There are a lot of toys, and most are high-quality and safe. We bought the appropriate hoops for our Staffordshire Terriers—very durable, according to the manufacturer:
Yes, at first there were no problems. True, one of the rings broke in half the next day. But we used the second one for quite a long time – definitely 3-4 months. The only problem was that pieces would occasionally fall off the toy, which the dogs could easily swallow. The consequences could be dire. So we simply threw the toy away. Similar stories happened with the others. Tell me, are there really durable dog toys?
As for me, no. So we decided to opt for natural wood—we just give them walking sticks when we go for walks outside.
Alternatively, a plastic bottle will also work:
We have a grown female Labrador. Six years ago, we bought her purple Trixie Puller training rings (I don't know if yours is the same brand or not; they might be similar, but the manufacturer will be different). She hasn't chewed them up in all that time. Yes, there are a lot of teeth marks, but the ring has never crumbled. Maybe it depends on the dog's preferences?! I see in the second photo, the cutie is trying to tear off a piece with her front teeth )) And our Kolka just gnawed, bit, or brought the toy to us so we could pull it (take it away from her). Every child plays differently 😄 But when she was young, she only had one stick. The only one. She chewed it to shavings and was no longer interested in sticks. Or maybe it depends on the dog's breed or personality... Ours is such an affectionate sissy, she can't defend herself. Gnawing hard like that is not her style. She can't bite into a watermelon (it's like she's shy), so I cut her into pieces. And overall, I think she thinks everyone should love her and bring her treats; it can't be any other way 😂
What are those loops on the dog, like reins? And what are they for?
A lot depends on the breed. Ours are fighting dogs, so gnawing and tearing is in their blood. And as for watermelons (in our case, they eat melon), they're also shy about biting them; you have to cut them up, and make them smaller. They're all so cool and different!
Harnesses are a special device for developing dogs' endurance. This is how they build muscle mass. A weight is attached to them, or, as we did, a car tire. But in our case, the girl is strong and can pull for up to half an hour without stopping, while the boy can't even last three minutes—he's lazy. And the most interesting thing is that Chara tries to pull on the harness herself so she can run with the weight again.
Wow, I didn't know that! Thanks for the info about these belt loops!
What a strong and resilient girl Charochka is!