Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Life of a Dog Toy

I have a theory about dog toys. It goes a little something like this:

The toys that the dogs like the best always have the shortest life span. The average life span of my golden retriever puppy's toys is 7 days. We spend so much money right now on dog toys that I am thinking about putting in a separate line item in the family budget labeled "dog toy allowance".

Take for example the mean green and white nylabone toy:



It hurts to pick it up much less chew it! The softer green part is hard for Wrigley's mouth to chew it without getting scratched on the two ends.

I don't think Wrigley would touch this toy even if I dipped it in juice from a steak! This toy's going to be around for a long time!


This round toy's been around for a month or two. It's soft but apparently doesn't taste good or is much fun to play with, but he does like to rest his head on it before taking his afternoon nap. It also works well for collecting dust and dog hair while being scooted on the wood floors!

The lifespan of the toys Wrigley really likes, all follow the same pattern. First, he's so excited to play with it and chew on it:



He's gentle with his touch and they are best buddies for hours, even days:




Then, something triggers the dog and all of a sudden there is increased aggression to the toy and the chewing becomes very intense:



From there, it just gets ugly. Here is a picture of last week's favorite toy (the inside parts are strewn all over the house or somewhere in Wrigley's stomach):


Poor little guy; didn't stand a chance:
The big red Kong toy is a hit, but only when it's filled with the Kong peanut butter:


The soccer ball pillow wasn't really a dog toy at all; it was off the bed of one of my son's bed. It lasted 3 days:


Of course tennis balls are fun if you throw them.
Tomorrow, I will head to my favorite pet store and choose some innocent victims, er, toys for Wrigley to enjoy, er, destroy.
Now it's your turn. Send me your recommendations of your dog's favorite toys in the comments. Thanks.

7 comments:

dhash said...

That is so true. Lexy will kill stuffed animals in about 3 minutes. I did find a soft rubber ball at a store, I am not giving that store credit her, she has played with is for about a month and cant kill it. She has tried but the ball wins!!!

June said...

I've never had a dog that likes the squeeky toys but Puddles loves them - especially when my husband is watching a serious show on tv. She does it to get attention.

Lynilu said...

First, thanks for the fly-by and salute at my blog. How did you find me?

I've perused your blogs and must say I'm impressed that you have so many and they are all active!! Wow! I enjoyed the bits I read of each of them, and want you to know you've created a problem for me .... how will I decided what to read?? LOL!

It does look as if we have some commonalities, especially in the area of dogs who destroy things! Mine are far smaller than Wrigley, but where they are lacking in size, they make up with gusto!! Favorite toys tend to last a long time here, regardless of their structure, but once that fatal first breech occurs, the whole thing is shredded, much like the toy you showed. What in the world is that all about? One of mine began chewing on the legs of my roller kitchen chairs, and some hot sauce stopped that. Since then it is just the shoes and electronic cords. Piddling. :D

Anonymous said...

Lucy loves to play with Tennis balls by herself. She throws them up, watches them bounce and then pounces on them. Her "sister" (our other, older dog) is also a great toy for her. She pounces on her too.

Tug toys are good, but then you have to be ready to tug. Nylabones last a long time and keep her happy.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and you can always get stuffed toys for cheap at Goodwill. Just make sure to take off any buttons or things the dog can swallow.

Roxane said...

The toy demolition is adorable...I'm sure not for your pocket-book...but definitely makes for a funny blog!

Roxane a.k.a. momo-mama

Roxane said...

The toy demolition is hilariously cute (I'm sure it's not for your pocket-book) but it does make for a funny blog post!

Roxane a.k.a. momo-mama