Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays and a variety of gift giving holidays can be a fun time for our Havanese as well as their humans! Our Havanese actually enjoy receiving gifts. They are beings that like having their minds stimulated. Some toys do that more than others.Some dogs love toys that makes noise or talks while others like toys they can chew on and this can change depending on what stage of development they are in. Some dogs like snuggly "babies" to sleep with and carry around the house. A ball is hands down the universal favorite as long as it is appropriately sized for play (too small is a choking hazard, too big is no fun).
Although we do not have every pet toy out there, we do our part in helping out little ones explore the possibilities. As we have 2 retrievers, we also need more sturdy toys for them. Anything that passes their mouths without destruction will hold out for the Havanese in longevity. But sturdiness is not the only criteria you should use in selecting a toy. Stimulating your little one's mind has to be near the top of this list.
We will explore a variety of toys we have used over the years and we will admit that one addition doesn't hit high on the sturdy list but does in the 'fun' and stimulate the mind department. In those cases, we watch our Havanese closely and remove when any damage occurs. Our safety of our pets (dogs) are very important in this household. It is wise to give new toys and products to our Havanese (dogs/pets) under supervision. It is our pleasure to introduce a couple of the hits in this household from the pups to the oldsters. We hope this helps you in finding the right toy for your pet during this gift giving time.
Zanie's Kitty Playhouse - Yes, I said it's a cat toy but why this company didn't make the leap to calling it a Dog/Cat Playhouse, I am not sure. We use it as a way to test and stimulate our pups starting at 2 weeks old. As soon as the eyes are open, we test to see how they do on different textures and problem solving. This toy allows you to change the design 8 ways and to test your pups skill on going from one end to the other. You can play a variety of games with your little one when they get home with this toy and the best part is its washable and so far its retained its shape on a gentle wash and air dry.
Here are some of the possibilities:
1. Hide and seek
2. Peek-a-boo
3. Find the treat
Plus they can use it to lounge in/on and plain get away from it all. Our dogs love to den and this toy fills this need.
Comfort Pal Puppies
The perfect buddy for a new pet, or any pet needing any extra company. Very soft terry puppy. A real feel and sound heartbeat. Digitally mastered mother dog's heartbeat on a 30 minute timer. Some come with an additional warming unit. Our pups adore these but they are hard to come by and sell out fast! We can always catch one or two or three hanging out on one.
Cat Tunnels
These are an amazing amount of fun for your little one. the more plush and soft they are though, the more apt they are to spend more time in it and even using it as an area to sleep in. We rotate between the tunnel we have and the playhouse for our pups and they love it. Don't dismiss a carrying case placed with a door open in or out of an x-pen while training or a create as it will give a place of comfort for your little one. Just be sure to throw in a toy or two and/or a treat.
Weasel Ball
This toy is loved from young to old and even us humans will laugh about it but be sure to watch the play as the weasel can come off and can be played with separately. You then have the interactive ball that can be entertainment on its own right or you can choose to sew the weasel portion on with stronger material to hold it in place. We hope to have a video of this soon with our puppies.
Play N' Squeak Door Hanger
These toys are often made for cats and you hang them on your door knob or anything else so they can bat them around. Our Havanese usually adore something hanging to play with and many cat toys are enjoyed by them. Just don't buy anything flimsy or that contains catnip.
Noise Makers
We all know the toys that have the squeakers in them and our dogs usually enjoy those but give them one that makes a duck sound or a squirrel or talks - well a new interest takes hold. Dog toys that look and sound like the real thing are a refreshing thing for your dogs other than simply a squeaker. These toys can be used in teaching retrieve and enticing them to learn a new trick - even getting them to heel depending on their level of interest. For those with food hounds, this makes for an easy way to get your dog excited without adding too many extra pounds on them. Just as in humans, they live longer more fuller lives when they are not obese.
