# My puppy Destroys EVERY toy!



## Vegas (Feb 8, 2007)

Hello!

I have a 9 month old Black Lab/ Dalmatian mix. She is a very smart dog! House trained at 5 months!! She is just the sweetest thing ever. However....BIG problem...every toy I have ever gotten for her has been destroyed by her sharp little teeth! I don't know what to buy her, I was just at Petsmart last night and spent over $60, and two of her toys that seem indestructible are done for! I'm lost....I feel bad that I cant find anything she will be able to keep. 

I don't want her to start swallowing these pieces of toys so I am forced to throw them away  Big waste of money...

Anyone have any ideas on what I can get her that will last longer than a day..

And will she ever grow out of this stage?

Thanks!


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## FranMan (Jan 1, 2007)

Vegas said:


> Hello!
> 
> I have a 9 month old Black Lab/ Dalmatian mix. She is a very smart dog! House trained at 5 months!! She is just the sweetest thing ever. However....BIG problem...every toy I have ever gotten for her has been destroyed by her sharp little teeth! I don't know what to buy her, I was just at Petsmart last night and spent over $60, and two of her toys that seem indestructible are done for! I'm lost....I feel bad that I cant find anything she will be able to keep.
> 
> ...


Have you tried big cow bones?


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Nylabone - The one that says, "For Aggressive Chewers" on the package and has a picture of a Plott Hound. (Just kidding about that last part.)
Rhinocone - A Kong look-alike made by Nylabone. You can put treats inside and amuse the dog for a long time, unless your dog has ADHD.
Most people have good luck with the heavy-duty Kong toys.
Other than that, I've found nothing that lasts. I have an aggressive chewer. Anything that remotely resembles fabric or has any stuffing or a squeaker.

Funny story about squeakers. Somebody was throwing a rubber squeaky toy (you've seen 'em - round with feet) and Esther kept getting to it before her lab could. I kept taking it away from Esther and handing it to the owner (those things are expensive) and, about the fifth time, I suggested that she could retrieve it next time herself. She said, "Oh that's okay. She can play with it. Those things are indestructible."

Esther destroyed that one in about 90 seconds and four more over the next couple of weeks. She still will steal them, but now she takes them back to the owner herself.

The moral is, be leery about any toy described as indestructible. Some are more durable than others. That's all.


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## Vegas (Feb 8, 2007)

Thanks for the posts. As for the Kong products, I got her a Kong ball and it seems much more durable that the other toys she has. However, she doesn’t have as much interest in that since she has all these other toys that are easy to tare apart. I guess I should be happy it’s not my couch that she is gnawing apart! 

I got her some Nylabone products last night, but I only got her the small bones, she has since begun chipping it apart. Live and Learn, I will get her the one that actually says it’s for aggressive chewers. 

As for Large Cow Bones? If your referring to what I think you are, those are those hollow bones that they fill with peanut butter like substances…yea….got her several of those and within a month she has chipped pieces off and plays with them. I worry that she will swallow them. 

I will go with only Kong Products from here on out, it seems to be the only option when it comes to spending money. In the past months, I have been going to Wal-Mart and buying the dog toys they have that are only 88 cents. I would give them to her knowing that about 2 hours they will all go in the trash….ugh…god love the dog but times like these…..sheesh…

Does anyone think she will grow out of this stage, or is this something that I can look forward to?


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

"Does anyone think she will grow out of this stage"

No.

Count your blessings. I'll bet she doesn't smoke, drink, swear or borrow the car.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

It's funny how the more durable toys, like nyla bones or kongs don't interest them! LOL. That's always the way it is.

Ropes. My guys chew on ropes. They're a bit more durable, but after a while the strings will get loose and it will have to be replaced.

Stuff animals- They each get new ones every two weeks. Expensive, but it is their fave.

Kongs- Had the same ones since they were pups. The only time they ever pay any attention to them is when theres' frozen yogurt inside. LOL

She may grow out of it, but I wouldn't hold your breath.


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## MagicToller (Jan 4, 2007)

Well, that is kind of the point  That's the way your dog is enjoying herself.. you can try buying cheaper toys so that your dog doesn't burn a hole in your wallet - just make sure they are safe and always supervise while she is playing incase she decides to swallow a piece. Also as mentioned above, try tug-ropes with rawhide or a ball attached, even a rawhide itself to keep your dog interested in something that smells good.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Vegas said:


> Thanks for the posts. As for the Kong products, I got her a Kong ball and it seems much more durable that the other toys she has. However, she doesn’t have as much interest in that since she has all these other toys that are easy to tare apart.


Did you just hand her the Kong and say "play with it" or did you do anything with it? Put anything inside it? The point of Kongs is to stuff food and treats in and they try and get them out.





Vegas said:


> As for Large Cow Bones? If your referring to what I think you are, those are those hollow bones that they fill with peanut butter like substances…yea….got her several of those and within a month she has chipped pieces off and plays with them. I worry that she will swallow them.


Which ones did you get? The processed, chemical-doused, cooked ones from the pet store/Wal-Mart which are most likely to splinter/break, or the raw femur bones from the meat section of your local grocery store (usually called "soup bones")?


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## Daisies4Rats (Feb 9, 2007)

My dogs tear up their toys within an hour! I finally got to where I go to garage sales and buy cheap stuffed animals. That way I don't mind them de-stuffing them. After they pull the stuffing out, I throw it away and toss them the pelt. Mine have never grown out of it!


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Garage sales or Goodwill are great places to buy cheap stuffed animals (be sure to remove any hard plastic eyes or noses). I also order our dogs' stuffies from petedge.com. Prices range from .89-$4 or so...most of them are right around a dollar. That way I don't feel as bad when they tear it to bits in a couple hours. They had fun and it was inexpensive for me. I just ordered some Christmas stuffie clearance stuffies from petedge that were .49. I dont' think the dogs will mind a snowman or santa in Feb


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## crazydog06 (Jan 22, 2007)

This chewing stage can vary from a few months to forever! But not to fear, you can teach your dog to direct his chewing by giving him bones and lots of exersice. That is the only way, my family could keep our hands from being bloody. Also, the severity of the chewing should decrease. But labs are nortourius for chewing! Good Luck!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Here's another one of those indestructible toys. It actually lasted six days - about a leg-a-day, but only because she was fond of it.


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## Barklee's mom (Sep 10, 2006)

Try 'compressed' rawhide - it takes longer to chew than regular rawhide. Also, a knotted rag-type toy. Kongs are great, but make sure you get the size that fits him/her. 

My 6 year old dog loves his kongs (he has three different kinds) - they keep him busy for quite a while if you pack the treats in tight. I didn't know about a Kong when he was a puppy, but I'm thinking I wish I would've known.

Barklee still likes to find the squeeker in the toy and wants to tear the stuffing out, but if I catch him or he does it in front of me, I tell him 'NO' and take it away for a while. If he sneakily goes into the other room and I run into the evidence (stuffing all over the place), I just say 'naughty dog' and scold him as I clean it up. 

Positive reinforcement works better than yelling and scolding. Dogs really do not undersand when you rub thier nose in something or scold them for something you find after the fact. The best time is to 'catch them in the act'. Focus more on praising them when they do good - even using the outdoors to go potty.


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## menehune2006 (Feb 19, 2007)

Our 8 yrs old lab mix didn't start "gutting" his toys until our friends dogs showed him how when he was still a puppy. He's been doing it ever since. We've tried all kinds of "durable" toys but he's even started demolishing his kong. We find little rubber pieces. He sure does love his pelts, though!


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