A Chewing Puppy is a Happy Puppy!

Dogs and puppies love to play and chew. This is especially true for puppies as they are full of energy and curiosity, and they will want to chew and teethe just like a human baby. Chewing and playing are very good for puppies and dogs, providing they do not play on or chew up your furniture and other belongings.

This is why dog toys and treats such as chew bones and chew toys are very important for your dog or puppy. Having its own toys will help keep a dog from destructive chewing. In addition, playing with your dog and providing it with toys will make it feel that it is an important part of your life, give it much-needed exercise and activity, and also let both you and your dog have a lot of fun.

Gumabone and Nylabone are two popular brands of durable, high-quality chew toys and other toys for dogs and puppies. These toys come in flavored or non-flavored, and come in all kinds of materials. You can choose from nylon chew bones, rope toys, fleece toys, rubber toys, latex toys, and much more. Toys made of fleece, nylon, or rope tend to last the longest time. Nylon chew bones are also considered some of the safest chew toys for dogs because they slowly grind away rather than break off in chunks.

Most of these dogs toys are also available in a variety of shapes and sizes and are fun for chewing and for carrying around. You can even get dog toys that are made to look like popular people, brands and objects. Such toys include Harley Davidson oilcans, frisbees, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, baby pacifiers, animals, and celebrities.

One of the best, most popular, and most versatile toys out now is the combination looped rope and fleece toy. Puppies and dogs really like these because you can interact with them with this toy. You can throw this toy for them to go chase and fetch, or hold the toy in your hand so that they can play tug-of-war with you. These combination rope and fleece chew toys will also last a long time with most dogs.

Balls are another great toy for dogs and puppies. Dogs love to chase balls in a good game of fetch. A good size for a play ball is about the size of a tennis ball. It can be a little smaller or larger, depending on the size of your dog and the size of its mouth - make sure it cannot be swallowed!

Soft and squeaky dog toys are better reserved for relatively gentle and mature dogs. Many dogs do like to play rough with their toys - this includes trying to shake, rip apart, or "kill" the toy - especially if they find that the toys are plush and soft. If your dog is relatively active and aggressive, try to avoid any toy that contains a squeaker device buried in its center. Your dog may feel that it must find and destroy the squeaking source and could ingest it. If you still would like to try a soft and squeaky toy for your dog, you should supervise its play with the toy.

As you can see, dog toys should be fun, durable, and safe. Always make sure that a toy is not so small that your dog can swallow it. Secondly, keep an eye out for any ball or other toy that could be chewed through and discard a toy immediately if it becomes cracked. A third important rule is to make sure nothing can break or fall off. Avoid or alter any toys that aren't "dog-proof" by removing ribbons, strings, eyes, or other parts that could be chewed or ingested.

Finally, do not forget treats for your puppy or dog. Dogs love treats, and treats are also one of the most effective methods for helping to train a puppy or dog. You can give treats out to your dog when it does something good or right, such as going potty where it is supposed to. Or you can just give treats when you want to give them. However, do not feed your dog too many treats. Treats can potentially unbalance a balanced diet by causing excess caloric intake, and this can cause your dog to become overweight and unhealthy. So as a rule, treats should not exceed 10 to 20 percent of a dog's total dietary intake.

There are a tremendous amount of treats available for puppies and dogs. Pig ears, rawhide, and edible chew bones are delicious treats for just about any dog. You can now even get interesting treats like dog cookies and dog ice cream in assorted flavors. But again, remember that treats such as pig ears and edible chew bones are intended to be food items and should not be used as regular chew toys.

Cooked beef or pork bones are another great treat and they are usually safe for dogs. However, do not give your dog small bones such as chicken bones, which are a potential choking hazard, and which can splinter and puncture the stomach and intestines.

There are also a lot of specially-made healthy and therapeutic treats that you can give to your dog. There are tartar control dental sticks, spearmint breath bones and biscuits, anti-stress sticks, skin and coat sticks, vitamin sticks, and special sticks for older dogs. One of the newest chew treats is called Greenies, which will help clean teeth, freshen breath, reduce plaque, and add nutrients to your dog's diet.

If you have any questions regarding dog toys and treats, just ask us and we will help you any way we can.

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