Sergeants Fetch & Flash Ball or Bone
This is a tough durable toy safe for indoor and outdoor play. The blinking light feature is activated upon impact, and continues to flash for a 25-second cycle. A long life titanium battery will provide over 100 hours of flashing fun. This toy makes teaching retrieval fun. Remember, teach your Havanese to retrieve early by finding a one way access back to you (hallway is best) and don't continue the game till they bring it to you. It will happen and lends great exercise for your little one.
Bubble Buddy Dog Toy
This toy will certainly get your dog going after the bubbles as it creates scented bubbles that attracts them and they love popping the bubbles. You'll have fun too.
Puppy Teethers
When your dog's teeth are coming in, they may have an acute desire to chew. See the photo in this article that serves as a toy and a teether all in one.
Kongs
These are excellent toys as you can hide treats in them that are difficult but not too difficult to get out and it will entertain them for a long period of time. If the kong is the right size, you can also use it as a toy to play retrieve.
Petstages™ Rag Rope Ball Dog Toy
Our adult Havanese love these toys as they can compete for them and get their own piece of the toy to play tug. We believe tug toy does not lead to aggression as some feel. Just play the game and you control it vs. the dog. If the dog doesn't bring you back the toy to continue play, turn your back, walk away and end it. They will soon find out that if they want to keep playing, they must play it by your rules and that is a *good* think in establishing a positive and healthy relationship with your dog. Rules, boundaries and limitations are always a way to help your little one follow the rules. It's not 'mean' but rather you care that they become a dog that all will adore as they know that in life we all have rules we have to follow.
Cheap - Cheap Toys to Hold Their Attention
Toilet Paper Roll (just the cardboard tubing)
Okay, it's not a toy and they will shred it but they do have fun and it's a cheap toy that will keep them busy for a bit and then you will have to clean it up. We have indulged ours on rare occasions.
Plastic Water Bottle
You can put an empty one with something in it to make a noise but be aware, you need to watch your little ones so they do not beak the bottle. A large dog will do this in a quick manner but a Havanese - well it takes time but you must watch them and take the bottle away when it has any damage. a safer version of this is to cut ice cubes up or find a iced tray that makes mini or long tubes of ice (Avon used to sell these) and place that in to make noise. The worse that will happen then is a melting mess and if you freeze water, - well it's only water.
This dog loving family with 6 dogs, many visiting dogs that stay receives no royalties for these products. This is purely our experience from a family that believes in the need to keep your pets mind stimulated.
We recently bought a heated tunnel and an interactive cat toy called a Turbo Scratcher and a lighted ball. The tunnel came but wasn't a huge hit. It doesn't stay open enough. Too bad - maybe as they get older? It's only the first day so we shall see. The Turbo scratcher that er bought at http://www.petacular.com/ is actually a cat toy but the dogs ADORE it. They can't seem to get enough of it but drawback - our little ones peed on the top 9they are still learning) and the scratcher portion is cardboard that can't be clean. They sell replacements for approx 11.00 but too much for something that only lasted one day. We are looking into going to Michael's and cutting something more sturdy for that area. If you have any ideas - let us know or we will fill you in on what works for us. Temporarily we are using a blanket in that area and its working out fine but its not the right size.
I am also scoping out a few other toys and the pups are going to be trying their weasel ball maybe tomorrow. We'll report how it went here. Check out or videos for other fun toys and how the pups and adults react.
Look for changes as we test new things out on our little and big ones.
Also, be sure to change your set of toys, taking out a few at a time only and exchanging them for others you have away to create new interest and more stimulation.
Still confused on what type of toy your dog will enjoy? Take him to your local pet store. Use it as a way for him/her to interact with other dogs but be sure to keep them safe by reading body language of dogs that aren't friendly. Try out a few toys with him/her and see what holds his interest. Realize that this is not the optimal place to do it unless your dog had become totally relaxed in these environments and can focus on toys vs. what and who else is around them.
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