Tip – 22 – Cheap dog toys

Dogs like to chase toys. Unfortunately, due to their wanting to chew everything they catch, they can very quickly destroy expensive toys. Those that make a noise seem to get crunched and ripped up the fastest, and replacing them can result in a sizable expense over time. The solution is to use to one or two litre plastic drink containers that pop, soft drinks and water often comes in. First, remove the plastic or paper label. Throw away the screw top, and if there is a plastic ring that remains (from when the screw top was removed originally) you should also get rid of that.

What you have now is a new toy to use to play fetch with the dog. Most dogs will chase, retrieve and chew on the plastic containers immediately. These containers are light enough that they will not harm the dog, or damage anything that they might hit when you toss them. In addition, when the dog bites the container, it results in an interesting sound. Once the dog has crunched on the container and it is messy, out of shape it or begins to get torn up, it can readily be replaced (and you can still turn it in for a deposit!) Do not let the dog play with the plastic container so long that they start to shred the plastic since they might swallow some plastic pieces. As soon as there are a few holes in it, drink another bottle of pop, and give the dog its new toy!

© Copyright Stanley Coren, reproduction by permission only.