Three weeks ago, a friend bought the toy pictured below for Rory, a toy-breed dog. He placed it on the kitchen counter, still in the bag supplied by the store he purchased it from, as he continued to carry the rest of the packages inside. Rory immediately detected that the package on the counter was something for her,
Eying it for a moment, thinking that it looked pretty solid and well made because of its similarity to a trendy brand toy known for its rugged construction, I pushed it toward the back of the counter, waiting for my friend to give it to Rory himself.
Rory’s enthusiasm was boundless. She would not give up the toy, even when eating dinner. Her attachment to this new toy was not a normal reaction.
On the second day, she began to tear small pieces off of the toy, which I recovered before she had swallowed them. Rory is a tiny dog! I took the toy away from her and placed it back on the counter in its original packaging and then back into the store’s plastic shopping bag. I realized there was something more and mildly disturbing about Rory’s attachment to this toy that needed to be shared with my readers.
Here’s what is so disturbing. This toy, which I will no longer allow Rory to play with, has been immediately replaced with four other toys that I consider “safety toys” or at least as safe as I can find. In addition, Rory was allowed to pick them out in the store so that I knew she wanted them. However, Rory continued to jump up and down in front of the counter where I placed the yellow toy shown above. It has been happening for four weeks, and she still senses it is on the counter. How? Let me tell you what is not the reason. It is not the way the toy looks. It is not the way the toy feels. It is not the way the toy sounds. It is not the way the toy rolls or bounces. It is nothing except “how the toy SMELLS” and possibly how it tastes, but I can’t validate the latter.
So, what is embedded in the material of that toy to make the smell so powerful and attractive to a dog that it literally cannot let go of it? How safe could the chemical producing the intense and enticing odor possibly be? This particular ball smells like vanilla or cookies made for human consumption. Further investigation of the package revealed that this toy was not manufactured in the USA. Does that count? It would have been easier to conduct further investigation if it were manufactured in the USA, and I would have done so.
I closely supervise playtime and examine all the toys my dogs play with. The toys I feel safe giving my dogs are the toys that have no removable parts and are as close to impossible to tear the squeaker out of as I can find. The photos show the heavy binding stitches around the toys that keep the seams from ripping open.
I like some of the braided ropes that are tightly woven with minimal or no strings. Yes, I like many other popular toys for my dogs, and they are listed as For Extreme Chewers from popular manufacturers.
Please monitor all toys and chewable items your dog plays with. If your dog’s behavior toward a toy seems unusual, follow your instincts about its possible hazardous material content and replace it—you’re probably right.
