There are a few things to consider when choosing toys for your dog. Dog toys should not be just any old thing that you find and allow your dog to tear to pieces, there are many dangers to be had here…
To begin with, when you give a huge dog, like a German Shepard for example, a small cuddly toy, it is likely to pull the thing to pieces. Now, not only will this make a dreadful mess, it will also teach the dog that it’s alright to destroy things in this way. Whilst it may be in his nature to do this (and we don’t want to forget that for many training purposes), we still don’t want our sofa cushions to go the same way do we?
So the answer to this is to choose the right toys. Do not buy something that the dog will destroy easily; you can use your discretion here, afer all, you know your dog!
Next there is quite a serious safety issue to consider. I once knew a couple who had a large German Shepard and they allowed it to play with small bouncy balls (just a little smaller than a football). It was the time of ball you might buy at the beach to play a little footy. Their dog chewed this ball to pieces and got a piece of it lodged across his windpipe causing him to stop breathing. The dog died because it was playing; this accident should not have happened.
Choose your toys wisely.
