Toys and training aids
The most important toys you can buy for your puppy are Kongs. A Kong is a hollow and heavy rubber toy, which is extremely resistant to damage from chewing. Kongs come in a range of sizes, so you can start out with a puppy Kong and work your way up as he grows. You will need three puppy Kongs to begin with. One for him to chew, one for you to wash, and a third to be filled with food and frozen. You give the puppy the frozen Kong when you have to leave him alone for a while. This fulfils his need to chew and keeps him from getting bored and miserable. You then pack the centre of one of your spares with soft food and freeze it.
Rawhide chews are another chewing toy and, in theory, are edible. However, they make many dogs sick when the bits are swallowed, and a puppy must never be left alone with one as he could choke on the pieces that he pulls off. Rawhide chews and rawhide bones are ideal for keeping a puppy occupied while he is cuddled on your lap, and a diversion from biting your fingers. You hang on to one end of the chew while he gnaws at the other.
You can buy all manner of soft squashy toys for puppies and some puppies love them and treat them gently. Those puppies usually belong to someone else, and most of the puppies I have raised have made short work of destroying anything remotely cuddly with deadly efficiency. Death-wish puppies will add a nice fat vet bill to the cost of the toy. Be wary of softer rubber toys and inspect them frequently for damage and loose bits. Big sturdy knotted ropes are usually quite hard-wearing and most puppies like carrying them around and gnawing at them.
Like children, puppies soon lose interest in familiar toys, so keep some by, out of sight, to amuse him when he is bored with his current favourites.
All puppies should learn to retrieve and for this you will need a ball or retrieving dummy. Kept out of the puppy’s reach and used only when you are interacting with him, these special toys will retain their novelty value and hold your puppy’s interest. Balls need to be small enough to fit in the puppy’s mouth but far too big to swallow. So you may need to discard old balls as he outgrows them and they become a choking hazard. Most puppies can pick up larger balls than you might expect.
Slippers!
Puppies like to chase, grab and bite anything that is moving around at floor level. This includes your feet. In the next section of this book I will explain how to resolve the biting problem, but this takes a little time. In the meantime, if you don’t have any slippers, I strongly recommend you buy some now. This is especially important for young children, who will quickly be reduced to tears as your tiny furry bundle transforms himself into a crocodile and pursues them around the kitchen. Try not to be tempted with anything very fluffy as any moving fluffy object will be incredibly attractive to a puppy. Rubber-soled slippers will also be handy when you have to take your puppy into the garden in the small hours.
A new game for your children
If you have children, this is a good time to stock up on some new and absorbing toys and books. Buy that latest game they have been longing for. Don’t give it to them yet; put it away and save it for after the puppy arrives. Children can be very intense with new puppies and it is often helpful to have something to hand that deflects their attention away from the new arrival for a while.
Rawhide chews are another chewing toy and, in theory, are edible. However, they make many dogs sick when the bits are swallowed, and a puppy must never be left alone with one as he could choke on the pieces that he pulls off. Rawhide chews and rawhide bones are ideal for keeping a puppy occupied while he is cuddled on your lap, and a diversion from biting your fingers. You hang on to one end of the chew while he gnaws at the other.
You can buy all manner of soft squashy toys for puppies and some puppies love them and treat them gently. Those puppies usually belong to someone else, and most of the puppies I have raised have made short work of destroying anything remotely cuddly with deadly efficiency. Death-wish puppies will add a nice fat vet bill to the cost of the toy. Be wary of softer rubber toys and inspect them frequently for damage and loose bits. Big sturdy knotted ropes are usually quite hard-wearing and most puppies like carrying them around and gnawing at them.
Like children, puppies soon lose interest in familiar toys, so keep some by, out of sight, to amuse him when he is bored with his current favourites.
All puppies should learn to retrieve and for this you will need a ball or retrieving dummy. Kept out of the puppy’s reach and used only when you are interacting with him, these special toys will retain their novelty value and hold your puppy’s interest. Balls need to be small enough to fit in the puppy’s mouth but far too big to swallow. So you may need to discard old balls as he outgrows them and they become a choking hazard. Most puppies can pick up larger balls than you might expect.
Slippers!
Puppies like to chase, grab and bite anything that is moving around at floor level. This includes your feet. In the next section of this book I will explain how to resolve the biting problem, but this takes a little time. In the meantime, if you don’t have any slippers, I strongly recommend you buy some now. This is especially important for young children, who will quickly be reduced to tears as your tiny furry bundle transforms himself into a crocodile and pursues them around the kitchen. Try not to be tempted with anything very fluffy as any moving fluffy object will be incredibly attractive to a puppy. Rubber-soled slippers will also be handy when you have to take your puppy into the garden in the small hours.
A new game for your children
If you have children, this is a good time to stock up on some new and absorbing toys and books. Buy that latest game they have been longing for. Don’t give it to them yet; put it away and save it for after the puppy arrives. Children can be very intense with new puppies and it is often helpful to have something to hand that deflects their attention away from the new arrival for a while.
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