a durable rubber type compound and are bright coloured, making them easy for dogs to find. Our lastest toys are the new eco friendly rice husk rubber toys from Becothings. The BecoRope Ball is ideal for throwing long distance; the ball is solid and extra bouncy. Of course, I've only made a couple of suggestions but if you browse our website you'll no doubt find plenty of inspiration: www.ecodogcompany.com
 


Lisa Jinks, from Barkitty, says...

One of my best selling toys, which are suitable for puppies upwards are the Planet Dog ‘Woof’ balls. I take one out for walkies with my own puppy and highly recommend them. They are durable, bouncy and buoyant for fun, as well as being mint-scented for freshening breath, and also holds the pups interest. They are non-toxic, recyclable and rinse clean. They are nice and spongy so pose no problems for growing teeth, and can be filled with treats to aid training. The bright colours make them easy to see and they are durable enough to last years. As if this wasn’t enough, 2% from each sale goes to the Planet Dog Foundation which Foundation celebrates all ‘working’ dogs that are enhancing and saving human lives!

£11.95 in lime or fuchsia

http://www.barkitty.co.uk/category_dog_toys_2.shtml



Michael, from Regal Paws, says...

We have a wide range of suitable toys available online for your young Lurcher to chase.  The Liquorice Launch Fetch Dog Toy is really popular and great fun for both dog and owner.  These are available from us priced at £4.49 - http://www.regalpaws.co.uk/new-pick-n-mix-liquorice 

Another popular range are the KONG dog toys and we have recently introduced a number of new KONG products to the Regal Paws range.  If you're looking for something really different, we would recommend the Good Boy Lob It Space Lobber Dog Toy.  These are available in junior size priced at just £3.89 - http://www.regalpaws.co.uk/latex-lob-it-dog-toy-junior 

We have a really wide range of dog toys available online for you to browse and offer 10% off your first order.

Mucky pup

I've bought Madi a new Buster Cube, but I don't know how to clean it!

It's a red one that doesn't come apart as the old blue ones used to. I can see it's got a lot of dirt from the garden in it, where she's thrown it around and pawed it to get treats out. I'm not sure a dishwasher would get into all the nooks and crannies.

How on earth do you clean them?!

Claire Horton-Bussey, Dogs Today

Mark Derby, from the makers of the Buster Cube, Kruuse, says...

Thanks for the question. Bit confused as, to the best of my knowledge the Buster Cube had never been able to be opened. However please find our cleaning instructions listed below.

Thanks for your help – if you ever need any other info don’t hesitate to ask

1.      Take out the centre, fill the cube with warm water and a mild detergent and leave to stand for ∏ hour.

2.      Put your hand over the whole and shake .

3.      Empty out the contents and rinse with warm clean water.

4.      Then place in the airing cupboard upside down with hole down on newspaper.

5.      Reuse when dry

Fun and games

Hi

I bought a couple of ‘dog-proof’ toys for my Staffie, Mac, for Christmas but they haven’t lasted long.

We’ve just booked to go camping during the Easter school holidays and will probably go in the summer, too, and I wonder if anyone knows of any decent, long-lasting toys that can be carried around outside by dogs with strong jaws?!

Cheers

John Gardner, by email

Top toys for strong chewers

Hello Dogs Today team,

I have a question regarding chew toys for my puppy. Fay is now 12 weeks old and is a Vallhund who loves to chew and destroy her toys.

When I brought her home I gave her a few different toys; a soft toy, a rubber toy, a ball and a rope toy. However, I have had to replace many already, she ate part of the soft toy (it found its way out luckily), ripped the rope apart and chewed lumps out of the rubber toys. So after advice from her breeder I bought an adult red Kong and some other chews, she has had the Kong three weeks and has already chewed small lumps out of it and I can’t see it lasting much longer.

I’ve brought rope toys from the rough and tough range from Pets at Home at the same time and they are starting to fray as well. The only things that are lasting are stuffed and smoked bones, and nylon bones; I tried a pork roll but it upset her stomach and rawhide chews don't seem to last that long either.

I’m planning to get her a black Kong soon but was wondering if anyone can suggest good chew toys for strong chewers?

Thank you,

Joanne Stockbridge and Fay, by email