This post is to help families choose a variety of puppy toys. I've raised four recent litters of Australian Shepherds and can identify some most common favorites with the puppies:
These rope tugs and these wool balls are puppy favorites. One of each of these are going into the puppy gift bags.
Notice the rope bones are made with fleece, not "string". The string type knot "bones" are dangerous, because some dogs swallow those string pieces.
Puppies think these wool balls are fantastic. They can easily pick them up to play fetch. They also like the scent of natural animal wool. Don't leave a puppy in a crate with one of these though, they might shred it all up. :)
I support small businesses whenever I can. The fleece ropes and the wool balls are both from Etsy shops.
Something our puppies enjoy a lot that I haven't been able to find a small business replacement for, is "Duckworth". The past puppies have loved this and I think it would be a fantastic addition to the puppy toy collection the families are gathering. This duck is just the right size for puppies to sleep with. They like to lay their neck over the duck's neck. It feels similar to the way the puppies sleep with their necks over each other. Here is a link to "Duckworth". The larger size (13/14 inches), is the "correct" size. Duckworth on Amazon
The puppies really like CRINKLE dog toys too. To find these, just type "crinkle dog toy" into the search engine of Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. If you are at a store, you can feel the crinkle inside of the toys.
Most of our Australian Shepherd puppies/dogs do not like squeaker toys. Our terrier goes happy/crazy for squeaker toys, but most of the Aussies do not like them. Some do not like the noise and won't play, others try to put an end to the noise by destroying the toy.
Most of our puppies really enjoy DOG DISC. Here is a link to a 9" soft disc to start "rolls" with puppies. Then these are also used for catches when the puppy is older. Hyper Pet Flippy Flopper There are also many colors available on eBay. You NEED to have at least two discs. Disc dogs do not give you the "frisbee" back. When your dog returns to you with the disc, you need to be ready to throw the next disc. Your readiness and throw, causes the dog to release it's current disc and go for the next. This is how you don't get a tug-of-war going or a run-away-with-the-disc going.
Do not allow a puppy or dog to chew the discs. Discs should be put away until the person is ready to play.
The cutie below, got ahold of a disc after the big dogs were done. But these are not chew toys, chewing on them will not encourage good disc catching habits.
After soft discs, when your puppy becomes an adult, you can upgrade to hard discs. Don't use discs that are not made for dogs. Some discs will crack or shatter when the dog snaps down on the disc. This is an excellent brand made for dogs. Hyperflite JAWZ Hyperflex I have much more to learn about Dog Disc "stuff". It can be worth your time and investment to join a Dog Disc club, or pay a trainer to get some tips. Most dog failures to catch, are the handler's fault. These Aussie dogs are so much fun, let's keep them feeling successful!
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