Pet Knows

Welcome to our first guest post here at PetKnows!  This comes from a colleague, pet owner and dear friend of ours, Lisa and her two pups - Cowboy and Scooby.  Enjoy.  Let us know if you are interested in guest blogging for PetKnows.

If you’re anything like me, you have a demanding schedule that often affects your pets. Did you know that, if not stimulated, a dog’s otherwise excellent disposition can be destroyed by everyday boredom? Yes, we all take our dogs for the morning and evening jaunts (hopefully), but like us humans, these guys need some quality entertainment to keep ‘em sharp.

Enter the dog toy.

It can be anything from your old smelly sweatshirt, a high-pitched squeaky chew or, in Cowboy’s case, the elusive tennis ball.

“Don’t even THINK about it, buddy.” Scooby (right) is not amused

When choosing dog toys, I typically recommend the D.E.A.D. rule of thumb (as in I don’t want them to end up):

- Durable. Don’t give them anything you’ve cherished because it’ll be shredded in a matter of hours.

- Engaging. Interactive is key. Dogs aren’t as dumb as they look, only as dumb as they are. Huh? Exactly.

- Appropriate. Ever pass by the huge basted bone in the pet store and were tempted to get it for your Chihuahua? Don’t. Think size appropriate as you would with a child.

- Digestible. If they’re using their mouths to play with it, they’ll most likely try to eat it.

If you follow the “childproofing” mantra in your toy selection, you’ll ensure the safety of your dogs, not to mention your own sanity by avoiding the inevitable trip to the emergency vet. Most pet stores offer great and safe pet toy solutions but remain cautious about your dog’s “alone time” with the toys, especially with toy stuffing or embedded squeakers.

And remember, if it’s too quiet in the next room, it’s usually a bad thing.