Dog Toy Danger

[BigDog2191]

Well, as most of you know I'm going to be getting a German Shepherd Dog puppy in about six weeks!


Anyway, I was a bit concerned. I have a good friend who has a full-grown German Shepherd. My friend and I were playing with him and I had a tennis ball I threw it, and like the great dog he is, he caught it .

The thing is, the whole ball (the WHOLE ball) fit in his mouth. I got so scared... I thought he was gonna swallow it. I ran and took it out of his mouth. The same thing happened with a baseball .

I dunno what to do when I get my dog... should I let him play with tennis balls and such. I know he can when he's just a pup cause his mouth isn't big enough to fit a ball inside but when he's full grown is what I'm worried about. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Saje]

Are you getting a GSD puppy? LOL Just teasing.

Anyway, I think it is a concern. My maverick can fit, like, three tennis balls in his mouth. He doesn't but he could. I don't give them to him. Instead I buy the big oversized balls at the pet store which is funny because Mikey can't quite pick them up.

As long as he can't choke on them as a puppy I think they'll be ok and then you might want to up the size a bit.

I suppose the chances of him choking on it are slim but I remember seeing an episode of Rescue 911 (remember that?) where a firefighter or EMT had to resucitate a dog after it had choked on a tennis ball. Guess it made me paranoid.

On the other hand my friend had his GSD playing with a tennis ball every day. It was part of his work out. He'd go into the ocean and bring it back.

But, still, I'd be a little more cautious.

 

[Love4Pits]

Huh none of my adult dogs have ever swallowed a tennis ball or base ball before but most of my dogs can fit a whole one in their mouth. I don't really worry about it and I did'nt know I should. Huh yeah i would like to know how dangerouse this is.....

 

[Renee750il]

The thing about tennis balls, as I understand it, is that covering is quite abrasive. Mine always played with them too, but I'm finding that larger things are better with Shiva and Kharma, especially large things that don't bounce predictably. And of course, they're always picking up very large sticks to play with . . .

 

[BigDog2191]

I was just concerned cause I mean he could fit like the WHOLE thing in his mouth and I actually thought he was gonna swallow. Just got a little worried.

 

[BigDog2191]

And I'm not saying it's DANGEROUS for your dog to play with a tennis ball... I mean it just looked like he was going to swallow it and I know that would be... very dangerous. Anyway, I'm just lookin' to see what kind of toys I should get it. I was gonna get a bone for him to chew on anyway . At least just like inside the house.


I always thought tennis balls would be nice for him to play with when I'm in the back yard with him...

 

[Saje]

Oh sure. I don't think they are that dangerous. I just think there is a small risk that you should be aware of. Same as some bones, sticks, rawhide...

Kong is the toy that was recommended to me the most. They are a little expensive intially but as long as you don't lose it they will last a long time.

 

[Renee750il]

For a puppy you will want to get puppy chew toys because their teeth are like little needles and some adult toys are going to be in danger of having small pieces breaking off.

Once those baby teeth are gone, Kongs are good and any of the Orbee toys are good. There are lots of others as well, I just know about the Orbees because I needed something that would stand up to Monsters.

 

[CreatureTeacher]

Or you could slip on the soap in the shower tomorrow and hit your head on the tub.

Accidents can and do happen with balls, and you do need to be aware and careful. But don't forget that dogs don't have hands to catch with. Their primary tool for interacting with their environment is their mouth, and they tend to be very dexterous. I tend to trust that my dogs know how to use their "hands". Of course, some of them are clumsy just like some people are with their hands. Instead of tossing a ball straight into their mouths, you can toss it a little to one side so they have to move to catch it. Then it can't plop straight into their throats.

 

[Renee750il]

Thanks, Emma! Tossing to the side is an excellent 'fix' for that worry! I'll have to remember that with my girls, since you could put your fist down those maws and not touch the sides!

 

[BigDog2191]

Got it. I have another question... when should I start walking my dog? Does it matter?

 

[Saje]

That's good advice.

I hope I don't slip in the shower and hit my head. That would hurt. There's a girl on the bunny forum I go to who fell and hit her back about a month ago. She has been passing out lately and has bad back pain but her mom won't take her to the (i almost wrote vet) doc because she's not bleeding to death. Makes me mad. she could have problems and I think she's only 14. (That's not related to this thread but it popped into my head)

 

[emc]

Putting the tennis ball into a sock may make it more safe plus it's more fun to play with.

Poochie Mugs
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[Saje]

Hot thread. We're all posting at the same time.

 

[Renee750il]

I've always started walking mine as soon as I got them. They can't walk very far without getting pooped, and sometimes I end up carrying a very heavy puppy for awhile (Shiva weighed 35 pounds when we brought her home at about 8 weeks old!) if I let the walk get too long. You also don't want to get too far from being able to give your puppy a drink. You can get a collapsible cloth water dish that will fold up and fit in your pocket so you can always share a bottle of water or a drink from the fountain.

 

[Renee750il]

The tennis ball in the sock is a lot of fun, plus they can play tug with it and shake it like it's prey, lol.

 

[Saje]

Maverick used to drink from Steve's hat if we got too far. but most of the time there were water sources. He loved drinking from puddles no matter how much we puddled him away. He's not a very clean dog. He sometimes peed in the puddle first.

Steve once had to wrap Maverick up in his jacket (while he was wearing it) and ride him home on the bike. Maverick wouldn't budge once he got tired and to make it worse he'd howl and throw himself on the grass and get sympathy from strangers. What a funny dog.

 

[BigDog2191]

lol, I'm getting my puppy at about six weeks old. I'll probably wait for 2 weeks before I start giving him exercise. But playing with him, that's a different story .

 

[Saje]

Oh playing is always good.

 

[Renee750il]

Six weeks is awfully early - eight weeks is the bare minimum for most breeders, especially with an inexperienced owner. Getting him so early is going to give you some things you're going to have to work through with him that his mother would have taught him from six to eight weeks old, like nipping inhibition.

I'd like to strongly recommend that you get either the videos or books on training by the Monks of New Skete (www.dogsbestfriend.com) to help you. They've been raising and training German Shepherds for ages; their techniques can take a lot of worry and frustration out of the puppy experience, for both you and your puppy.