Skywalker is having a great time pulling the stuffing out of this toy bunny.

WARNING: The following information is to be used only under supervision and only with dogs you absolutely trust not to swallow things they shouldn’t. This is like giving your kids a wood burning kit for Christmas; most of the time it turns out fine; but some kids burn the house down.

I love giving dogs items that mimic natural behaviors such as killing prey. I think that many dogs are absolutely bored out of their minds the vast majority of time because they no longer hunt. So, there is no need to track or sniff out food; they don’t get the joy of ripping and shredding, etc. So, they eat your couch or your favorite teddy bear.

I often use cardboard because dogs seem to love shredding it and for the vast majority of dogs; it is very soluble if they swallow tiny pieces. However, I am always on the lookout for cheap dog toys that I will let Skywalker destroy. Many of my clients say they won’t buy their dog stuffed toys because they don’t last long. That’s the entire point. The dog wants to rip it up, destroy it completely, and then take a nap.

Skywalker has the best time when he gets to shred something; find the squeaker; take it out and then whip the toy violently from side to side. Here is a video of Sky and his toy:

Often after he gets such a toy he will lay down for a nice nap; which is what I’m going for. I want him to have fun doing something that does not involve me directly and then go to sleep so I can get some work done. As I write this he is sound asleep on the floor after spending two hours playing Shred the Bunny.

Harley, the chihuhua, investigates the bunny after Sky was done playing with it.

Yes, it is messy. I have to clean up all the stuffing. Yes, you have to supervise it and make sure your dog is not eating stuffing or more importantly swallowing the plastic squeaker (I take that away immediately). This is not a game for a dog that resource guards toys or if you have difficultly taking items from the dog (you might want to work on that though with a trainer).

But, my dog is happy. He has a great time and he doesn’t feel the need to eat my couch, my pillow or be constantly bothering me because he is bored out of his mind.

Ask yourself how you would feel if you couldn’t talk to anyone; you didn’t have television, music or a book; but you just had an empty space to inhabit. You would be bored out of your mind. You would most likely act out and become destructive. And yet

Skywalker is asleep after two hours of playing Shred the Bunny

we want our dogs to go for walks only when it is convenient for us and to not bother us when we are reading or watching our favorite television program. We certainly don’t want them to go out and actually kill a cute little bunny.

So, consider letting your dog be a dog from time to time and do doggy things. He will be happier; you will be happier.

Happy Shredding!

Again; I cannot stress enough that there are dogs out there that just swallow anything they can get their mouth on. You need to always use common sense when giving any item to your pet. Squeakers and the stuffing from dog toys can cause blockages and even death.