My Favorite Toys: Squirrel Dude

Next on my favorite toy list is my Busy Buddies Squirrel Dude. The Dude is purple and shaped somewhat like the Kong. It is rubber, bouncy and it is made for holding treats or kibble. It has prongs inside so the food is held in. I really have to work with my tongue to get it out or I throw it and bounce it. So cool. You can cut the prongs out to make it easier, or leave them all in for a real challenge.
Here's my new friend Will who gave me the sit command before handing me the Dude. Will is super fun and stayed the night with us with his parents Mel and Ax. Jenn says the I have to learn to respect and listen to little people too, so Will asked me to do commands before giving me anything. The Dude seems to come out more when little people are here making me like those little people even more.
Here I am "working the Dude". Sometimes I'll use my tongue to get the treats out and sometimes and pick it up in my mouth and throw it to get the treats out. Using the Dude is a great way to feed your dog their meals instead of from a bowl. This can be really helpful for dogs that eat quickly or dogs that need more to do with their mouths.

My Favorite Toys: The Kong

Here I am with one of my Kongs. This morning, it was stuffed with these stinky salmon treats called Kronche that drive me crazy, Charlee Bear treats, and Canidae snap biscuits. Jenn really packs the goodies in so it is more of a challenge for me to get it all out. You can even freeze the Kong to make a puppy popsicle (best to give this as an outside project). Below is an example of superior stuffing technique:


A couple of simple rules to follow with the Kong: Be sure that the goodies you put into your puppy's Kong are safe for puppies to eat, supervise your puppy while they work on the Kong, and be sure to get the proper sized Kong for your pup. My Kong is a large, because frankly, I am large as well.

Today my Kong was a blue and white "Puppy" Kong. It is slightly more springy and softer than the red or black Kongs. Since I'm not a heavy duty chewer, the Puppy Kong is still OK for me. If your puppy is really into chewing, then the red or black Kongs are good to have around. They also make a purple and white Kong for "senior" dogs.

Here are more suggestions on how to stuff the Kong for your dog: Click here or here

I'm 11 months old!

Can you believe it? I'm 11 months old. One more month and I'll be a whole year old. Which makes me think about my upcoming birthday and what special presents Jenn and Eric might be getting me. I think that I need some new toys. Since Jenn says that she needs to keep my busy mind and my busier body even more active. My favorite toys provide mental activity, not just plush toys with squeakers, which don't seem to stay around very long. I like toys that make me think, make me figure things out, and reward me. Which are my favorites? Well, the Kong toy rules.

A Kong is a bouncy, rubber toy that is hollow. It's made for stuffing with goodies. It comes in red (for moderate chewers) and black (for more voracious chewers). This is a great way for puppies to get their meals instead of from just a bowl. You can put the whole meal inside the Kong and pack it all together with biscuits, etc. Your puppy will then have to work to get the food out. It makes mealtime mental activity time and it also gives your puppy an job when they need it. And if you have a herding dog puppy, you better have a good supply of Kongs around. Kongs are also one of the most widely available dog toys around. There are all sorts of ways to stuff the Kong too to make it continually interesting for your pup.

Check out the Kong website by clicking here with all sorts of great info on the Kong.

Click here to learn how to stuff the Kong and get creative stuffing recipes.

Topsail Beach Adventure

I just got back from my first trip to the beach! We went to a wonderful house owned by Jenn's friends Julie and Gary. I was so excited to see, smell, hear, and feel the ocean. Jenn put my light line on, so I could romp on the beach and she could still have control of me.
I wasn't quite sure at first about the ocean. The waves were loud and water came rushing at me. Jenn said that it was OK and jollied me up to go into the water a little more. It wasn't so bad. Actually, it was amazing and fun. All this water and I could get all wet. It just didn't taste so good. Yuck.
My friend Mona came down for a day and we had great fun walking on the beach together. Lots of nice people were on the beach and wanted to meet us. I got to wiggle my butt for them.
At the end of the day, I was so tired I feel asleep in my empty water bowl. How embarrassing! Anyway, I can't wait to take another beach trip!