# Very Bored Puppy



## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

What do you guys do to entertain your bored puppy?
Poor Eevee, she seemed so bored this morning while I was trying to get work done. I dont have a fenced yard to let her out in, so I understand her frustration with being cooped up in the house. She goes on several walks throughout the day (Every 4-5 hours starting from 8AM) and each walk is about 15 minutes. I'm trying to refrain from exercising her too much at this age (5 months old) because she might be prone to joint and hip problems.

I'm not sure what to do! Our trainer disagrees with dog parks, especially this early on.
What did you do to entertain your bored/antsy puppy? Any toy or activity recommendations? I need to tire her out mentally more than physically! :help:


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

Aaaand just for fun.. pictures of poor, bored Eevee:









So close, yet so far away! We have a back yard but it's not fenced in, and is shared by neighbors.









CAN WE GO OUT? PLEAAAASE?









Fine, I'll lay here and look pitiful until you take me out! :mmph:

Poor thing! :sad:


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## Huginn (Nov 21, 2011)

Huginn (10.5 weeks) was being extra destructive yesterday while I was trying to study, no amount of ball throwing was helping. He would run get the ball bring it back and pounce the couch and try to disembowel it. I brought him out and let him play in the snow until he just laid down in it and stared at me, when I brought him in he got another burst of energy. I spent about 10 min working on "sit" and "come" with him and that seemed to do the trick, he zonked for a good two hours. I think it was the combination of things, but the small amount of time spend training seemed to tire him out more than the time playing in the snow. Mix up her physical and mental exercise, don't be too structured, in my experience that seems to be the trick. 
I know there are some puzzle toys you can buy as well.


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## IslandPaws4Raw (Sep 7, 2011)

This is where I get into trouble....because I'd rather neglect my chores and keep the puppies amused :lol: You could do a short trick training session when you have a few minutes to spare, and there are so many options now with the puzzle toys. I find the training goes a looong way in helping settle an antsy puppy down. But in all seriousness they have to learn that there are down times too when they should just relax......yeah I keep telling myself this one.

Since I don't have ready access to the toys and such I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

Huginn said:


> Huginn (10.5 weeks) was being extra destructive yesterday while I was trying to study, no amount of ball throwing was helping. He would run get the ball bring it back and pounce the couch and try to disembowel it. I brought him out and let him play in the snow until he just laid down in it and stared at me, when I brought him in he got another burst of energy. I spent about 10 min working on "sit" and "come" with him and that seemed to do the trick, he zonked for a good two hours. I think it was the combination of things, but the small amount of time spend training seemed to tire him out more than the time playing in the snow. Mix up her physical and mental exercise, don't be too structured, in my experience that seems to be the trick.
> I know there are some puzzle toys you can buy as well.


She gets random bursts of energy too, especially right after a walk when we get inside the house. She'll start running up and down the stairs (ugh, joints!) and around the house and its difficult to control her during that time. When I take her out for walks I do leash training at the end of the walk, after she's done her business. 
Maybe I should start doing obedience in the house then... its funny, she's SO food motivated that she actually DOESNT listen to commands! She just wants to get the food asap, lol! Of course I dont give 'em to her until she settles down and listens, though.




IslandPaws4Raw said:


> This is where I get into trouble....because I'd rather neglect my chores and keep the puppies amused :lol: You could do a short trick training session when you have a few minutes to spare, and there are so many options now with the puzzle toys. I find the training goes a looong way in helping settle an antsy puppy down. But in all seriousness they have to learn that there are down times too when they should just relax......yeah I keep telling myself this one.
> 
> Since I don't have ready access to the toys and such I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites


Guilty here too, lol! I almost missed a deadline this morning because she was distracting me 
Thankfully she knows when its time to relax at night, but during the day... oh man. Puppy energy!


