[PoisonGirl]

When Xiva was a puppy, she liked familiar things, she was happy with one or two toys and chews, and liked to go back to the same one.

Chase seems to get bored of his toys and swaps between the few that are out and then attacks the rug :lol:


So I am going to get some more, but wondering how many toys you would leave out at a time (needs to be enough for Dixie and Dave to have one too lol).

And how often you would rotate them with ones hidden away to keep them from getting bored of the same toys?

 

[missnaomi]

I don't leave any toys out. Never really considered it. Even with toys that they like to play with on their own, I don't just leave them out. I give them toys to play with, then put them away again when I want them to stop/when they have lost interest. So every time I get out a toy it's an exciting event. I think if I left them out I'd need to rotate them very frequently to maintain interest. Also, Ringo loves playing on his own with stuff, but Rosie isn't really interested in things unless someone is playing with her. For amusing themselves, I tend to give them things to chew, food and not food based, but usually chews.

Even with puppies, I gave them a chew/toy and then when they stopped using it, I swapped it for another one, I never really left them a selection. There is no reason for this, I just didn't really think of it.

Never really thought of this before, interesting.

 

[Helbo]

Charlie has a corner with 2-3 toys/chews

I rotate these with ones in the cupboard every week

I have 2 stag bars so I can swap them around and keep them interesting

I also have toys that are for supervised play only and they live in the cupboard



Just be careful not to leave out any toys that are dangerous - for instance, I wouldn't leave Charlie's kong snake out because he'd rip it and possibly choke on the squeekers, but I will leave his stag bar and Nylabone toys out.

 

[BananaBassett]

Milo has a whole box of toys and they are always out. He never really delves through them though, he has one toy cow that is filthy no matter how often you wash it. He holds it in his mouth and between his paws and rocks it / cries to it lol.
If he wants to play, he will often bring us a toy.

Any dogs that come to day care seem to be over joyed about the number of toys, and every single one is pulled out and tested / played with.

If I have any possessive dogs or the like, I may have to re-evaluate this. But for now I am happy and so is Milo and his friends!

 

[astara]

hi there with harvey there always one constant toy usually a kong or ball in his cage but then he has other toys he swiches to like a notted blue ball that he can play tug with. he has a nylone bone which he chews he got a tough ruby ball type some tennis ball these i get get out wen play is in progess and put away wen he's bored

 

[springfieldbean]

Hmm, all of Sherlock's toys/chews are left out. Apart from picking the closest one up to carry around with him when we come home from work, he doesn't play with them often - after reading this I think I'll start putting them away and getting them out occasionally, as treats.

 

[Dimwit]

My dog always has his stag bar and 1 toy left out. All of his other toys are shut away in a box and only taken out for short periods of time when I play with him. It sounds a bit harsh but he gets very obsessive about toys and he will either pester me constantly to throw them or lie for hours staring at them waiting for me to throw them. He is also a shredder so I make sure he only has free access to toys that he can't destroy.

 

[BoredomBusters]

I've just counted, I have 16 toys, most in the toy box (which is a small plastic dog bed so the littlies can get access), but some currently strewn around the floor.

I have to have plenty, as I have 4 dogs and of course the daycare and boarders. I only leave hard chews, rope toys and the occasional half torn up ex-stuffed toy out, the rest are *my* toys and come out only with me for a game.

I did rotate a few at a time at one point, every couple of weeks, but because I can't leave anything they might swallow out, I was just rotating the same type of toy, so now I change them all once a month so they have time to at least smell different!

 

[Skandi]

jess's toys are left out, apart from her tug of war snake which is supervised only, she destroys any toy in very quick order, so "rotation" as it were is not really an issue, the only one that has survived is her sock ball, which she loves and will bring to be thrown. not managed to find any comercial toy that survives long, (and she is interested in) she won't chew kongs etc even if you fill them, just lick lick lick. It's fun watching her learn how to destroy something, will take a few days with a new toy type, but then after that 15mins max.

 

[Phoolf]

90% of Kes' toys are left out, including tennis balls which she likes to chase around the carpet or drop infront of me. I keep her tugtoys and anything too exciting in a box out of reach so we have 'only for walkies' toys so she is more focused on me and wanting to play. The most annoying squeaky toys only come out on walks too. I'm going to get her some kind of box to put her toys away into and teach her to clean up soon.

 

[sunshine80]

Sonny has loads of toys (a whole toy box and more) and I rotate them every two weeks or so. That being said it is always similar toys - he always has a nylabone chew (leave it until it needs put in bin) and also his stag bar down. He usually has a rope tuggy toy, a ball, a skineez (his new trick is he has learned to chew the nose to get the squeak out so not sure how long these will last not figured out the tail one yet though) and a squeaky toy to tug/retrieve but these get rotated.

 

[missnaomi]

I guess apart from chew toys, I wanted my dog to think they were for special playtime so I never really thought to leave them out.

