I just finished a nice, air-conditioned summer nap with my dogs. It’s a good thing we have air conditioning because one dog lays at my side and one on my lap; too hot in the summer without air! One of my best friends, over 50 years, has stated that he wants to be reincarnated as one of my dogs when he dies. In my life, I have been blessed from childhood on. I have shared my life with 8 dogs. Some lived long lives, the tops 15 years, and some shorter, 6 years and 10. Whatever the number of years, all dog owners would love to have had more years where their dog is happy, healthy, and able to get around comfortably.
All my dogs have enjoyed dog toys and chews. I do not like rawhide or jerky chews for my dogs; I prefer a hard chew toy. Every dog has fun with dog toys. I have had my share of shredders, dogs that would shred their toys going after the little squeaker toy hidden inside. When a dog toy is shredded, it is tossed away, much to the dog’s dismay. They look at me in disbelief that I just threw out their favorite toy. Materials that are shredded, loose strings, bits of cotton or filler, and the plastic squeaker could put the dog’s health at risk. I have been able to break a few of my dogs from being shredders by verbal command, “No Shredding!” if they stopped, they could keep their toy.
If they attempted another shred, I would take the toy away and try the next day by handing them their toy with the command, “No Shredding!” if they did not, they kept their toy.
My dogs have an abundance and variety of toys. Balls of all types: shaking, lighted, scented, bouncy, and balls with throwers that toss them a great distance. They have a lot of “Stuffy’s” cloth, soft material toys like Hedgehog, rabbits, sharks, birds, puppies, lobsters, etc. These are the toys that some like to shred. We have toys that float in the water, fly in the air, that bounce, shake, make noise, and lights go off! Our dog’s toy box started as a small brown box, then graduated to a milk box style with more toys. When one of my dogs passed, and the dog was up waiting at the “Rainbow Bridge,” we often kept their favorite toy. As time went on, we accumulated a lot of dog toys! We keep them in the family room in a large laundry basket. It holds a lot of toys, and the dogs can pick and choose what toy or chew they want to play with at that moment. The toys grow on their birthdays and, of course, at Christmas! They love opening presents too! They get excited just like everyone else. They are also good at guessing which gift holds a toy for them by their incredible sense of smell!
“Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 08/03/2023 Author of: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” joelmvernier@aol.com