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## Huginn (Nov 21, 2011)

I always like to rotate between treats and verbal praise for accomplishing a task. In my experience it seems like dogs that are only given treats for doing the right thing tend to be more interested in the treat than what you are asking. Ajax in particular will try to guess what you want rather than actually listen, if I tell him sit with a treat in my hand he will first do his "circle" trick, then his "jump" and finally he will sit. If I ask with no treat, he just looks at me and walks away. I would do training in the house as well as outside, keeps her thinking by changing the environment.


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

Huginn said:


> I always like to rotate between treats and verbal praise for accomplishing a task. In my experience it seems like dogs that are only given treats for doing the right thing tend to be more interested in the treat than what you are asking. Ajax in particular will try to guess what you want rather than actually listen, if I tell him sit with a treat in my hand he will first do his "circle" trick, then his "jump" and finally he will sit. If I ask with no treat, he just looks at me and walks away. I would do training in the house as well as outside, keeps her thinking by changing the environment.


Because Eevee gets overly excited about treats and will start to jump, I train her with mainly verbal praise. Sometimes I bring out treats because Id like her to have a high-value reward when she does well, but man does she get excited! Its a good idea to mix the two so they arent completely focused on food.
Lol, Ajax! If Eevee hears the sound of a treat bag or sniffs it out, she automatically sits. You dont even need to give her a sit command, she'll just do it. It's something she learned to do at the shelter to get her treat faster :tongue: I admit, its making it hard for her to understand the WORD "sit" since she does this!


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

I rotate toys....never having all of them available at the same time.

We have a fenced patio that they all LOVE being out in, but because of the weather only being SOMETIMES nice they cant always be out on it....so when they appear bored I get out the "other set" of toys and put away the "old" ones!:wink:

We also do TONS of mental exercises, mixing it up all the time, rarely is there a day that we do the same ones in a row!:smile:

Mine also have bullysticks that Ill let them have for a limited amount of time, and interchange them with antlers, nylabones, etc.....

I guess mostly for me is having a TON of variety of toys/chews/etc along with breaking it up with both physical and metal exercise!:thumb:


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

Scarlett_O' said:


> I rotate toys....never having all of them available at the same time.
> 
> We have a fenced patio that they all LOVE being out in, but because of the weather only being SOMETIMES nice they cant always be out on it....so when they appear bored I get out the "other set" of toys and put away the "old" ones!:wink:
> 
> ...


What kind of mental exercise do you do? I'd love to know! :smile:
Eevee goes INSANE for bullysticks. Yeah, she gets excited over treats, but if she smells a bullystick?! I have to protect myself from getting trampled. LOL! She only gets a bullysticks on special special occasions, like if she's being especially good and sweet.
I'll put her toys away now, lol! Its no wonder she goes crazy over the fox toy she has, I rarely ever give it to her because she likes to rip the fur off!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Have you tried things like hide and seek, where your pup sits and waits whilst you hide? And the same thing with hiding treats, all over the living room, about 20 of them, up high and down low, behind doors, under mats, just teeny tiny bits of treats. These two games are excellent for teaching 'stay' or 'wait' at the same time as being fun and rewarding. When she's done looking, you can go around and point out any that she's missed, that way she is also learning sign language - looking for something where you are pointing.
I'm teaching Mol to balance a treat on her nose at the moment, it's also good for teaching impulse control. 
Is there any way you can take her for longer walks? At her age, even with dodgy hips, she still should be able to easily manage an hours walk, especially if it's not on concrete. Or a treadmill? Excellent for the exercise and for the brain.
Thats all I can think of right off the bat, but I know there's a lot of other suggestions, I've got a energetic, demanding, hyper dog too. It took a couple of years before she learn't the 'off' switch. To be honest, the older Mol gets, the more I miss the constant energy and how mischievous she was. I love the way they are constantly trying to outwit you. So, enjoy it, they get older waaay too soon.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

liquid said:


> What kind of mental exercise do you do? I'd love to know! :smile:
> Eevee goes INSANE for bullysticks. Yeah, she gets excited over treats, but if she smells a bullystick?! I have to protect myself from getting trampled. LOL! She only gets a bullysticks on special special occasions, like if she's being especially good and sweet.
> I'll put her toys away now, lol! Its no wonder she goes crazy over the fox toy she has, I rarely ever give it to her because she likes to rip the fur off!


