Dog is an aggressive chewer, can you please recommend me some toys?
December 6, 2013 4:24 PM Subscribe
My dog is an aggressive chewer or she has OCD - the jury is still out. Even the "aggressive" chewer toys are ripped to shreds within minutes to hours because of her chewing styles. Help me with toys please!
So my pup (obligtory pic) is an aggressive chewer who fixates on the smallest loose string on the toy until she has the thing unraveled and pulling out shreds of stuffing. I've tried kong balls (the solid black ones) but she loses interest within minutes, regular bones are fine and usually are our go to toys, we have a varsity ball (by far her favorite toy), but in-the-house toys are usually destroyed within minutes. She loves toys that she can play with herself so currently we're stuck buying a TON of cloth toys since I like my walls. We've tried tug of war, but after about 30 minutes one of us tires of it so that is a short term solution. If it matters, I think she is a pit/retriever mix (shelter pup). Yes, we take her for walks and she has a yard but it's winter in Minnesota with -12 temps recently so I can't exercise her as much now.
Help me save my bank account please, what toys can I buy for her that last more then a few minutes?
So my pup (obligtory pic) is an aggressive chewer who fixates on the smallest loose string on the toy until she has the thing unraveled and pulling out shreds of stuffing. I've tried kong balls (the solid black ones) but she loses interest within minutes, regular bones are fine and usually are our go to toys, we have a varsity ball (by far her favorite toy), but in-the-house toys are usually destroyed within minutes. She loves toys that she can play with herself so currently we're stuck buying a TON of cloth toys since I like my walls. We've tried tug of war, but after about 30 minutes one of us tires of it so that is a short term solution. If it matters, I think she is a pit/retriever mix (shelter pup). Yes, we take her for walks and she has a yard but it's winter in Minnesota with -12 temps recently so I can't exercise her as much now.
Help me save my bank account please, what toys can I buy for her that last more then a few minutes?
What about antlers? It's more of a bone analogue than a toy to properly play with. My retriever/pit mix loves his.
posted by Sara C. at 4:38 PM on December 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Sara C. at 4:38 PM on December 6, 2013 [2 favorites]
Have you tried an antler chew toy? We got a large one for our lab and he's been working on it (nightly!) for almost a year. If she's not interested in it at first, try sprinkling a little worcestershire sauce or chicken broth on it.
posted by torisaur at 4:38 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by torisaur at 4:38 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Put a little peanut butter or canned pumpkin in one of the red Kongs that jbickers linked to.
posted by notsnot at 4:53 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by notsnot at 4:53 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
We have the same issue. The only thing that has survived (and he LOVES it) is this:
http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-product-type/big-chews-for-big-dogs-beef-bone.htm
They do have different sizes to suit the dog.
posted by Brockles at 4:55 PM on December 6, 2013
http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-product-type/big-chews-for-big-dogs-beef-bone.htm
They do have different sizes to suit the dog.
posted by Brockles at 4:55 PM on December 6, 2013
Response by poster: We have the red kong, she's only interested in it if it's filled with food which we are trying to avoid since we are also training her right now. The antler chew toy is still open, I wasn't sure if it would survive her and they aren't cheap for the size she needs so I've been holding off.
posted by lpcxa0 at 4:56 PM on December 6, 2013
posted by lpcxa0 at 4:56 PM on December 6, 2013
My dog is a machine that destroys things with his teeth, so I feel your pain.
Take the Kongs/bones/anything hollow and stuff them with something, and freeze them. That will keep her busy for a bit. Peanut butter works great. Last weeks meatloaf. Mash potatoes. Hell, I've even stuff them with bread. It doesn't have to be much - that it is frozen will make it much more work.
Also, food puzzles are a big hit here. Antlers also hold up very well.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 4:58 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Take the Kongs/bones/anything hollow and stuff them with something, and freeze them. That will keep her busy for a bit. Peanut butter works great. Last weeks meatloaf. Mash potatoes. Hell, I've even stuff them with bread. It doesn't have to be much - that it is frozen will make it much more work.
Also, food puzzles are a big hit here. Antlers also hold up very well.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 4:58 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: nthing an antler. My German Shepherd mix has had the same one for years, and it shows no signs of wearing down.
Sometimes I heat up water + beef bullion in a pan and let the antler stew in it for a while, let it dry and cool off, and then give it to her. She goes wild over it!
