Cute Puppies and “Green” Chew Toys

This picture doesn’t have a whole lot to do specifically with this  post, but sometimes, it is necessary to post pictures just because they’re worth more than a whole slew of word paragraphs! So while were on the subject of cuteness…

How can one resist such a pleading gaze?

Cuteness aside, have you ever considered the possibilities that abound when it comes to play toys for pups? Obviously, with lots of pups around here periodically, we can go through a lot of chew toys! There’s such a fun selection of them at any pet store – it’s usually Tractor Supply for us – but they come with a hefty price tag and when we bring them home, before we know it, the puppies have already gone through them! Not only that, but many toys contain rather dubious substances in them, and as it is our goal to get our puppies off to the healthiest start possible, we prefer to avoid that problem. So, we’ve discovered a few natural, inexpensive, and “green” toys that give our puppies and dogs hours of honest chewing fun.

Take, for instance, overgrown garden produce. With those summer squash and zucchini plants that produce so prolifically, I’m bound to miss a few at the proper time of harvest, and end up with overgrown produce. Well, never fear, a little trip to the puppies and those big squash have a useful end, providing the young ones with lots of fun chewing and tug-of-war experiences.

There’s other options, too, when the squash is obliterated. Good old-fashioned beef bones, left over from boiling beef broth for us humans, are a favorite of our dogs, both big and small. We have a whole stash of them round about our pen and yards, and most often someone is chewing away on one. They last and last, quite the opposite of squash, strenghthen those little baby jaws, and encourage good dental health by scraping off unwanted tooth plaque.

Old socks, beyond their fitness for feet, still have one last job around here. A pair, knotted tightly together, work just perfect for little puppy teeth to wrestle with, or a pair of puppies to tug back and forth. Hard sticks also serve the same purpose, and are in high abundance, for a very low price!

And of course, it may not be very “green” except in color, but the age old tennis ball is also a favorite toy for our canines!

What unusual toys do YOUR Golden Retrievers enjoy?