I do a lot of dogie aerobics with mine...Sit from Stand, Down from Sit, Down from Stand, Up to Sit from Down, Up to Stand from Down, Up to Stand from Sit, Crawl, Roll over, BackUp in Stand, BackUp in Sit, BackUp in Down, and of course Stay and Leave It!:thumb: I mix those up, normally doing 3-4 in a row before we move around a little(Rhett is up to doing all of them in a row without getting side tracked and he is still totally learning the backs)....rarely will they get the same commands in a row...and I can bet you that I never remember to do it in the same order!!LOL :lol:

We dont do hiding games, because of having a 450-ish sq.ft. home(that isnt including the bathroom or "kitty room/desk room" where the dogs arent allowed) and having 5 dogs...but they can easily be fun for less dogs per qu.ft!:thumb:

I also work on quiet time each day, where they are given one toy(well chew) that they havent had for a while and we just chill for 30 min or so(this is generally my after meal time...if Brody corporates!:wink


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> Have you tried things like hide and seek, where your pup sits and waits whilst you hide? And the same thing with hiding treats, all over the living room, about 20 of them, up high and down low, behind doors, under mats, just teeny tiny bits of treats. These two games are excellent for teaching 'stay' or 'wait' at the same time as being fun and rewarding. When she's done looking, you can go around and point out any that she's missed, that way she is also learning sign language - looking for something where you are pointing.
> I'm teaching Mol to balance a treat on her nose at the moment, it's also good for teaching impulse control.
> Is there any way you can take her for longer walks? At her age, even with dodgy hips, she still should be able to easily manage an hours walk, especially if it's not on concrete. Or a treadmill? Excellent for the exercise and for the brain.
> Thats all I can think of right off the bat, but I know there's a lot of other suggestions, I've got a energetic, demanding, hyper dog too. It took a couple of years before she learn't the 'off' switch. To be honest, the older Mol gets, the more I miss the constant energy and how mischievous she was. I love the way they are constantly trying to outwit you. So, enjoy it, they get older waaay too soon.


I havent tried hide and seek yet, she's still struggling to learn "stay", haha. She does beautifully with "wait", though, when I have food in front of her face she waits on my command to eat. :smile:
I'd love to teach Eevee to balance a treat on her nose at some point, Ive seen tons of youtube videos with dogs having treats stacked on their nose and they're so patient yet impatient lol!
I'll take her on longer walks, if thats the case. Her short but frequent walks are only because I'm afraid of stressing her body out. 



Scarlett_O' said:


> I do a lot of dogie aerobics with mine...Sit from Stand, Down from Sit, Down from Stand, Up to Sit from Down, Up to Stand from Down, Up to Stand from Sit, Crawl, Roll over, BackUp in Stand, BackUp in Sit, BackUp in Down, and of course Stay and Leave It!:thumb: I mix those up, normally doing 3-4 in a row before we move around a little(Rhett is up to doing all of them in a row without getting side tracked and he is still totally learning the backs)....rarely will they get the same commands in a row...and I can bet you that I never remember to do it in the same order!!LOL :lol:
> 
> We dont do hiding games, because of having a 450-ish sq.ft. home(that isnt including the bathroom or "kitty room/desk room" where the dogs arent allowed) and having 5 dogs...but they can easily be fun for less dogs per qu.ft!:thumb:
> 
> I also work on quiet time each day, where they are given one toy(well chew) that they havent had for a while and we just chill for 30 min or so(this is generally my after meal time...if Brody corporates!:wink


