Doggone Etiquette —

Toys For Us

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

What’s your favorite toy? That may be a tough question for some of you dogs. Either you have so many toys you couldn’t possibly choose just one as a favorite, or you may have too few. But in that latter case, it could be that many toys you are given are then taken away from you. Wait a minute! Aren’t they taken away because you have destroyed them, either completely or just a bit? If that’s what happens, you’d better wise up little doggy! On the other hand your VIPeople need to pay more attention to which ones you keep to play with and which you quickly do away with. We’ll work on it.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

Face it, dog owner – you are not alone – we all go overboard when it comes to buying toys for our dogs. It’s one of the few extra things we can do to show our affection, appreciation, love, or whatever you prefer to call the connection we have with dogs. There’s also a certain pleasure we get from giving the dog toys, whether or not they happen to be right for the particular dog. So all of this may indicate our generosity, but in the case of a gift to the dog, it sometimes pays to be stingy.

There are toys that are perfect for certain dogs, and hopeless for others. For example, a soft squishy toy with or without a squeaker might be the right choice for a dog that will cuddle it, sleep with it, and treat it like a best friend. But it would be a totally wrong choice for a dog that will immediately tear it to bits or even chew open a tiny spot and proceed to pull out the stuffing. (It’s highly indigestible!) When selecting a toy for Rufus, keep clearly in your head precisely what he will do with it, or how he will play with it. Don’t fall for a toy you think looks cute or fun. Your dog could look at it quite differently.

Then there’s the question as to whether Rufus will be playing with the toy by himself, or with adults, or with kids. In-house toys need to be ones that will stay on the floor, not bounce through windows! While it’s good to have some “quiet time” toys, the best ones are the interactive kind. When you play with the dog, you learn to understand him better – how he responds to the game and to you. At the same time he is also learning the pros and cons of playing a game with his toy and his people. It’s called sharing!

The best part of all this “toys for dogs talkathon” is that there are now special toys for just about every size of dog, at every age, for every temperament and for every space both indoors and outdoors. Add to all that, the fact that many are especially made to teach a specific trick, skill or athletic achievement. That doesn’t even include all the countless training tools that are now available for the dogs, but obviously aid the owners in training their dogs.

One important command to teach your dog is “drop it” or “give it.” (Stick with one or the other, don’t switch back and forth!) That command can be used in a good-natured fashion when Rufus returns the toy you have thrown for him, thus avoiding a tug-o-war. Given in a firm no-nonsense tone of voice it means the dog will surrender your stolen shoe promptly. Or it could go so far as to save the dog’s life if what’s in his mouth is dangerous. All of which proves that dog toys are really teaching tools – for Rufus and for us.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.