Category Archives: Chase Toy

To squeak or not to squeak

Dog looking at squeaky toyTo Squeak or not to Squeak, that is the Question?

Do your dogs like squeaky toys, and if so, why?

The theory is that your dog is motivated by an instinctual drive and the squeaky noise is not unlike the sound of prey that’s frightened or injured. When the squeak stops, your dog has successfully killed its prey.

Or maybe there’s another explanation; dogs get an immediate reward from the sound that’s emitted from the toy. The feedback tells them that their bite is effective, thus spurring them on to continue, unlike with a silent toy which doesn’t provide the same gratification.

We all know what it’s like when a dog is obsessed with a squeaky toy and it can drive us nuts, until, in the end, we take it away, much to the disappointment of the dog.

Not all Dogs love a Squeak

With our dogs, we have to be very careful. Tilly absolutely loves a squeaky toy. Archie and Jack aren’t bothered one way or the other, but Toby dislikes them intensely. More than that, they actually upset him.

He is not particularly sound sensitive. He loves the sound of a clicker! Thunder or fireworks don’t bother him in the slightest, but anything that squeaks or beeps will have him running for cover.

We once took him to agility classes and at first, he did well until another dog in his class came along with a squeaky toy. That was the end of it for Toby. He couldn’t concentrate and he spent the whole time cowering behind our legs.

When Tilly was confined to her crate after her surgeries, we gave her a fluffy lamb to keep her company, but first, it had to be operated on to remove the squeaker. We couldn’t risk traumatising Toby.

When new toys arrive in the warehouse, we are very wary about testing the squeak and usually wait until Toby is out of earshot otherwise he’ll be upset and fearful for hours.

It’s not that he doesn’t like toys, he loves the treat dispensers, especially Starmark and of course, KONG. Then there’s his all-time favourite, the Puller, but anything that makes a noise is a no-no for him.

It’s a good idea to take the time to find out what toys your dog likes and dislikes and what stimulates or comforts them. A squeaky toy can be a great motivator and grab your dog’s attention, thereby making an excellent training tool but beware it doesn’t have the opposite effect.

Regular Checking of Toys is a Must

Supervision with a squeaky toy is advised especially with dogs that get overstimulated easily. Squeaky play should be confined to short sessions and ask your dog to do something like sit or down before rewarding them with the toy.

Squeaky toys can be fun but inspect them regularly to make sure they are not damaged and that your dog doesn’t have access to the squeaking mechanism, which could become a choking hazard.

If you discover their favourite squeaky toy is damaged, then repair it or replace it with a new one.

The Ultimate Squeak

If you have a squeaky-obsessed dog, The Petsafe Ricochet is an excellent choice. These paired toys will have your dog going back and forth chasing the squeak. Tilly was enthralled with them but sadly cannot play with them in our home!

Petsafe Electronic Dog Toy Ricochet

Petsafe Ricochet: The ultimate squeak

The Thrill of the Chase or Food Fun

For those, like us that have a dog who is upset by a squeak, here are Toby’s Top Tips for squeaky-free fun:

The Puller Dog Fitness Tool

The Puller Dog Fitness Tool

 

Puller Canine Fitness Tool

The Puller. Best toy ever for dogs who love to chase and tug!

We have to rank the Puller Dog Toy as our favourite dog toy of all time. It epitomises our philosophy of Training, Exercise, Play. Every one of our dogs loves it.

It looks simple and it really is, but the fun they get from it is truly amazing.

But the Puller is not just a toy in the conventional sense, it is an innovative fitness tool for dogs developed by a professional cynologist (one who studies dogs). But our dogs are not interested in the science, all they understand is that it’s fun to chase, and also great fun to tug.

The Puller makes a great tuggy toy

Go on then, pull!

So what is the Puller Dog Fitness Tool? It’s a set of two purple rings and they come in five sizes to suit just about every dog. Although the Maxi’s come as singles. The idea behind them being that they enable you and your dog to engage in active daily training with a positive motivation and also the ability to better understand and develop your dog in a psychological way. Really? Not sure about the last bit but they certainly give your dog a thorough workout.

The Puller comes in packs of two

Daisy always likes to carry a spare…

The unique concept of Puller Training is based on working with two circles and comprises of three simple exercises – running, jumping and pulling, which can be combined, modified and customised to achieve the best results for your dog.

The Puller, great for all types of dogs

Even in her wheelchair, Daisy still enjoys her Puller

It is also, apparently, a new Dog Sport, although it doesn’t yet appear to have reached the UK, with the Puller World Championships being held in Hungary this year. It comes in two disciplines – Puller Running and Puller Jumping. Races take place on a rated racing surface, each discipline lasts 90 seconds and has relatively simple rules. Contestants earn points for correct execution of the exercises. Both disciplines are evaluated separately.

Sport Dog Puller is primarily fun for dogs and owners. It is about physical condition, coordination and mental readiness of the dog, team coordination between dog and handler, but mainly it’s about the joy of working together!

The Puller also floats and is great in water

The Puller is equally at home in the water as it is on dry land.

Of course, it floats and is an ideal retrieval toy in the water, especially to motivate our girl, Daisy to do a few extra laps.

Thanks to the convenient range of sizes we were able to get our dogs started as pups with the Mini Puller. And Toby was smitten from his first encounter. He is Puller mad!

Well, we’re not sure about all the science behind it, or the Dog Sport angle but one thing we do know for sure, is that dogs love ’em. We can testify to that. If a simple throw and tug toy is what you’re looking for you can’t go wrong with the Puller.

And lastly, our girl Tilly has her own unique take on the Puller! How does your dog hold theirs?

The Puller a unique toy for your unique dog

Tilly has a very unconventional way of carrying her Puller!