LOL, dog aerobics! Thats so cute! Once she gets her commands down I'll have to do that :thumb:


Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! Ily DFC :grouphug:


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

liquid said:


> LOL, dog aerobics! Thats so cute! Once she gets her commands down I'll have to do that :thumb:


That saying is the one thing that I took away from Rhett's and my (and Jesse's and Leo's) training class!LOL (Kinda sucks to spend $120x2 to be ignored and only get one saying out of it!!LOL:tongue

But anyways......ya...I found with all of mine, even bullheaded Brody that doing a few different exercises in a row helps with training! So rather then working on sit for 4 times, then stand 4 times, then down 4 times, I do, Sit, Down, Stand, Down, Sit, Down, Stand, etc...
Till they can do any of the commands from any of the other positions...then I add in one or more-depending on the dog!!:wink:


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## Huginn (Nov 21, 2011)

Scarlett_O' said:


> That saying is the one thing that I took away from Rhett's and my (and Jesse's and Leo's) training class!LOL (Kinda sucks to spend $120x2 to be ignored and only get one saying out of it!!LOL:tongue
> 
> But anyways......ya...I found with all of mine, even bullheaded Brody that doing a few different exercises in a row helps with training! So rather then working on sit for 4 times, then stand 4 times, then down 4 times, I do, Sit, Down, Stand, Down, Sit, Down, Stand, etc...
> Till they can do any of the commands from any of the other positions...then I add in one or more-depending on the dog!!:wink:


Hey that's what I did when training Fayth with her showmanship and it was perfect. I also learned spending up to ten minutes a day, everyday is better than an hour once a week for teaching those commands. 
With my sheltie when I was younger I used to set up obstacle courses with our dining room chairs. I would have to crawl under them, then jump on top and run and jump from one to other. I would throw in sit/stay/lay/stand in the middle of them. He really enjoyed it.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Aaaahhhh Evee is so cute! 

In addition to everyone's suggestions, have you considered interactive/ treat puzzle/ dispensing toys? Specifically by Nina Ottosson's Interactive Dog Toys?


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

Itty bitty Kitty said:


> Aaaahhhh Evee is so cute!
> 
> In addition to everyone's suggestions, have you considered interactive/ treat puzzle/ dispensing toys? Specifically by Nina Ottosson's Interactive Dog Toys?


I havent! Have they worked out well for you? :smile:
At one point I thought of getting a kitty to have a friend for Eevee, LOL! I feel so bad that she's lonely and bored!


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## BoxerParty (Nov 9, 2011)

I LOVE the Kong Genius toys to keep my two out of my hair when I'm studying...they dispense snacks randomly, and require the dog to toss it around a good bit to get the food out (which = mental and physical stimulation). Busy Buddy also makes a couple of good ones.

I also take my two to the dog park. It's not ideal, but they need to RUN sometimes. The trainer who did Malcolm's puppy school was all for it, but the one for Lila advised against dog parks (both trainers were equally qualified, so this is obviously just a matter of personal preference). I decided that *I* have to live with my dogs, and the trainer does not, so we go to the park. :biggrin:


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Just wondering why your trainer is against dog parks for recreational play and (important) socialization. 

When I got my puppy I was told by every trainer I met to "socialize, socialize, socialize"-- and I did, from about 4 months on. We visited many different dog parks in and around the city, (as well as visiting friends, their dogs, and other types of environments)--and he learned a lot from interaction with other dogs (and people.) I would say now, at almost 9 months, he's about as well-adjusted as they come...

Now, visiting the smaller dog runs is only an occasional thing because we hike up to Central Park during the off-leash hours in the mornings. This is WAY better than any other dog park situation because it's a great big open area (over 600 acres) rather than a small fenced in spot.

Is he/you worried more about health issues being around other dogs? Maybe you can set up a "play-date" with a friend or neighbor who had a dog you feel comfortable with...?


