Hi all,I don't want to sound like some new wave psychologist but we bought a sqeaking pig toy for little Dawson yesterday which he ignored for the first few hours. Then he was going beserk near it growling,barking and trying to rip it to pieces where his other toys just get a good shake about etc. Is this just good harmless fun which can continue or is pig to be removed???
I would say this is just pure fun and play, he's too young to demonstrate aggression. We've had many a squeaky toy destroyed here - just watch out for the 'squeaker' which is a potential choking hazard. Some people take out the squeaky bit before they even give them to their dogs, depends on quality of the toy and how deeply they are embedded within. I'd just supervise. It's a good thing to have a toy they love playing with as you can use this in future training.
This is how puppies play, if you watch two of them at play there is a lot of growling, biting and barking involved. He's having fun.
Pure fun. Take video so you can watch if he slows down as he matures. One toy that some think causes aggression is playing tug. Tug is a wonderful game you can share with your pup. But you use it to teach pup the tug belongs to you, you instigate the fun, you decide when it ends, pup gives up the tug and you put the tug away. Tug can become a wonderful reward to use in training. Several people at our Rally trials use tugs. ONe caveat, gently with puppy teeth.
You already got your answer from the puppy experts, I'm just here to say that I adore your Dawson posts. It's wonderful to see someone discovering the magic of dogs from the ground up and with so much care and enthusiasm. You're warming my cynical old heart.
As already said he's playing - Bailey used to do the same with squeaky toys - now however, as he's matured he carry's them gently in his mouth then sits in front of you and when he wants your attention bites down on it so it squeaks - time and time again! That's not annoying honestly
Cooper and Tilly both destroy most all soft toys. It is part of the attraction. They remove the squeaker but they don't eat it. The two of them play tug with the dismembered toy. We usually have little piles of white stuffing around the house. Fortunately they know the difference between our stuff and their toys. I don't really know how they learn that, but most do.
It's a dog's sixth sense. Coco is a destroyer of toys. He knows when you bring a new one in that it's a dog toy before you even give it to him, and will pester for it. He doesn't destroy anything that isn't his. Oh, except the giant mooring buoy which I used as a seat - he stole that for himself, then set about destroying it - encouraged by OH
I just have to say tut, tut, tut... shame on you Dave! Harley loves a squeaky toy, and she loves to destroy them but in her development I noticed that she because far more excited by the squeaky toys when she was younger. The "frenzy" and glee in destroying the squeak has decreased significantly. She still loves them but she doesn't seem to be playing out the same game with them. Also something I doubted but was proven wrong with is that she is VERY VERY capable of understanding the difference between us and toys, and even between how I play and DH plays, and how some her favourite friends (human, canine and feline) play. But when she was a little pup she didn't have that discretion yet because she still needed to develop her young brain. Good luck and enjoy all this puppy silliness - although I can tell you I enjoy Harley SO much more at 9 months than at 3 months.
wHAT i LOVED TODA What I loved today was a bleary 10 week old pup looking at me and making a little sound when yawning.Talk about melt!!!
Dave, DH loves to show me videos of Harley when she was 3-4 months old and (I know he is feeling broody for a puppy) say, "wasn't she so adorable?" Generally those videos and photos are of her sleeping because that was the only time we werent trying to dodge her teeth and/or scoop her out for going potty outside/ or rescuing a cat toy from her, or sometimes a cat. They are super cute, and we know the oxytocin and vasopressin is pumping through our veins and brains but I just have flash backs of those needle teeth...
