Kid Toys And Greyhounds

[Guest jupiterooos]

Background: we do not give our dogs toys. Jupiter LOVES them, but we had to finally give up on letting him play with stuffies as he didn't really play with them so much as immediately eat them. Envisioning expensive intestinal surgery, and going through tons of $$$$ in the search for toys he couldn't eat, we ended up taking the toys away.

 

Now that we are adding a human to the menagerie, I'm worrying a bit about kid toys. Baby toys are by definition soft and lots of them squeak/make noise, which is irresistible to Jupiter. Is it possible to teach him that there is a distinction between the baby's stuff and his stuff? I'd like to start working with him on this right away, so that by the time the kid is old enough to play with toys, he'd get the idea more or less. Thanks!

[macoduck]

He'll probably still get hold of something. When I buy soon-to-be-destroyed stuffed animals at a thrift shop, I make sure to get the kind that do not have plastic eyes or buttons.

[Guest greytgreys]

I get some toys from the dollar store for that very reason. Good luck training.

[Guest Tokolos]

The instructor of the greyhound class I'm taking suggested applying a scent to either the dog's toys or the baby's/child's so that the animal could learn to distinguish, by scent, which were his. I guess this could work, and you could pick something lovely, like lavender. Then again, you'd have to reapply it over and over again because it will eventually wear off.

[Guest Hoolyghans]

Somehow mine know what's theirs and what's not but at the same time, I do my best to make sure the kids keep their toys put away safely when not in use. No point tempting fate. My kids are old enough now to understand the concept of if the dog wrecks it because you didn't put it away, don't expect me to replace it. That theory got tested several times when Spike was a puppy

 

 

Anytime one of the dogs do investigate a kid toy, I say "not yours!"

 

 

Ways to make life easier are to have designated container for dog toys and kid toys. Also keep a baby gate on the baby's bedroom door and make that room off limits to the dogs.

[Guest BlingDogs]

Speaking of scent, if the baby used them enough all of his things would smell like baby anyway. Dogs sensitive noses would be able to pick that up.

[Guest Maddison]

The instructor of the greyhound class I'm taking suggested applying a scent to either the dog's toys or the baby's/child's so that the animal could learn to distinguish, by scent, which were his. I guess this could work, and you could pick something lovely, like lavender. Then again, you'd have to reapply it over and over again because it will eventually wear off.

 

I heard that too on the scents. Maddie has no stuffie interest so we didn't have this problem. She loves to eat plastic. However, your baby will not be playing with stuffed animals for a while and when they do, they won't be far out of your eyesight. That's when you jump in and say "no" and try to retrain the dog and redirect the dogs to a toy they can have. You could also try the bitter apple spray. I would test it yourself first to see if it is nasty to the baby too. I don't know for sure if this will work because Maddie doesn't care about any of her toys but it's worth a shot.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Not judging here, but your boy needs something to play with, or he will obsess over the baby's toys. There are loads of non-stuffie toys to get him, jolly balls or those open balls that they sell at tractor supply, and stuffies with no stuffing in them. Oh forgot about kongs! I would start by teaching him the "trade" command. My daughter is older, but she has tons of stuffed animals, old beanie babies and stuff the dogs love. They KNOW when they have stolen one of her toys vs one of their own. They try to slink by me in the living room to take them back to their beds. I usually just say their name and they drop them. I still to this day take the toy off them and give them one of their own. I don't actually have to say trade, none of them have challenged me yet. But I think it would help in your case.

 

Mine are all collectors too. I've found that when they are new to the house they tend to be overly excited about everything, maybe he'll settle eventually. I do have one that eats them too, oddly enough it's the lab. I keep my beady eye on her and tell her to knock it off when she starts licking or sucking on them. I've had her for almost nine years an no problems with that yet...knock on wood. Makes for interesting poop sometimes though.

 

Good luck and congratulations on your baby!

[Guest cheltzey]

Mine doesn't understand the difference. Or maybe he does, and it makes the kids' toys more desirable! The Build-A-Bear toys seem to be the favorites (go figure--they're also the most expensive). We just have to remind the kids that all toys left on the floor are fair game. They've learned pretty quickly. Of course, with a baby, it's YOUR responsibility to keep the toys picked up.

