Pets with Pets

      Today, while on patrol duty around the house, Popeye evidently rooted around under a bed, behind a desk or other fixed and rarely moved object (no judgements here!).  There he found what is actually a Christmas ornament.  It is a tiny red bag that held two out of date coupons for a Chic-fil-A sandwich, and a "Eat More Chicken" cow attached to the top, and the usual loop of string to attach it to the Christmas tree.  He was so excited, and would alternately shake it, growl at it, and lick it.  When he got tired, he pulled it over underneath his chin and went to sleep with his new "baby".
      Most dogs do love to play with toys.  Sometimes they seem to only want to see how fast they can destroy it.  Popeye is an expert at removing a squeaker from any type of stuffed toy.  So those are off limits around here!  Dachshunds are particularly known to become especially attached to a certain toy or object.  Popeye's toy obsession has always been tennis balls, and he will become wild over the small soccer ball that you can get at PetSmart (which has a squeaker).  He doesn't try to remove the squeaker, but seems to be trying to play tunes with it.  So that stays put away most of the time.  But his other love and obsession has been his blanket.  He rolls on it, bites it, shakes it, growls, and eventually burrows under it to go to sleep.  So the addition of this new "baby" is especially cute.
      Suitable toys are an important part of a dog's day.  Most dogs love to chew, and will get great satisfaction from various chew toys that can be obtained from the pet store.  Real bones, especially from chicken, turkey, and some pork bones are not advised as they can splinter and injure the dog's mouth and intestines if swallowed.  Large dogs with especially powerful jaws can break surprisingly large bones.  Caution is also advised when offering rawhide chews to your dogs, as they can cause blockage if swallowed.  They can also get stuck in the dog's throat and cause choking.  I provide the hard rubber Kong, and the very hard "nylabone" for the house dogs as well as all the dogs in the kennel.  (Shameless plug:  www.dogwooddachshunds.com)  Most dogs also love the braided and knotted ropes available at pet stores, and they are great fun.  But when you see that they are getting frayed with long loose strings, you should remove and discard them.  The dogs will obsessively pull at the strings and eventually swallow them, where they can get tangled in their intestines and may not pass. 
       So as you can see, toys are fun and an important part of a dog's life.  But it's our responsibility to see that they are not only fun, but safe as well. 
       Thanks for stopping by; leave a comment just to say "Hi", and/or tell me about your pets, whatever they may be!  And sign up to follow the blog--it's free!  And  .  .  .  Happy Tails, Everyone!!!