If you still want to give her cloth toys, buy them in bulk at garage sales in the summer. I buy them by the dozens, do a little surgery on them (removing eyes and noses, buttons, things like that that my dog could choke on) and then I let her tear them to bits. I don't think I've ever paid more than a dime for a garage sale stuffed animal. I don't mind spending a dime for five minutes of destruction!
posted by Elly Vortex at 5:00 PM on December 6, 2013 [5 favorites]
Sometimes I heat up water + beef bullion in a pan and let the antler stew in it for a while, let it dry and cool off, and then give it to her. She goes wild over it!
If you still want to give her cloth toys, buy them in bulk at garage sales in the summer. I buy them by the dozens, do a little surgery on them (removing eyes and noses, buttons, things like that that my dog could choke on) and then I let her tear them to bits. I don't think I've ever paid more than a dime for a garage sale stuffed animal. I don't mind spending a dime for five minutes of destruction!
posted by Elly Vortex at 5:00 PM on December 6, 2013 [5 favorites]
I hesitate to recommend antlers - I got them for my own dogs (one a crazed chewer, too), who ignored them (!) and gave them to a friend, whose dog worked on them for 3 hours straight and they vanished completely. So they may last longer but they won't be indestructable or last forever. This was a lab mix that chewed it right up, and after the person at the store informed me her pit bull had never managed to chew one completely up in years. I guess the lifespan of those is more dependent on enthusiasm than chewing ability!
I do recommend the food puzzles. This will drive your dog batty and keep her busy a good long time. Buster Cube is pretty sturdy (i.e., my dog has not destroyed one).
For a food puzzle with a manic chewer, do watch closely and help out the first few times you hand it over. She may think it is to be chewed up to get the stuff inside. If you show her how rolling it around makes the food come out, she should catch on right away. Be aware it is noisy on a bare floor. :)
I have also had good luck with the Kong wubba toys made of nylon, but I think your dog is an order above mine in the chewing mania.
posted by AllieTessKipp at 5:06 PM on December 6, 2013
I do recommend the food puzzles. This will drive your dog batty and keep her busy a good long time. Buster Cube is pretty sturdy (i.e., my dog has not destroyed one).
For a food puzzle with a manic chewer, do watch closely and help out the first few times you hand it over. She may think it is to be chewed up to get the stuff inside. If you show her how rolling it around makes the food come out, she should catch on right away. Be aware it is noisy on a bare floor. :)
I have also had good luck with the Kong wubba toys made of nylon, but I think your dog is an order above mine in the chewing mania.
posted by AllieTessKipp at 5:06 PM on December 6, 2013
Get something made out of the megalast canvas gel. It's pretty well indestructible.
posted by phunniemee at 5:15 PM on December 6, 2013
posted by phunniemee at 5:15 PM on December 6, 2013
Cow toes, I've had good luck, they don't drop big chunks like rawhide (which I had one dog swallow whole and make himself very sick with). I've tried antlers but my dogs loose interest. Himalayan Chews from Amazon lasted a bit longer, one dog loved them the other one was only half interested.
Try hard to get out treats on the kong, so put PB in and then put larger treats in they have to really work to get out.
I've had really good luck with this . They haven't lasted forever but I've had one make the 1 year mark. Ears and pouch got chewed off but the body is thick woolen material over a very firm stuffing of what feels like coconut coir or something solid so hard to pull out even if they do make a hole. My dog is smaller than yours so maybe not as strong in the jaw, but a terrier so gets fixated on killing his toys.
posted by wwax at 5:18 PM on December 6, 2013
Try hard to get out treats on the kong, so put PB in and then put larger treats in they have to really work to get out.
I've had really good luck with this . They haven't lasted forever but I've had one make the 1 year mark. Ears and pouch got chewed off but the body is thick woolen material over a very firm stuffing of what feels like coconut coir or something solid so hard to pull out even if they do make a hole. My dog is smaller than yours so maybe not as strong in the jaw, but a terrier so gets fixated on killing his toys.
posted by wwax at 5:18 PM on December 6, 2013
Our doggie loved these balls -- he had some from puppyhood that are still turning up around the house, 9 years later. Fun for fetch or chewing.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 5:27 PM on December 6, 2013
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 5:27 PM on December 6, 2013
Our dog destroyed everything we gave him until we happened on a GoDog toy. It took him a while to fully destroy the first one even though the ears and tail were gone in minutes. We have to buy a pair of new ones every once in a while (we like to switch them out so we can launder one while he has the other).
