Dog chew toys that actually hold up?

Jen H · #1 02/16/05, 04:24 PM

Last week my kelpie landed a bit wrong after jumping off a rock and ruptured a ligament in his knee. The surgery has been done and he's healing, but he's driving me nuts in the process. He has to be confined for another 3 weeks for his leg to heal.

Are there any chew toys that will actually last this guy for more than a couple of hours?

He's gone through Kong toys, rope toys, a different brand of hard rubber toy, every type of ball I could find... I finally gave him some PVC couplings left over from running a water line. He's shredding firewood as I type this. He's not eating the toys at all (I checked very carefully for that, last thing he needs is another surgery), he's shredding them very methodically. Wherever he's laying there's a fluffy pile on his right side of debris, with the object he's working on between his paws. This has become his new job. My house looks like a bomb went off.

Cost isn't an issue at this point, if there's a toy that has a chance with him I'll get it. Once the leg heals up more we'll be taking short walks and he'll be able to go out into the run and make sure the crows are doing what they're supposed to. We'll both be much happier then...

mtman · #2 02/16/05, 04:41 PM

chew toy its called cong or kong never ripp it up made of hard rubber can put a treat in it

Ravenlost · #3 02/16/05, 04:50 PM

Get him a big bone to chew on.

Shygal · #4 02/16/05, 05:09 PM

He shredded a Kong toy?

HippyChick · #5 02/16/05, 05:24 PM

Go to the farmstore and get him a 12" tire.

GoldenMom · #6 02/16/05, 05:43 PM

If he's used to getting bones, I second the big bone. But if he's not used to bones on a regular basis and he eats a whole bunch it could constipate him (at best!).

chickflick · #7 02/16/05, 06:10 PM

Nylabone makes the best, longest lasting, safest I've ever used. Any of theirs with the smaller little bumps on them are great for the dogs. They really like them. The first one I ever got was like three golf ball sized balls, stuck together w/bumps. I have since gotten a few along the way (BECAUSE they last) of the bone shape.

Little Quacker in OR · #8 02/16/05, 06:25 PM

Well, I know what you are going though as I have Cattle Dogs. I can tell you what helps me with mine and that is the huge bones that you get at Petsmart. I combine these(for indoors) with the real knuckle bones(always feed them raw!)that I get from the butcher at the market and they are for outdoors.

Regarding the Kongs. I don't know if one of the Giant ones would hold up under your dogs teeth or not. But if you think it will, get one, fill it with goat or sheep cheese(it's low in calories) with just a little bit of Peanut Butter(low fat)and freeze it. Then give it to your dog.

Another great "busy busy" aid is the hard, rather large, high impact plastic balls that have a hole in them just barely large enough for kibble to go in. You can put the dogs ration of kibble in it and the dog has to nose the ball around until one piece of kibble drops out. It takes awhile for the kibble to all dribble out so it does help to keep them busy and occupied for at least a while.

Let me see, what else?

When my younger Cattle dog was laid up with a bad shoulder I used all of the above and I also concentrated on teaching her some new tricks. "Hold the milk bone on the nose and then catch it". And "Curtsy"(just a play bow, won't stress the bad knee), And, Put the dog on a "stay" at any position..Hide anything, Treats, toys, you, etc. and then "Go Find!" Teach your dog to not just "SPEAK" but to...." shhhh, whisper". LOL That's a bark but with no sound.

I feel for you. It is no joke to try and keep an active, intelligent dog busy when they can't leap around and chase balls and stuff. They are so high energy and so smart that it's not an easy job is it?

I also got my Savannah some canvas toys at PetSmart that I knew she was going to shred and just let her have at it! sigh.

Good luck, I'll try and keep my thinking cap on and remember what else was going on then too and what worked with her.

LQ

Steph in MT · #9 02/16/05, 07:17 PM

I second the nylabones~They are the only toys that last around here. We only get the hard ones as our dogs were able to chew big chunks off of the softer bumpy ones and puke the pieces up days later. Dr's Foster & Smith (you can find them online) have the best prices we've found.
Good luck!
Steph

BCR · #10 02/16/05, 07:42 PM

With Kongs and Nylabones there are different degrees of toughness. Be sure you are getting the greater toughness, as you obviously have a chewer. I have a big dog who is very gentle with a puppy kong....you need to know your dog. The big black kong is the strongest I think, but check it out. Rope toys are also entertaining. My young cattle dog likes chewing on sticks and logs so I always have some she likes near her outside box. Try many different toys. There was an NPR radio show about pets once that said a puppy needed 17 toys for variety. Well, I don;t have 17 but I increased the variety and it helped.

