Toy Ideas For An Injured Puppy

[**Super_Dogs**]

My 12 week old Labrador puppy has just come home after having surgery for a fractured elbow. Vets orders are no running, jumping or playing for 4-6 weeks. This is going to be tough!

During the day she is confined and sleeps, but it is morning and afternoon/night where she get excitable and wants to play. I need some toy ideas where she can lay down and burn off some energy - definitely nothing that bounces around that will encourage her to leap.

I have read about Busy Buddy - any suggestions which of these would be best?

Any other products you can recommend?

Thanks so much for your ideas!! :D :D :D

[wagsalot]

Id be trying bones and kongs (maybe frozen to last longer) to kill some time.

Also, I've had a few people buy Nina Ottosson toys off me for their dogs to use while on crate rest, also the Kyjen puzzle range. Might be worth looking into puzzle toys like that to see if it might suit.

Hope your pup gets better quickly

[Panto]

There was a thread recently which might give you a few ideas:

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/218947-ideas-for-a-seriously-bored-dog-on-crate-rest/page__p__5263723__hl__crate__fromsearch__1#entry5263723

Good luck to you and your pup!

[Guest Ams]

Perhaps use these times for some mental training, sit, stay, shake hands, touch nose to hand (alternate), put toys down and get pup to choose the " right one" (ie. where's teddy?). Once out of the chewing stage you can then teach fetch slippers, paper, etc with this one. Dinner can last a long time when they have to work for each piece of kibble and you achieve a lot of useful training at the same time.

Mental stimulation is much more tiring than zoomies. You can also move the crate from room to room if you wish to change their outlook on given days.

I've had a number of rescue dogs that have required long term crate/enforced rest and all have coped well.

[Keira&Phoenix]

Perhaps use these times for some mental training, sit, stay, shake hands, touch nose to hand (alternate), put toys down and get pup to choose the " right one" (ie. where's teddy?). Once out of the chewing stage you can then teach fetch slippers, paper, etc with this one. Dinner can last a long time when they have to work for each piece of kibble and you achieve a lot of useful training at the same time.

Mental stimulation is much more tiring than zoomies. You can also move the crate from room to room if you wish to change their outlook on given days.

I've had a number of rescue dogs that have required long term crate/enforced rest and all have coped well.

Just had to say this is a lot of good ideas!! Awesome.

[**Super_Dogs**]

Thanks so much for you ideas

Tonight we have been practicing sit, down and nose touches. I love the idea of choosing a toy.

This worked a treat to control the running and jumping. I think I am going to have to also try some of the puzzles and dog treat toys as tonight it has taken her 3 hours to settle. She is finally asleep

[Guest Ams]

A simple toy can be to create a never ending sock ball using all your single socks. Pop a smelly treat in every few layers so they get a reward as they unwrap it. When they are done you get to pick all the socks up and build it again for the next day.

Get a plastic drink bottle, remove the coloured tags that held the lid on, cut a hole in one side (the smaller the hole the harder the task), put some kibble in and dog will spend time tipping it around to get it to release the treats. Make sure the kibble is totalled into the daily calorie count or you will have a very overweight pup after a few weeks.

You can also wet kibble and make it mushy, mix with vegies like pumpkin (a good filler but not a lot of calories) then freeze it into either ice cubes and then pop them in a bottle like above or freeze in a butter container. Dog then has to lick at it to make it defrost to eat.

Put a small amount of peanut butter into a plastic jar (close to the bottom) so dog has to work hard with their tongue to lick it out.

I will think of some more later.

Edited May 17, 2011 by Ams

[**Super_Dogs**]

Thanks so much for these ideas.

I have tried the sock ball and peanut butter in the botton of a plastic cup today.

:D :D :D

Edited May 17, 2011 by buddy1