[kamsmom]

Mine don't know the difference. My kids are old enough to know to put their stuff up too but accidents happen and we have lost a few toys along the way. I too have had to learn to be diligent in putting my shoes and purses in my closet. I have lost so many shoes.

[Guest leash]

I don't give Magnum any soft toys as he would eat every last bit of it no matter what is was sprayed with. He tries to take my two year olds toys all the time. I just tell him a quick no and redirect to his toys or chew stick. I always have a KONG stuffed and ready to go for him. Magnum will do anything for his KONG or bully stick. The kong toys that they have at Petsmart have been a huge hit in my house. It took a while for Magnum to understand but if you start from day one with a no he will get the point. I just make sure Magnum has a lot of toys on his bed so that there is no reason for him to search for new ones. I also rotate them out so that he thinks he is getting news ones all the time.

 

I can't spell.

Edited June 25, 2010 by leash

[Batmom]

If you have a dog who eats toys, then no amount of training the *dog* is going to change that. He finds something delectable within reach, he's going to eat it.

 

Instead, you have to train the *humans.* Humans supervise the baby while baby is playing with toys, and put the baby's toys safely away when baby is done.

[BootsyCollins]

I would just avoid bringing stuffed animals into the home until your child is old enough to 1) care about them and 2) understand the importance of putting his or her things away. My son couldn't care less about most of the stuffed animals people have given him, so they've become Bootsy's toys. The few things that he does like, I just keep an eye on, and I ensure that Lucas puts them away at the end of the day. If I have to take one away from Bootsy, I just give him a different toy. Overall, though, my rule is whoever picks up the toy gets to play with it. I can't handle the stress of being the toy police.

[GreytNut]

Mine have either never learned the difference between their own toys and the denizens of my bizarre stuffed animal collection, or--as I often suspect--they deliberately seek my stuff out. The collection of Assorted Stuffed Oddities is kept in a room they're not allowed in or they will snatch them quick as a wink. Must be the allure of the forbidden.

 

Most likely you will have to do the same - keep the stuffies where Jupiter can't get at them or alas, they'll be fair game.

[Guest hlpnhounds]

The thing about kid toys is that most of them do not have squeakers. Our hounds love to destroy stuffies to get at the squeakers. Anymore, we normally buy squeaker-less kid toys at garage sales for 50 cents or less ! We are fortunate that our hounds do not actually ingest the toys that they destroy. Funny, it's not such a big deal to us if the toy that cost less than $1 is destroyed in 10 minutes or less. There's plenty more to take their place.

[cleptogrey]

check out jb pets, they have these wierd stuffed latex toys w/ squeekies...one is a monkey and the other a variety of monsters. felix who kills a stuffy in under 5 minutes has not destroyed these wierd toys yet. give him his own, have one ready to exchange w/ a baby toy. always be positive w/ your dog, remember his space has been invaided and you don't want any jealousy.

 

my daughter played w/ her sqeeky toys in the crib, the big old pram and the car they were never left around. when she was on the floor she was on the go....at an early age. for some reason i remember she had more fun with oranges and grapefruits, pots and pans when she was on the floor. soft toys

b.t.w. her first word...good dog! that's how much i praised old azim and rewarded him for not being jealous. also his favorite place was lying under the high chair waiting for fall-out!

[Mystella]

Jeffy now knows the difference between his toys and Faiths (my child is stuffed animal obsessed, it is what she plays with)

 

He has his own basket of toys and Faith either has hers with her or in her room. For the first few months it was a nightly game where he would run into her room grab a tiger and bolt to his bed with it. I would say 'uh uh' retrieve it and give him one of his own. Repeat about 20 times per night. He also seems to have grasped that shoes, belts and DH's jeans are also not chew toys It is a good thing Jeff Gordon is smart because training my fam to be neater was a losing proposition!!!!

 

Now he will wander into Faiths room, lay on her floor, sniff her stuffies but leave them alone and when he wants to play he grabs one of the many that belong to him.

 

Have you tried those skineez animals? they have a squeaker but no stuffing? Jeff Gordon has a couple and he loves to throw them around