# Do you let your dogs play with random 'stuff'?



## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Do you let your dogs play with random 'stuff' like empty bottles (without cap), cardboard boxes, yogurt cups or other food packaging items (minus the plastic wrap stuff)?

I sometimes do with supervision of course. Zeeva loves to kick around a small yogurt cup. And this is what she did today! 









I don't mind the mess as long as she stays busy and is happy 

Do you think it's dangerous? Even with supervision?


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I've always done it. They love it, and sometimes it's just nice to tear something up, LOL.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

I generally don't let her play with random stuff...
However, SHE decides to play with some random stuff on her own


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I used to give Jax the empty water bottles but dogs don't know the difference between empty and full....it's not always a good thing.  I give her the empty cartons to lick out (peanut butter, ice cream, cottage cheese, etc.)


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

I like to wear ball caps, and when one of them has finally had it I'll let Sasha play with it. We pretty much only play with it together (she has free access but generally won't touch it until I'm playing too. ) We play tug with it, and I pester her with it (trying to put it on her head) lol


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## Dooney's Mom (May 10, 2011)

Water bottles yes. Now what she really likes is Gatorade bottles. If I am drinking one, she will sit and stare at me until I am done and she gets all excited knowing she is getting it now. When my brother was down for a visit he had one and she was staring at him and he looked at me and said "Sis your dog is looking at me like she wants to eat me!" I assured him she was eying the gatorade bottle and not him


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

Heck, yeah! Dog toys aren't cheap.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i only let my dog play with dog toys, bones and antlers.
if he's playing with other dogs and they're playing with
a stick i let him.


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## Ilovemypuppies (Jan 2, 2012)

toilet paper and paper towel rolls I let mine play with sometimes. They just like to rip it up. They sometimes get a hold of a piece of paper and usually it was just scrap paper and they will tear that up. They also chew on cool whip container because thats what we put food in sometimes. They just like stuff to chew on. Not as much now that they are all out of the puppy stage


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

He has mangled all of his toys..he plays with random things exclusively. He is...The Terminator!!!!


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

I got tired of trying to find toys that were heavy duty enough to withstand the abuse so I let the fosters play with plastic bottles. I got creative an strung a tug rope through a 2 liter soda bottle and the fosters love that.You just have to keep an eye on it for chewing and sharp edges.


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## Sir Bear (Mar 9, 2012)

When Bear was a crazy puppy I would give him cardboard boxes, bottles, etc...anything that would occupy him for a few minutes and give me some peace! 

Now I really regret it, he's developed a severe love of shredding and it's a hard habit to break. He can't have beds anymore and he thinks any bottles on the counter tops are his ; )


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

I never have as I think of it as giving your dog an old shoe to play with and then getting upset when they chew up a good pair.


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## Piper'sgrl (Apr 20, 2012)

I personally dont allow my pup to chew on anything other than her toys, raw hides and maybe the odd waterbottle. But no toilet paper or boxes or anything as I believe that may teach her destructive behaviour and make her believe that she is allowed to chew what ever she wants...she knows she can chew her own stuff and sometimes she plays with the cats toys but she never chews them because I've taught her not to. She usually just carries stuff around in her mouth. If I let her rip stuff up for fun she would be doing that to everything. Dogs need boundaries..might as well teach them while they are young. So they arent chewing shoes n boxes when theyre older and they wont listen to you cuz youve taught them its ok.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

No, just his toys, bones and antlers.

We gave him stuffed animals for a while, until he started shredding them. We don't want to encourage that kind of behavior.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

I do. The dogs greatly enjoy yogurt cups, I regularly let them lick clean the Styrofoam trays from meat packages. They always chew on our pop bottles, and fire logs we have stacked in a pile.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Cardboard boxes, water/drink bottles, the cardboard roll inside paper towels and TP, pretty much anything cardboard, yogurt containers, empty soda cans, empty cat food cans, old catalogs, plastic gallon jugs, you name it, it's a toy. 



























I don't get bent out of shape about it unless it's something I don't want chewed, like my shoes, or is harmful to the dog, like disposable razors.


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## kateydog (Aug 1, 2012)

My GSD's got sick of toys pretty easily (they love Frisbee but I don't want this pup jumping yet, as she jumps like a maniac already).

Squeaky balls they love. Non squeaky balls not so much.

Same with stuffed toys.

