Over my life I have had many dogs and even more dog toys. There have been bags and baskets full of all kinds of toys in various rooms of my house for my four legged buddies. I don’t even want to think about the amount of money I’ve spent on that part of my life. But I do it because I love them, so to be honest, I don’t really care. What does drive me mildly mad is when I bring home a toy for them and within 30 minutes I find it’s innards spread around the floor of any or every room in my house. And this is what has put me on the quest for Indestrucible Squeaky Toys for Dogs.
Of course this issue will vary based on breed, temperament and tenacity. I have had little dogs that had the ability to disintegrate a toy in what seemed seconds after it found their mouth. And then I’ve known large dogs to almost nurse a toy like they’ll never let it leave them. You probably don’t want to put your hand near their mouth while they’re doing that, but those dogs do exist.
The best example I had of a dog that would destroy a squeaky toy was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi we had. He was a gorgeous and brilliant little man with a deep-seated drive to extricate whatever it was that made a toy squeak. Corgis are a hearding breed so I am not sure what in him gave him this drive, but if a toy made a noise on average it would keep its innards for around 20 minutes, and that was for a well built toy. But often it would be tossed to him and well within 5 minutes the stuffing was flying across the floor and the squeaker was gone or being masticated, and however much I paid for that toy may as well have been thrown out the window. But the look of happiness and accomplishment on that little guys face was priceless.
There is something about a dog toy that makes a noise that adds that certain extra that a dog loves. Does it make them think it is alive? Is it just the added sensory stimulus? I don’t know. I do know that one of my current pups, Mr Thumper, loves to fetch, and when I give his ball a squeeze and it lets out that squeal he goes into overdrive and can’t wait to catch it.
And on the other side, my Shorkie , The Dooz, loves a cat toy that looks like a mouse and makes a little high pitched squeal or whistle when you shake it and that drives her nuts. When she brings it back after I’ve thrown it she is shaking it like the ratter that a Terrier is. The stimulation of these toy sounds is a feature that just sends my dogs into their happy place.
Below are some topics for discussion on Indestructible Squeaky Dog toys, and we look forward to hearing everyone’s comments.
Expectations – How long should one last?
Indestructible, in perpetuity, forever & ever, OK that might be a bit much to ask for. But is a year or 2 or 3 or more too much to expect? I think not. There are toys that we’ve had that indeed have lasted years, but they have not necessarily been the most popular, and hence their lifespan. Or they were the most popular, but have just lost favor. Not all good things last forever. What squeaker toys have lasted longest for your dog?
Materials – Cloth, Rubber, Rope
There are toys that are considered indestructible, but not that many that produce a noise. Below are some of the materials, and whether we’ve seen them with a squeaker.
- Rubber – Yes
- Cloth – Yes –
- Rope – Yes
- Nylon – No
See link to Outward Hound Invincibles below
Types of Toys – Training, Interactive, Amusement
If we look at the types of toys as described in the AKC page AKC Types of Dog Toys we can categorize them as :
- Training
- Treat Dispenser
- Interactive
- Self Amusement
- Comfort
Training is geared more for the puppy and towards instructing them on right from wrong. These could be a nylon bone or any other toy you’ve bought them that is not your shoes or furniture. Squeakers will most often be found in the Interactive, Self Amusement and Comfort category. Interactive is my personal favorite as it is meant to develop the relationship between us.
Self amusement and comfort are almost built in if your dog loves a squeaker. Warning: A dog that is overly self amused with a squeaking toy can quickly become maddening to their owner depending on the sound and the owners temperament. Comfort is usually the category that disintegrates the quickest with a proficient toy destroyer. The plush softness of a toy may have a great appeal but it seems to be the largest attractant for disemboweling
Types of Play – Chew, Fetch or Tug?
I love interactive play with my dogs. Heck, why did I get them if it wasn’t to interact with them. My dog Thumper, a Schipperke-Kintamani mix, loves to play fetch. He gets a kind of nutty look on his face when I pick up his ball that squeaks and he watches with total focus and anticipation as to where it will be thrown. I have taught him 3 phrases when we do this.
- Runner : Means it is going to be thrown and he will be running after it.
- Bouncer: Means I’m throwing it to the ground hard enough to give it a high bounce
- Low Bounce : Means it will bounce but not as hard as a Bouncer and he will normally catch it in the air close to me.
Next I plan to teach him those 3 by the # of squeaks I give the ball, so then interaction could morph into training.
What types of play do you have with your dog and a squeaker toy?