Both of mine totally love balls - but they only get to play with them with me to make it special for them, although I'm sure they'd love having them around I didn't want to ruin their impact by making them always available. And I do get the toys out to for them to use, and for me to play with them, but it never occurred to me to leave them out around the house.

I feel a bit silly now, seen as that's what everyone does. Do you think my dogs are deprived?

Naomi

 

[kate_7590]

Mine have a big toy box which is always left open and they just grab one when they fancy a game...havent quite learnt how to put them back yet though

 

[Leanne77]

I dont leave any toys out, instead I choose to take a toy on a walk or bring some out for the dogs to play with in the garden or when I am training, then when we are done it goes away again and becomes inaccessible to the dogs.

I tend to just use their favourite toys which are basically a tennis ball and a soft tug toy. They do have soft toys, squeaky toys, balls on ropes etc which they play with on occasions.

 

[missnaomi]

I dont leave any toys out, instead I choose to take a toy on a walk or bring some out for the dogs to play with in the garden or when I am training, then when we are done it goes away again and becomes inaccessible to the dogs.

I tend to just use their favourite toys which are basically a tennis ball and a soft tug toy. They do have soft toys, squeaky toys, balls on ropes etc which they play with on occasions.

I feel less of a freak now, this is what I do.

 

[Leanne77]

I feel less of a freak now, this is what I do.

I do it simply because I think when toys are left out for dogs to play with as and when they choose to, it devalues the toys. This probably explains why, when out on a walk, my dogs constantly pester me for a toy! So, it has it's downsides!

I always think that if food was left out for dogs to eat when they liked, when it came to food based rewards, they wouldnt be that interested. Since I use toys as a reward for good behaviour or to encourage interaction with me, bonding or distraction from other things, I limit their access so playing with a toy is always a special thing.

 

[thronesfan]

Cookie currently has 6 toys out to play with in the house - 2 kongs, a couple of rope toys, a rubber ring and a cuddly toy. The cuddly toys get rotated as and when they need to be repaired. She's also got tennis balls and a frisbee, but destroys them if they are left lying around, so they're only for walks or playing fetch in the garden. And she has squeaky toys, but she only gets 20 mins now and again with them as a treat because the noise drives me mad!

 

[Howl]

I don't generally leave out toys because E can be a bit possessive. I never leave things out when their alone with the exception of hard heavy balls which they always play nicely with them. Chews are generally chewed until they are gone but supervised with the exception of the soft easy to eat one I give them before I leave for work.
I have stopped using Kongs, E was getting very possessive. Not with us but with D.
Ropes are sometimes left out but D shreds most things.
Squeakies arent left out.
E isnt into toys and both dogs get more out of things when we play with them than on their own.
They go through a lot of chews/raw hide things.

 

[PoisonGirl]

Interesting replies.

I don't usually leave toys out because Dixie just wants all of them all the time and won't leave me alone wanting me to throw something

Usually, Dixie and Dave get toys to play with when I offer them.

But with Chase being a puppy I want things readily available for him to chew on otherwise his little teeth find the rug, the coffee table etc etc
Obviously I 'Ah-Ah' him and give him a rope toy instead when he does this, but I'd rather he had things to do to stop him getting to the stage he wants to eat my furniture incase he learns to do that alot.


The toys he gets left with in his crate are a stag bar and a little rope toy, and a nylabone type thing for puppies.
When he is out, I put on the floor also a large rope toy and a ball on a rope.

He likes to play with a ball but I turn my back for 2 seconds and Dave has stolen and killed it.


I am trying to teach Dixie that she doesn't have to have a toy all the time just because it is there or because Chase has it (haven't got very far with that one yet ) and also to stop stealing things off him.

 

[IncaThePup]

I leave certain toys out, she has the heavier wooden Nina Ottosson puzzles on the coffee table, if she wants one of them she goes and stands in front of them. Her ball pool pit is available to her all time as would just take too much work putting up and taking down!

Then she has a big hamper with a variety of different toys. some treat dispensing, some that she plays with me in structured play sessions cos they are actually toddler toys like stacking rings, shape sorting, but she likes to do them and often old chews get dropped in there when she's had enough of it for the day, or buried at the bottom of her ball pool, sofa or my bed! :laugh:

sometimes I choose her treat dispenser like if its sunny and she can play out I'll fill her kong ball with gravy bones or milky biscuits so she can fling it about outdoors or kibble around garden and in her ball toy hanging off washing line.

Other times I take two out of hamper and ask her which one she wants, she will bring which ever one she wants me to fill into the kitchen, sometimes if giving chews I let her choose between stagbar or pizzle stick etc and she just takes the one she wants.

She's pretty good at communicating what she wants even if I've moved a favourite toy like to mop floors, she'll go stand in front of where I've put it (on table etc) and look at it.. then me until I get the message...lol!