If it makes noise, or they can chase it and it looks like prey? They love it. If not? They don't bother with it, unless it is a kids toy/item that they are "stealing".

I have a plastic step stool that I let her flip over and bite. She will drag it all around, then take her ball and put it on top of it and sometimes brings all her toys there and makes a pile lol. It is the one thing I let her have that she is not supposed to. When she gets too many corrections and no's she will go take some frustration out on it lol.

Empty milk jugs she herds. She loves plastic bottles. I take the wrapper off and let her go to town. 

For intense chew time? Bully sticks/deer antlers. Both my GSD turned their nose up at Nylon bones. I have probably spent 50 dollars on those stupid things. All different flavors. 

She also loves to open her crate door, then kick it shut. The louder noise she can make while playing? The more fun she seems to have lol.


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## dbellamore (Feb 10, 2005)

empty water bottles have always been of favorite of all my GSDs, especially the puppies.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Do you worry about your dog swallowing anything they shred?


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## dbellamore (Feb 10, 2005)

empty water bottles have been a favorite of all my GSDs.


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## Rainer (Feb 15, 2012)

Cheerful1 said:


> Do you worry about your dog swallowing anything they shred?


 
I let my pup shred some cardboard boxes every once in a while. He always spits out the pieces (kind of funny to watch)...it's like he just enjoys the feeling of destroying something, lol. I always watch him and make sure he doesn't swallow anything though.

He steals plastic bottles out of the recycle bin sometimes when he thinks I'm not looking. Absolutely loooooooves crinkling them and the noise it makes! Silly pup!


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Cheerful1 said:


> Do you worry about your dog swallowing anything they shred?


Sometimes but I monitor her carefully if she has something random to play with...

What I do worry about more is having her learn behaviors she shouldn't. For example she likes to guard the trash and stick her nose in it because she knows that after she's done with a random toy it goes in there and she wants it back. I block off the trash from her now; keep it in a different room. But I do enjoy watching her shred and destroy stuff I've given her. I especially enjoy watching her kick around empty yogurt cups--it's the cutest thing and I'll have to video tape it some day  I dunno. I guess there are pluses and minuses to letting her play with random 'stuff'.

Smokey sticks his nose up to everything. He only likes bones.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

dbellamore said:


> empty water bottles have been a favorite of all my GSDs.


Especially when you put them in an old sock to play tug with  They love the sound of it I guess.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

It depends on the dog. As a puppy, no. They only get to play with toys I purchased for them. If the pup likes squeakers, I'll provide sqeakers. If the pup like the crinkle sound, I'll purchase the toys that you velcro the water bottle inside the toy. All toys are supervised with the exception of Kong type toys. Where there are no bits and peices to be pulled off and swallowed. 

I can't correct a dog who steals my empty yogurt container from the coffee table, if I've allowed him/her to play with them. 

When the dog matures and is solid on never stealing phones, shoes, socks, trash etc., then I might allow them to lick a container clean after I've finished with it. But not utilize it as a toy. 

My sister had a much loved and mature Aussie who choked to death on a piece of plastic from a water bottle. Her dog was dead before they even got it to the car. She NEVER swallowed the pieces she chewed...until this one time.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Lilie said:


> It depends on the dog. As a puppy, no. They only get to play with toys I purchased for them. If the pup likes squeakers, I'll provide sqeakers. If the pup like the crinkle sound, I'll purchase the toys that you velcro the water bottle inside the toy. All toys are supervised with the exception of Kong type toys. Where there are no bits and peices to be pulled off and swallowed.
> 
> I can't correct a dog who steals my empty yogurt container from the coffee table, if I've allowed him/her to play with them.
> 
> ...


This was a wonderful post. Thank you. 

I've had to do the heimlich maneuver on Zeeva before but she was chewing on a bone I had purchased from a pet store. Could happen with anything. :c


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## hattifattener (Oct 7, 2011)

empty plastic bottles.
in fact Odi has no other toys.
she had lots of tennis balls,but are ripped to
shreds and/or buried somewhere.

she isn't particularly interested in toys though.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

"...She NEVER swallowed the pieces she chewed...until this one time".

That's what I worry about...that one time.

I do keep handy the instructions for the Heimlich; pray I never need to use it.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Empty paper towel tubes are a favorite around here.

First we play Whack-A-Dog - which is Mauser's *FAVORITE *game. Then I let him 'win' and he gets to take the tube and go do whatever he wants with it. Mostly just shreds it.


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