All about dogs - dog breeds, dog training and behavior, news affecting dog owners or handlers, puppy pics, etc.
Rules (Will be refined later on).
Don't be a dick. This should cover most things, just keep in mind that everyone started somewhere and try to be helpful rather than rude or judgmental.
No personal attacks based on training style or tools.
Discussion of balanced training including proper use of aversives is allowed here.
All breeds and mixes are welcome. You can criticize backyard breeding practices but don't pile on people because they own a specific breed or prefer purebreds or mixed breeds.
Do not support backyard breeders or puppy mills. Please do not link to or suggest buying from high volume breeders or those with an obvious lack of standards and testing.
Do not help or support fake service animals. Please do not encourage people to buy fake service dog vest or ESA letters to get around rental or other restrictions & do not give advice on how to misrepresent a dog as a service or support animal.
Kong toys are just about the only things that I have gotten that truly are indestructible. Too bad my dogs seem to be offended by the odor or texture and only ever touch the one you can put peanut butter in (and only when there is peanut butter in it).
Bark Boxes are the only kind of "subscription service for a monthly box of crap" I find actually worth it because I get plenty of toys they do like and it doesn't matter that they get ruined because I'll just be getting more anyway.
Yea, she destroyed two Kongs so far. I got the strongest kong toy for peanut butter, and she hasn’t wrecked that yet.
I’ll check out the bark boxes.
My sons dog bites through tennis balls immediately. I got her the super chewer barkbox and it was good. Lots of their toys have a cover they can rip off and then have a chewy you underneath.
We have a Boston Terrier that loves to 'kill' anything with a squeaker in it within minutes, including the Kong toys although they were the absolute longest lasting ones.
What took some time was playing with the dog with the toy and convincing them not to kill all their toys. It took about 15 kong tennis balls before he caught on to the 'no kill' idea means even when we aren't around. Then we moved on to regular toys where he will still take out the squeaker, but then doesn't shred the rest.
My steps were just getting his attention when he started to gnaw on it and say 'no kill' calmly and make eye contact. If he stopped chewing, or did it less aggressivly he got praise until he caught onto the idea. Then just repetition and eventually saying it about the ball when we are done playing and then about other toys too. Took a few months because he really loves to shred stuff apart.
Kongs are basically indestructible from what I've seen. We used to have a pittie with separation anxiety and a kong frozen full of peanut butter was good for hours.
Himalayan yak cheese/milk chew things - really durable, moreso than some of the bones we get. Our dog really isn't into antlers, but my theory is that she likes the yak chews because they have an intrinsic flavor, and do actually wear down and give eventually. The only downside is that she likes to leave them in main walkways on light flooring, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die tripping over one, one day.
We also used to get chew rolls made from rawhide-alternative in bulk from Costco. They lasted a while, but we stopped getting them once we found the yak stuff, they get real gross.
Pig ears and antlers have always worked well for me. You can buy sizable bags of them for pretty cheap, so it's not a big deal if they burn through them quickly.
Great suggestion!
Similarly buffalo horn, it's almost completely solid all the way through, so it's more solid than other chew toys which can break apart.
Seconding antlers which someone mentioned, great for chewing. Otherwise it's mostly various plastic toys unfortunately. Rope toys are nice as well, because we got more mileage from them. Once he chewed through them, he ended up with two smaller toys which usually survived a bit longer though.
Stuffed toys are useless, lobotomied in minutes. Which is a shame because second dog would enjoy having them :(
You don't need stronger toys. You need more entertainment and enrichment. If the dog is picking apart the toys it's because they're bored. With that said, natural hemp rope is great. You can buy 40 ft of it and make a whole bunch of chew toys and pull toys.
I can understand this assumption, but this is just how she approaches any toy I give her. I have plenty of puzzle toys (food based) that I use and of course she is high energy so she gets plenty of exercise and play. But when it comes to non food toys, she just wrecks them.
I'm not saying that you're not providing things to do. I'm just saying your dog is enjoying ripping the toys apart because it's challenging. They're going to pick apart the rope too. But that shouldn't cause any problems. And yes I am using assumptions here as I have had multiple shepherds and huskies over the years that behaved the same.
Yea. I think the hemp rope is a good idea. I got one with tennis balls on it but she chews the tennis ball fuzz of it when we aren’t playing tug. Just a rope might work though, so thank you for the suggestion!
Simply not true. Some dogs really just enjoy pulling things apart. Our old girl - a golden retriever - could bite through a “super tough” kong in 10 minutes. She had no other interest in her toys beyond breaking them.
I would not recommend rope toys to a dog that enjoys destroying toys. They’ll end up swallowing it.
We found the “safe” wood chews worked best. You go through them quickly but they’re supposed to be destroyed by design. In Australia they’re called “coffee wood chews” but names no doubt vary from country to country.
Not enough exercise can make enjoyment of chewing into a destructive habit. Yeah, a dog that gets exercise might still love to chew things up, but lack of exercise will make it worse.
We got the kong ball for our toy-destroying dingus. It's lasted months https://a.co/d/1q55QPw
The dingus:
My dog is the same. We get these fake sticks. They are made out of wood but they don’t splinter and they aren’t as hard as Nylon toys. The pet store sells them in various brands.
I’ve also had good luck with some extra durable fabric toys but I still have to watch him. I don’t mind if he shreds them, as long as he doesn’t eat them. The key with those is the shape of the toy. It can’t have ears or small bits dangling off the side. He chews those right off then pulls the stuffing out.
This might not be what you’re looking for, but my dogs are super chewers and anything that isn’t Nylabone or similar nylon bone they destroy so quickly.
My experience is the dog may need more exercise.
I've also got a tough chewer who also happens to be completely disinterested in toys that are hard. Raw bones and nylon bones keep him entertained for a while but he loves playing with/chewing on plush toys. Of course most plush toys couldn't last 5 min with him, so one day I went to the pet store and grabbed any plush toys that looked fairly durable but still plushie and tried to rip it myself. I could feel/hear whenever a stitch would start to give way.
The toy that withstood my strength and has so far lasted nearly a year of tug of war and chewing was Smart Pet Love Tender Tuffs (specifically, the beaver in their nature line). I definitely recommend giving them a try (as a bonus, you'd be supporting a small business)
Have you considered raw bones? I don't give my Sammy most chews because he just destroys them in seconds. A pork femur will last him 30 minutes.
Beef is harder than pork, but I'd start with pork and see how it goes.