Orange County Professional Dog Trainer Dana Williams
How to Keep Your Pet Busy on a Budget
Most pet behavior problems can be attributed to a number of things. One of the most common reasons that dogs start exhibiting behavior problems is because they are bored. To remedy this situation, I came up with a number of solutions that I have found to be cost effective over the years. I began owning dogs before my first job in the pet care industry, so I learned early on how to give my dogs plenty of entertainment on a very tight budget. So below are a number of tips I've found to be helpful in keeping your pet busy on a tight budget.
One of the first things to avoid is expensive pre-made pet toys. While its fun to go out and buy a new toy for your pet at the pet store, most toys are marked up several dollars over what it is actually worth. Soft toys often don't last very long so if there is even a remote possibility your dog will destroy the toy, don't bother with pricey pet store toys.
My alternative to this is to spend time in thrift shops, Goodwill, etc. There are often an abundance of stuffed animals bagged together for 50-99 cents each. Thats right, less than a buck for toys that are identical to what you find on pet store shelves. The following is what I look for in toys for a dog:
- What is it filled with? Toys filled with beans are not acceptable for dogs.
- Does the toy have many loose limbs? Typically dogs chew off the ears and feet. If the toy has many additional limbs, either tailor it with scissors before giving to your dog or be prepared to pick up the items as your dog chews them up.
- Does the toy have plastic products? Typically I take scissors to any eyes or noses that are made out of plastic. I try and cut as much off the toy so that the dog doesn't accidentally swallow these pieces, since inevitably its the loose plastic pieces that are torn off first.
Once you grab a few bags of stuffed animals for your dog, the next thing to do is realize that fido doesn't need 50 toys littering your house. Start a toy rotation for your dog. This means put most of the toys in a cupboard or closet and give the dog 5-7 toys to play with in the house. Every week or so, exchange the toys for "new toys" that have been hidden away. Toss whatever has been damaged by the dog. Continuing this rotation can get the most life out of toys and save you lots of money in the long run.
Another thing you can do is start looking for highly durable toys. Some owners like to give their pet soft toys and I certainly will indulge my dogs desire to shred things every once in awhile. But sometimes you may not wish to clean up toy remenants. Finding a more durable toy can be a true challenge for dog owners.
The following is a list of what I have found to be the most durable toys to give my pets:
- Plastic water juges (minus the cap) or milk jugs
- Old tire from vehicle (pictured below)
- Bully Ball (pictured above)
- Jolly Ball
- Kongs
Finally, when searching for good bones to give to your dog, there are a couple alternatives to choose from. In my experience, bones found in most pet stores tend to crumble under dogs who are aggressive chewers. So rather than waste money on smoked knuckle bones from pet stores, I try and go straight to the source. Try your local meat market or grocery store and look for raw knuckle bones or soup bones. These are often very durable and will last your dog a long time!
Also look into products from Redbarn.com. Having used these products for many years, I have found their products to be superior to what I can find locally. Their knuckle bones and marrow bones have lasted under the jaws of my own Rottweilers so I assume they are pretty durable bones for the average pet dog.
While these solutions may or may not be right for you, the idea is to find ways to keep your dog busy as a way of ending general behavior problems.