Also, try carrots, squash, etc. for a change.

Jen H · #11 02/16/05, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shygal

He shredded a Kong toy?

Yep. He shredded the medium and large sized kong toys. I just got back from town and bought the giant size to see if that lasts longer. It might, because it doesn't fit into his mouth as well. I think they should change the advertising to "indestructible except for confined working dogs".

I was able to find a big shoulder bone at the store, I'll give him that to work on after it thaws out. (they do get bones occasionally)

He had a basketball he was nosing around until he punctured it.

The other dogs are having fun playing tug with the dead ball now.

The nylabones that hold up, are those the white ones? I know they have some clear colored ones made out of cornstarch, but those basically disolve as they're chewed on.

I think one of those hard balls is still surviving under the rubble - I'll look for that and fill it with crunchies. That should keep him busy for a while.

I just might have them throw in the small tire when I get a straw delivery next week.

Thanks for the suggestions and the empathy. Buster just doesn't know what to do with himself if he's not working. Ah well, this does give me a great excuse to not clean the house.

BCR · #12 02/16/05, 07:51 PM

Hang in there Jen. My friends had a very busy northern breed mix that had a special nylabone that was ultra tough. Maybe you can ind it. Regular nylabones do nothing for my dogs, as they don't play with them for long. But their dog loved the big heavy duty one. She had to get it at a special pet store. Hang in there.

Steph in MT · #13 02/16/05, 08:28 PM

yes, the white nylabones are the hard ones. Here's a link~ Go for the 8" souper~ the other shapes just don't last.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...161+2146961491
Again, good luck!

mtman · #14 02/16/05, 09:19 PM

o i just saw she said he chewed a kong toy i cant beleive it

frogmammy · #15 02/16/05, 10:47 PM

You could get Bully Sticks....dried male baby-cow-maker...since I can't use that other word. Dogs can chew them up, but it takes a while.

Mon

HilltopDaisy · #16 02/17/05, 12:14 AM

Are you purchasing the red or black Kong toys? The black are much harder; my dogs are power-chewers, and the black proved to be great. Fill it with peanut butter and pieces of dry dogfood and freeze--takes them hours to empty them out.

Jen H · #17 02/17/05, 01:42 AM

The red Kong toys are the ones the feed store closest to me carries. I'll be heading into the city in a couple of days, so I'll look for the black ones. It sounds like those are the ones I need. I'll get some of the nylabones too, I know Petco carries them.

I have not seen Bully sticks at the pet stores around here, but I also haven't looked for them.

Thank you guys! I so appreciate this. Buster appreciates it, too.

Cygnet · #18 02/17/05, 01:16 PM

No real suggestions, but I'll swap problems ... my puppy (aussie-x-heeler) who's stuck in a crate for six weeks with a broken shoulder blade has taken up operatic whining. She's a soprano, but has about a five octave range, and enough projection that I can hear her not only outside the house, but 450 feet away in my neighbor's yard with crystal clarity.

I HATE a whining dog. I'm ready to strangle her. She whines all night -- I can't sleep. If I put the crate outside, the neighbors would complain. Sedation doesn't work anymore, it just makes her whine off key.

Three more weeks ... *hysterical laughter* ... three more weeks of this!

Leva

Mastiff · #19 02/17/05, 01:41 PM

hmm chew toys that hold up... We with the real Mastiff there are none.
If she wants to chew them they are gone. She has however learned that certain things / toys are for chewing and others not. She will sometimes pull logs off the wood pile to work on... Though she is getting a bit better about that now that she is 15 months.

Jen H · #20 02/17/05, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cygnet

No real suggestions, but I'll swap problems ... my puppy (aussie-x-heeler) who's stuck in a crate for six weeks with a broken shoulder blade has taken up operatic whining. She's a soprano, but has about a five octave range, and enough projection that I can hear her not only outside the house, but 450 feet away in my neighbor's yard with crystal clarity.

I HATE a whining dog. I'm ready to strangle her. She whines all night -- I can't sleep. If I put the crate outside, the neighbors would complain. Sedation doesn't work anymore, it just makes her whine off key.

Three more weeks ... *hysterical laughter* ... three more weeks of this!

Leva

Alrighty I am oficially feeling pretty darned good that I'm just dealing with compulsive toy shredding.

Operatic whining. I don't think I'd be able to handle that well at all.