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

The trainer is probably worried about the puppy having a bad experience at the dog park. And at this age something like that would likely stick, bad stuff can happen at dog parks because idiots bring their DA/low tolerance/high prey drive dogs and someone gets in a fight. Adult dogs might be able to get over it, especially if they have a god foundation of interacting with nice dogs, but for a puppy it could likely cause a long term fear. So better to stick to dogs you know are safe or are puppies themselves. It's one of the reasons I like puppy classes (ones that let the dogs have some play time). However at the park I go to there are regulars and so you can actually get to know the dogs because they are there every day. When I go and Tucker is playing with a dog, and a new dog shows up the owner often says "oh looks, there's caleb" or whoever and so I know the dog is likely safe, it's another regular. There are also peak hours and quieter times. The regular visitors are always quick to tell you what dogs not to trust (last time I was told about a "goldendoodle" who has attacked people/dogs on three occasions, I've also been told about a chihuahua who was killed). So a park like that might be safer if you take some precautions, but if the park has a bunch of new people all of the time then you never know whether the dogs are really friendly.


As far as occupying your pup training sessions are always great. As are bully sticks, hooves, himalayan chews, antlers, etc. I've also used a treat dispensing ball but can't do it regularly as he gets treats in training sessions and on walks (we're working on his fear of strangers) so if he gets many more then he might as well skip dinner. I remember with my last dog, I'd drag a biscuit along the ground in our yard, making a path to where I'd hide it (and leaving small bits every once in a while) and then taking him out to find it. That was fun. You could do the same thing in your house, use something enticing like a hunk of hot dog (though perhaps you don't want to drag that on the floor, just hiding it would likely work if it's smelly).

I also really like the dog toys you can put a plastic water bottle in (they might have ones for 2 liter soda bottles too). The dog acts like it's brand new every time you put a new bottle in, it's great!

Playing tug is great, you can throw obedience commands each time you get the toy, that will teach her some self control and that just because she's excited doesn't mean her brain can fall out. It tires them physically and mentally.

I also tried tacking old boxes, stuffing them with newspaper and putting in a few treats (wrapped in newspaper) but he annihilated them way too fast and left so much of a mess that it wasn't worth it.

But make sure you don't CONSTANTLY occupy the dog, she needs to learn to relax too or else she'll fall to pieces when she's bored and eat your couch or something.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

I actually don't have a dog yet (but will soon!) so I don't know. I certainly am planning to purchase one. I'm pretty sure any dog, especially as intelligent looking as Evee, will appreciate some mental stimulation. I've been hearing a lot of good feedback on them.



liquid said:


> I havent! Have they worked out well for you? :smile:
> At one point I thought of getting a kitty to have a friend for Eevee, LOL! I feel so bad that she's lonely and bored!


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## liquid (Dec 28, 2011)

BoxerParty said:


> I LOVE the Kong Genius toys to keep my two out of my hair when I'm studying...they dispense snacks randomly, and require the dog to toss it around a good bit to get the food out (which = mental and physical stimulation). Busy Buddy also makes a couple of good ones.
> 
> I also take my two to the dog park. It's not ideal, but they need to RUN sometimes. The trainer who did Malcolm's puppy school was all for it, but the one for Lila advised against dog parks (both trainers were equally qualified, so this is obviously just a matter of personal preference). I decided that *I* have to live with my dogs, and the trainer does not, so we go to the park. :biggrin:


I'll keep those in mind! 
Hah, I need to find a place where she can really RUN! On her walk this morning I did short bursts of jogging (5 minutes or so) along with regular walking, and man did she have energy to burn! 



NewYorkDogue said:


> Just wondering why your trainer is against dog parks for recreational play and (important) socialization.
> 
> Is he/you worried more about health issues being around other dogs? Maybe you can set up a "play-date" with a friend or neighbor who had a dog you feel comfortable with...?


