PlayTime with your New Puppy

Most puppies are toy addicts and will need a supply of toys.

Infant puppies have fun with empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls, and they have fun with empty 8 oz. plastic pop bottles with some dry macaroni in them. I braid 3 pair of old panty hose, put a big knot in each end and they have a tug toy that can be washed!!! You can find inexpensive small soft baby toys too. Check out Value Village or Goodwill shops for baby toys that will be safe in a puppy's mouth. Be careful of many squeaky toys. Many have a plastic squeaker in them - pups and babies will choke on that piece. Be sure to buy toys with a built in Squeak

For older puppies - 6 weeks and up -

The orange street hockey balls from sporting good stores work well, and pups love squeaky toys and fuzzy plush ones to carry around.

Nylabones and Kongs are good for gnawing on.

Playing "tug" is not recommended as it encourages aggresssive behaviour.

Throwing the toy and teaching the "fetch" is a fun game, but don't do it too many times, or boredom will set in and you'll wind up retrieving the toy yourself!

Do not give real bones - they splinter and will cause diarrhea.
There are baked, sterilized bones in assorted sizes available in most pet stores, when the puppy simply must have something to gnaw on.

You can put a little peanut butter or Cheez-Whiz down into the center to keep the puppy busy for long periods of time.
These bones can be washed too.

Look for squeaky toys with built in squeakers, such as in baby toys.
Pups usually love to try to kill the squeak, and the cheaper ones have a little plastic part set into it that the pup could chew out and choke on.

I don't recommend Rawhides in any form - not only do they glue up the leg hair - they are dangerous.
Dogs have choked on them, and have also developed bowel obstructions which are emergency situations, and require surgery to save their life.

NEVER GIVE THE PUP HUMAN OBJECTS TO PLAY WITH - SUCH AS AN OLD SLIPPER OR GLOVE - THEY CAN'T DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE OLD WORN OUT ONE AND THE NEW ONE YOU JUST GOT FROM AUNT MARY FOR CHRISTMAS.Their toys should be just that - toys - not cast-off human items.

If you know how to knit or crochet, you can make toys for them.

I use Phentex to knit with, because it is so durable, and I stuff the toy with old pantihose.

The pup will play extremely strenuously for a time and then, like the baby he is, will fall asleep, unless he gets a second wind.

Those of you who have children know what I mean. At that stage, you can't do a thing with them. They're simply too wound up.

The answer is to put him to bed in his crate when the tiredness becomes evident, even if you want to keep playing! The time will come soon enough when his energy will outlast you.