Our puppy is beginning to chew things. My husband has balled up some of his old socks and then let the puppy chew on those as a toy but it is soft and he still seeks out harder things. I have heard bones are bad for puppies (but good for dogs once they get older). So I am looking for some do it yourself puppy toys. Does anyone have any good suggestions? I tried giving him a plastic water bottle but he is still too small. I used to have a dog that loved those.
My dogs love plastic water bottles too. Maybe he'd like to chew on a thick (but still chewy) piece of rope? Or a washcloth tied in a knot? I'd be weary of giving him socks...might cause a bad habit later on A little (safe) stuffed toy might be good too.
We bought our dog a big rubber meat which he chews on from time to time. In fact, when there's nothing else on his bowl, he drags the rubber meat and places it inside. Anyone who tries to take it gets scratched. This toy has given our dog an outlet to his excessive energy. And the fact that he can't destroy this toy no matter how hard he tries makes it worth the purchase.
When our labrador was still a puppy, he used to play with a rope made of strips of old rugs. I bought it from the animal shelter we we supporting then. Maybe, you can do something like this, too.
Be careful not to give him something too small or there will be a choking risk involved and that's the last thing you want for your puppy. A rope would be a really good idea, as would small chew toys. Rubber chew toys would be something your puppy can gnaw on and squeeze with his cute little teeth. There are plenty of selections at Dollar Tree that you could purchase that are very affordable. You could also look to see if you have any old shoes you don't want anymore or old flip flops that you're ready to replace. Puppies love the smell and taste of shoes.
My parents have a new puppy and they have the same thing happening. They are trying to give the puppy something that is satisfying to chew on so he doesn't chew anything in the house. They bought him hard plastic chew toys from Petco. One is shaped like a tire and he LOVES it! It seems like it's lasting forever too! I know some of the toys they have gotten him he destroyed in a day!!! I would suggest asking at your local pet store as well. I am sure they can point you in the right direction too. Hope this helps! Danyel
All three of our dogs were obsessed with these plush hedgehogs with a squeaky toy inside. They would chew on these constantly, and we must have gone through about 15 of them during the course of their lifetimes. They look much like the one pictured below, but you can find them at most pet stores, as well as places like Wal-Mart. The other favorite was the stringy rubber/silicone balls, like this one: And lastly, another favorite was the thick rope tied in a knot. We also would get them these green dental brush things that were supposed to clean their teeth and gums - they looked like a bunch of compressed material packed together. However we stopped giving them these over fears they might choke on them once they got chewed down to a small enough piece. Also, their gums were starting to bleed from chewing on them too much.