He's against dog parks because all it takes is one bad or irresponsible owner with their dog to come in and completely change the dynamics of a dog park. Since Eevee is still a baby and I've only had her for less than a month now, we're still in the trust-building stage; our trainer feels that it only takes one dog fight to ruin everything we've worked for so far (trust, confidence-building, socializing with other dogs, etc). She came to us as a very skittish, fearful-of-everything dog, it'd be heartbreaking to see her regress to that again. 
Sometimes I wish I could just take her to a dog park, but then I also think of how its not worth it if something bad does happen.
Our trainer is all for constant socialization, though. Our next meeting he's going to bring his own dogs to see how Eevee interacts - I'm excited for her! :smile: 



Maxy24 said:


> The trainer is probably worried about the puppy having a bad experience at the dog park. And at this age something like that would likely stick, bad stuff can happen at dog parks because idiots bring their DA/low tolerance/high prey drive dogs and someone gets in a fight. Adult dogs might be able to get over it, especially if they have a god foundation of interacting with nice dogs, but for a puppy it could likely cause a long term fear. So better to stick to dogs you know are safe or are puppies themselves. It's one of the reasons I like puppy classes (ones that let the dogs have some play time). However at the park I go to there are regulars and so you can actually get to know the dogs because they are there every day. When I go and Tucker is playing with a dog, and a new dog shows up the owner often says "oh looks, there's caleb" or whoever and so I know the dog is likely safe, it's another regular. There are also peak hours and quieter times. The regular visitors are always quick to tell you what dogs not to trust (last time I was told about a "goldendoodle" who has attacked people/dogs on three occasions, I've also been told about a chihuahua who was killed). So a park like that might be safer if you take some precautions, but if the park has a bunch of new people all of the time then you never know whether the dogs are really friendly.
> 
> 
> As far as occupying your pup training sessions are always great. As are bully sticks, hooves, himalayan chews, antlers, etc. I've also used a treat dispensing ball but can't do it regularly as he gets treats in training sessions and on walks (we're working on his fear of strangers) so if he gets many more then he might as well skip dinner. I remember with my last dog, I'd drag a biscuit along the ground in our yard, making a path to where I'd hide it (and leaving small bits every once in a while) and then taking him out to find it. That was fun. You could do the same thing in your house, use something enticing like a hunk of hot dog (though perhaps you don't want to drag that on the floor, just hiding it would likely work if it's smelly).
> ...


When Eevee is older I may start taking her to a dog park - you're absolutely correct that it's riskier with puppies.
I'll have to find a puppy class for her, once she becomes more desensitized to the car and car rides.
I LOVE all of these suggestions, thank you!


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

Cesar is like the bordest of all dogs ever no matter what hes BORED unless he gets outside to run off lead which is near impossable in this winter weather i live in upper MI where the biggest tourist season is wniter for people to go skiing and snowmobiling.

what i do for Cesar
i invested in a treadmill a secondh and one for 20 bucks wonderful piece of machinery!
invested in a kong
invested in a bunch of hooves and bully sticks to keep on hand at all times
save my trash
buy second hand stuffed animals from the thrift store
got a bicycle
made my own flirt pole


your probably wondering about the "save my trash" well i like to save big thick juice bottles i peel the labels off,removed the plastic rings around the rim and toss some dog treats into them and give them to cesar to demolish he just LOVES em and once he sits down to actually chew on the bottle i take it and toss it before he can eat any piece of it though he doesnt leave the room im in with to chew or play with it and i never take my eye off him with it. all it takes is you jumping up to grab a drink from the kitchen for your pup to chew and eat a piece of plastic from it so NEVER leave them alone if i have to leave the room cesar comes with me. same as buying stuffed animals second hand sometimes for only a quarter i remove the eyes and noses and let him shredd it! then pick up the pieces once hes done. its alot of fun for him its like hes disembowling an animal! i always try to keep one or two on hand.

a flirt pole is great for when you dont feel like running around but you want your dog to! it really drains there energy


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