I only get the roundish ones - the pig, the lamb, etc. They seem to last the longest.
posted by FlamingBore at 5:46 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I only get the roundish ones - the pig, the lamb, etc. They seem to last the longest.
posted by FlamingBore at 5:46 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm so sorry that you're having a hard time with your dog... she looks like a rambunctious Shar Pei that I once raised. The only thing that helped him settle down was getting another dog to play with during the day (a pug). Good luck!
posted by LuckySeven~ at 6:25 PM on December 6, 2013
posted by LuckySeven~ at 6:25 PM on December 6, 2013
We like the Tuffy line at mydogtoy.com (also vipproducts.com). We've had very good luck with toys rated at 9 or 10 on the "Tuff Scale."
posted by Boogiechild at 8:12 PM on December 6, 2013
posted by Boogiechild at 8:12 PM on December 6, 2013
We have an aggressive chewer as well. We once gave him a soft toy that didn't make it out of the Petsmart parking lot. Even toys marked for aggressive chewers lasted mere minutes. It took months of observation, but we were able to discern certain features of a soft toy that would guarantee its destruction. In Bailey's case, squeakers are an invitation to search and destroy. So no squeakers. Tags and display loops are similarly inviting, so we cut all those before giving him the toy. Things with dozens of tentacles, legs, ears, and tails are all verboten. The soft toys that seem to last the longest are the simply shaped ones that make "animal noises" using those little sound boxes. If you haven't tried one of those, you could find a cheap one at Petsmart. Martha Stewart usually has one, and there are always the standby gorillas, pigs, and cows in the softie aisle.
Still, though he loves soft toys, he will still spend hours on his Nylabone that's shaped like a small tree trunk. I've heard great things about the aforementioned antlers, but they freak my mother (his owner) out, so I've abstained from buying one so far.
posted by xyzzy at 9:10 PM on December 6, 2013
Still, though he loves soft toys, he will still spend hours on his Nylabone that's shaped like a small tree trunk. I've heard great things about the aforementioned antlers, but they freak my mother (his owner) out, so I've abstained from buying one so far.
posted by xyzzy at 9:10 PM on December 6, 2013
Best answer: Our small dog likes to eviscerate her toys. We got her the dragon GoDog, it’s partially made of kevlar (“Chew Guard Technology”) and so far has resisted her attempts to tear off the head or wings. Still looking good after ~six months.
posted by migurski at 11:28 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by migurski at 11:28 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've had good luck with a water buffalo horn; it seems to last much better than cow hooves.
posted by The otter lady at 11:42 PM on December 6, 2013
posted by The otter lady at 11:42 PM on December 6, 2013
My dog destroys all toys. This Nylabone tends to last about six months before he chews the end off. He has 2 or 3 of them and he's pretty anal about them all being chewed the same amount.
posted by hamsterdam at 1:50 AM on December 7, 2013
posted by hamsterdam at 1:50 AM on December 7, 2013
My dog loves cow hooves. I bought them in bulk from Drs. Foster and Smith, but they last her a while. She also likes a nylabone toy with different textures, but she's grinding it down pretty steadily. Cow hooves, antlers, and similar toys have the added benefit of not splintering and being completely natural so the dog's not ingesting plastic and whatnot. Makes me feel better.
posted by rawralphadawg at 12:11 PM on December 7, 2013
posted by rawralphadawg at 12:11 PM on December 7, 2013
Raw bones. Nutritious, filled with a tasty treat, and both builds jaw muscles (which are part of a healthy dog's physique) and cleans teeth.
Pork ribs are cheap; when he's big enough, mix in the occasional pig neck bones. If you choose not to demeat them, he'll get a nutritious meal out of them - but just the bones is less smelly.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:04 AM on December 9, 2013
Pork ribs are cheap; when he's big enough, mix in the occasional pig neck bones. If you choose not to demeat them, he'll get a nutritious meal out of them - but just the bones is less smelly.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:04 AM on December 9, 2013
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posted by jbickers at 4:36 PM on December 6, 2013