Dog toys - Good and Bad?? Advice please!

Hey guys,

My sister just got a Great Dane puppy (who is a doll by the way)..

I am wondering what kind of toys are bad for dogs..and which are good. We want to make sure she has safe toys.

Thanks!

Kongs are absolutely wonderful toys, and they keep the puppies occupied for awhile!

Ditto the Kong. My Border Collie lab x chewed up every single toy he had until I found Kongs. You can stuff them with peanut butter or kibble to keep them busy, too. Nylabones are good too, but my dog lost interest in them quickly.

Meeka does have a Kong already and she loves it I heard nylabones are bad for dogs because they break up into little pieces?? I could be wrong though..

Remember that Kong is a brand, they have a whole line of toys.
Chew toys, retrieving toys, dental toys, mental stimulation toys.

Air-Dog is also a Kong brand with great toys.

And yeah, nylabones are icky, but I suppose if they are only used under close supervision, they should be ok, and rawhide should only be given under supervision as well.

My friends dog has a kong and they stuffed it with peanut butter and treats!!

I had a problem with dentabones, maybe because Sophie is a toy pom I don't know, but she was happily chewing on it. then I notice she was choking, the bone had turn to kind of a gummy texture, it stuck to the roof of her mouth and blocked her airway. I had a very hard time pulling the goo, from her mouth, I am just glad I was in the room with her at the time, she made no sound,

My roommate's dog prefers cat toys. But she's itty bitty, so they're the right size, not exactly appropriate for a Great Dane.

It all depends on how much they chew things up. We have the rare dogs that from a young age, we taught them to leave the cat toys alone so they don't chew up any of their plush squeaker toys.

But Kong carries a full line of toys that are fairly tough to chew up. Although I've heard that some determined dogs will even eat those.

If you get balls, make sure that they aren't too small for them to swallow and choke on them. The have some toys with balls attached to ropes to play tug of war. I also like some of the rope tug of war toys.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

It all depends on how much they chew things up. We have the rare dogs that from a young age, we taught them to leave the cat toys alone so they don't chew up any of their plush squeaker toys.

But Kong carries a full line of toys that are fairly tough to chew up. Although I've heard that some determined dogs will even eat those.

If you get balls, make sure that they aren't too small for them to swallow and choke on them. The have some toys with balls attached to ropes to play tug of war. I also like some of the rope tug of war toys.

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How old and how big is the Dane... Not as silly as it sounds Danes vary full grown from 85-190lbs... if it is teething ie 4-6 months make sure to get the appropriate size and "puppy kong"

I like Kong s for big dogs and canvas squeky toys

Originally Posted by sharky

How old and how big is the Dane... Not as silly as it sounds Danes vary full grown from 85-190lbs... if it is teething ie 4-6 months make sure to get the appropriate size and "puppy kong"

I like Kong s for big dogs and canvas squeky toys

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She is just a wee new puppy She is about 12 weeks..I will post pics later She is SO GOOD..doesn't jump up at all..and if you sit on the floor, you can bet she will come make a beeline for your lap She is ADORABLE.

She does have a puppy kong now

Not exactly a toy, but "flossies" are awesome for the little ones. They are bull "things" twisted and flavored. They are good for the teeth, are good to eat, and dogs just LOVE them. If you can get over the fact of what they are they are great chew "toys".

Mine also LOVE the Kong toys! Another huge favorite are the stuffed toys with squeakers- they enjoy "killing" them they also like the rope toys!

Stay away from Greenies- i absolutely refuse to give mine those after I had to assist our vet in removing a chunk of a greenie that gave a dog a blockage. Also- Nylabones can and do break off into pieces and can be a choking hazard as can some rawhides/chews. If you must give a rawhide- give a pressed rawhide and only when supervised.

Whiskey really enjoys this http://www.dogtoys.com/nowowibe.html he carrys it around the house all the time and plays with it (he's an older dog- around 8 yrs, and so far this is one of the few toys i've found that he actually really loves!). It's VERY durable and seems to really hold up! I would definitely recommend this for a puppy!

This one is another huge favorite around our house. Both Fosters and Whiskey LOVE it!!! (So does Jasmine the cat, even though it's huge she's sooo weird! she likes to lay on it) http://www.petedge.com/Tough-By-Natu...-Cuz-ZX318.pro - one again, very durable and it holds up REALLY well!

Just keep in mind whatever toys you get for your sister's pup- make sure that she is there to supervise and toss out any toys that become small enough to be a choking hazard /or frayed.

Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

Not exactly a toy, but "flossies" are awesome for the little ones. They are bull "things" twisted and flavored. They are good for the teeth, are good to eat, and dogs just LOVE them. If you can get over the fact of what they are they are great chew "toys".

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I recommend bully sticks BUT NOT flossies as I had to do the hymlic on Gigi twice when she had one ( she is a yorkie)

As with any toy-the key is making sure it is the right size.

I like the "Gorilla Tough" toys. Orbee toys. Kong-the entire line of toys. Cow hooves. Uncooked bones(I buy hollow ones & use them in the same manner as a Kong-stuff em).

Originally Posted by sharky

I recommend bully sticks BUT NOT flossies as I had to do the hymlic on Gigi twice when she had one ( she is a yorkie)

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Yes, sorry, that's what I ment!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't remember which one it was. I didn't buy the flossie because it looks partly man made I do buy the bully sticks though and I love them!

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Hey guys,

My sister just got a Great Dane puppy (who is a doll by the way)..

I am wondering what kind of toys are bad for dogs..and which are good. We want to make sure she has safe toys.

Thanks!

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I would avoid rawhide bones.

Nylabones are good along with big cloth toys that don't have eyes a puppy can choke on.

One of my favorite dog toys is the wiggly giggly ball. This ball is only to be used with supervision. If the dog is determined, and chews into the ball, there are small parts inside.

Good, solid rope tugs are always a dependable choice.

You would need larger size toys - nothing small enough to swallow with a GD! Also be cautious about stuffed animals - Keno (our lab) will tear up a stuffed toy quickly, so we never get them for her as I don't want her to touch my Beanie Babies.

I give her larger rope toys and chew bones. I know some don't like or recommend rawhide, but I've never had a problem with giving rawhide chews to my dogs.

Just mainly supervise the pup with toys and by trial/error you will know which last longer and are best.

Keno loves the Kongs and the balls attached to ropes - those are fun to chase and retriever (tho I'm not sure how much 'retriever' is in a GD

Post pictures when you can. BTW you do know that if you get 7-10 yrs out of a GD you are lucky - they are a shorter lived breed!

I have 2 14 month great danes and they love the kongs in all shapes now they are into the frisbee ones because they love to fetch. When they were pups they just liked anything to chew on just be careful with stuffed animals they can eat those in under a min if you are not watching. Bones are good also and you can stuff treats inside. Can't wait to see pictures I miss the puppy dane stage.