Rocky’s Favorite: Petco 2/$5 rope & tennis ball

This cheap toy is…the…BEST!  It’s got a tennis ball…attached to a rope…does it get any better?  Plus, it’s one of the few toys Amber actually like to play with, too.  I love to chew on these and play tug-o-war!

Rocky’s owner Carla says: these toys are perfect.  You can find them at the 2 for $5 section in Petco stores, which is usually near the cash registers.  Although they are not indestructible, they last quite a long time.  A few of these have had the ropes detach from the ball, but they still provide a lot of fun.  There’s just something about the rope/ball combo that Rocky and Amber both love.  It’s rare for Amber to be interested in a toy, but she loves to play tug-o-war with these!  They come in blue, green, and yellow.  The tennis ball part doesn’t have that furry stuff on it, so Rocky won’t sit and chew that off and leave nasty fluffy bits on the floor.  They are a definite winner in our house!

Rainy Day Activity: The Weazel Ball

Living in Southern California, we do not get very many rainy days.  So what do you do when you can’t go outside, can’t go to the dog park, and your owners won’t take you to the Ruff House Pet Resort?  Find a new high-tech toy to play with, of course!

DYToys’ Weazel Ball is a classic; you’ve probably seen it on TV before (maybe even on The Simpsons as a Dr. Frink invention?).  It’s a battery-powered ball with a cheap weasel-shaped plush attached to it, and it rolls around.  What could be better?

It is a lot of fun at first!  Until you realize it isn’t alive…what a horrible trick to play.  So what’s the only thing to do in a case like this?

 Bark at it, of course!

Rocky’s owners recommend using this only under close supervision.  It is not designed as a dog toy, so there are small parts inside, including the batteries.  Worse yet, it is really cheaply built, and the weasel bit is attached with a nylon string.  Definitely not up to dog-chewing standards, so be sure to take it away form your pup before it breaks.  This toy produces hilarious results, and it’s really cheap on Amazon (only $6), but the fun only lasts for a few minutes.

Jolly Ball stuffed with toys & treats

 

The Jolly Pet Jolly Ball is a medium-sized, hard plastic ball with holes.  That’s it.  It’s fun for about 5 minutes, possibly less…until you stuff it full of Rocky’s favorite old toys and a few treats!  I took a bunch of Rocky & Amber’s well-loved plush toys, wrapped some of them around small treats, and shoved them into the Jolly Ball’s holes.  The result is about 10 minutes more fun!  But of course, you can repeat the process.  I think Rocky and Amber enjoyed the challenge of pulling out their toys to get to the treats.  It’s definitely a change of pace and offers a bit more enrichment for them.

The Sarge

Merrick The Sarge Meaty Beef Dog Bone

 

Amber and Rocky love these bones!  Big, long-lasting, and always good for a chew after a long hard day at the dog park.  Here, they are enjoying them after I put a bit of peanut butter in each end.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Bones

Creamy peanut butter

Delicious!

Peanut Butter Bones

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or more)

1/4 cup smooth peanut buter

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. water (or more)

2 cups flour (you can use either unbleached white or whole wheat)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Add eggs, PB, honey, oil and water.  Mix until a stiff dough forms.  If too dry, you can add more water or oil as needed until the dough comes together.  Knead a few times on a lightly floured surface, then roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out shapes using a bone-shaped cookie cutter.  You can make them as small or large as you like.  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool and then allow your dog to enjoy!

Adapted from: Doggy Desserts by Cheryl Gianfrancesco (Bowtie Press, 2007).

Destroyed in Seconds Bunny

Ethical Fleece Rabbit 9-Inch Dog Toy

I knew it wouldn’t last.  But that wasn’t the point.  After hiking with Rocky and watching him go nuts over a cottontail bunny (and nearly pulling my arm out of its socket!) I caved and got him this toy.  If this bunny was a TV show, it would be Discovery’s “Destroyed in Seconds.”  One of Rocky’s favorite things to do is rip open plush toys and pull out all the stuffing!

Goodbye, little bunny.

KONG The Beast chew toy

This KONG The Beast chew toy was much loved, but alas, it did not last.

Rocky really enjoyed the short time he spent with this chew toy.  I did not enjoy picing up the nasty little bits of plastic that he chewed up.  Fortunately he doesn’t swallow them!  KONG brand toys are expensive, and for the price, this one just did not pass muster!

Petco Rope Knotty Ball

The Petco Rope Knotty Ball.  It’s great for chewing and I love it!  It comes in bright colors and it isn’t too expensive either.  This one is a buy, it lasts!

Rawhide football for The Superbowl

Football-shaped rawhide for the Superbowl

Filling a bag of treats from the rawhide bar at Petco is always fun!  We picked out this football-shaped rawhide, stuffed with chewy rawhide bits, for Rocky to have on Superbowl Sunday.

Christmas 2012

The first destroyed toy from Christmas 2012

 

We bought this at the Mary S. Roberts Pets Adoption Center in Riverside, California, on the same day we adopted Rocky – at the same place!  They have a great toy selection and there’s always some great stuff to be found in the 50% off sale bin.  Plus, the proceeds go to help the animals in this wonderful no-kill shelter.

But, it should come as no surprise that this basic stuffed toy was gone in an evening.  Rocky says, “I really enjoyed taking out the stuffing and making a mess for you!”  Merry Christmas, Rocky!