I got a new puppy!
polycounter lvl 18
This is Shelby, she's 3 months old. She's 1/2 Australian Shepherd, 1/4 Lab, and 1/4 Rottweiler. Currently she's really melo, but still playful at times. By the looks of her paws, she's gonna be pretty big.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on possible toys? Hopefully something not too distructive, and that'll keep her entertained.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on possible toys? Hopefully something not too distructive, and that'll keep her entertained.
Replies
Toys wise be sure to get a Kong, but anything will do for toys really. There's lots of fun to be had with training games like hide and seek.
I miss have a dog, I wasn't allowed a dog when we moved into our house, since i'd be the only one taking them out
We're going to train her well, and have already started to try games like hide and seek
Also, keep a bag of baby carrots around for treats instead of store bought treats to keep her from getting chubby. The vet told me that giving them one of those store-bought treats is like giving a kid a full candy bar.
And btw, that is an awesome looking dog. Mutts are the best pals in the world. =]
actually no ... i'm planning on getting a woof very soon but we know we can't get a puppy, which is a shame. They've usually got massive hands.
to polycount : more of this sort of thing please, and less of that frankly creepy cat-love
Very cute.
Good luck when her seasons start kicking in
I'd pretty much go for anything that's rubber or softer, anything slightly hard is gonna do damage around the house..
Dogs do like stuff that makes some kinda squeek, they play for reaction.
When she sits down and focuses on ripping them all to shreds, it's pretty much the coming of age where toys are no longer needed... But bones are.. In abundance.
That's my pedigree dobermann when he was a little pup (3 months), an absolute kingkong hurricane despite being the most innocently handsome dog in the world (as far as I'm concerned ofcourse
He's exactly a year old now, is the size of a horse (literally) and is still the most hyper-active bulldozer of a dog. Walking him around town = very entertaining.
His paw completely overlays my hand.. scary shit
Dogs are quite easily one of the best companions you can ever have, loyal to the core and equally as protective.
She's in the middle of losing her baby teeth right now, so she seems more interested in the softer toys (rope, stuffed animals, etc.) but i'll keep the advice in mind, thanks! (oh, and the carrots work awesome!)
One thing our vet suggested was to use an old stuffed animal. You place it in their cage with them and it helps them feel like they have a companion. I don't know if it made her feel better, but I know she'd always walk out of her crate with it in the morning (she'd also give it a good beating
Something to play tug of war with is always a winner, like a good rope. One suggestion is to avoid using old clothes though (like a sock). My old dog was raised using socks for a tug-of-war toy and he ended up thinking it was a game to bite your clothes (while you were wearing them). Then of course it would become a game to give it back to you. So you'd be fighting the dog every time he got a loose piece of clothing.
They will drive you mad at times though
Notman: Heh that stuffed animal thing is a pretty nice idea. We have a small stuffed animal at home (a german shepard), you know the ones with small bodies and big heads?
Well, our real german shepard likes it. She flips it upside down and what not just for the heck of it when she walks by.
EDIT: A small warning about those rawhide bone things. If unlucky pieces of it can get caught in the throat of the dog. Happened a few times to our dogs, now they get to gnaw on cowbones (and other bones) instead. Works just as well
Pig's ears are good also as an alternative
Aussies are an AWESOME breed...INCREDIBLY smart/clever. Needless to say Burke smoked all the other dogs in his puppy training class. Keep your dog busy...aussies LOVE to be busy and have jobs. Chances are your dog will learn tricks incredibly fast. The kong is a must, shove peanut butter in it too. Depending on how much aussie is in your dog might mean she's a herder...with the possibility that she might nip at you, or other people's ankles. My friend's aussies would herd anything and everything, including your car when you tried to park it on their driveway! My dog doesn't herd too much although he likes to keep my wife and myself very close together when we go to the park. We're crate training our dog...works wonders for potty training, and giving the dog their little den area to rest. If you will be leaving her alone for long periods I'd recommend turning the TV on for ambient sound, i hear that can calm them when they are alone.
Best of luck with your pup!
B
I want a cute puppy someday. But I am going to make sure I have the time to commit to it first. Right now I'm sticking with guinea pigs.
She's super clever, and catches on real fast. Potty training is going really well so far, and the only problem she's having with it right now, is with herself trying to figure out if she has to go... She's kinda Potty-ADD right now, where she goes to the door, scratches, and wimpers a bit, then instantly runs off to chew something... only to find her peeing on the carpet two minutes later. Tricksy!
Right now, as i said, is going through somewhat of a teething phase, and is kind of testing her grounds by chewing on everything. But she's a quick learner, so she'll try something twice, and if we shun her both times, she'll move on to the next thing. We ended up giving in and giving her an apple to chew on. It was cold (felt good for the teeth), tasted good, and kept her attention for a whole 30 minutes!
Crate training isn't going so well... She's already found a den-like area (behind our free standing un-used wood burning stove) and doesn't seem to want to switch over. The problem is, she can get back there now, but will probably have issues next month ^.^, we'll see how long that lasts.
My dog loves it... they hold up well and my dog chews the crap out of it.