12 mistakes you make when buying a toy to your dog

Not everything is going to the veterinarian, eating and walking.Dogs also have their whims and the owners know it.Every year 90 euros are spent on accessories and toys for their classmates, according to the III edition of the Annual Pet Study in Spain published by Animal Store.83% of the budget is intended for the fun of the animal.

But before launching in some (or some) and making a special gift, you have to take into account a series of errors that are often made when thinking about the leisure of pets.

1. Let you play with a stick

Yes, you may have four new toys at home, but what is most fun is the stick in the park when it goes for a walk.First error.For experts this is not adequate.“It is true that if the dog goes for a walk, it is very likely that he comes with a stick or a stone.Let's not forget that he is an animal, but that game is not always good, ”says Laura García, a veterinary technical assistant specialized in pets.

"They can break, splinter and the dog can harm, swallow it, and even the stick can have some bug or rest of some toxic plant," he adds."To prevent him from taking the stick, it is best to wear a toy if he will be running loose in a park and thus stimulate it," he adds.

2. Give children's toys

The expert recommends that toys be “dog toys” bought in animal stores and with guarantee so that they do not have toxic materials and be resistant.“Toys are toys because humans use them as such.If you usually throw a stick, it will be your toy.Anything can be for a dog, but part of education is going to teach them that.There it is important not to reuse those that children do not want or give them their stuffed animals, ”she says.

3. Buy toys unlimited

When looking for entertainment for the pet, the shelves full of frisbees, balls, bites, stuffed animals or food artifacts can be overwhelming.Experts generally recommend that each dog have three toys for a moderate enjoyment and that each one is for a specific situation.To know which or what are the most to take into account the age, size and character of the pet, as well as when it will be the moment of the game.

4. Pass with the bars and groceries

Garcia points out that, in addition to being an entertainment, toys serve to strengthen the denture of the animal, improve its physical form and also as "training complement.""It is important that the toy not only serves as a prize, but stimulates the animal," adds the specialist, so she does not recommend using edible toys too frequently or those who dispense food.Only when necessary.

5. Do not look at resistance

Dogs are animals and, even if they are domestic, they maintain their wild instinct, so when looking for their favorite toy this primary part plays a fundamental role.According to a study by the University of Bristol (England) published in the Animal Cognition magazine in 2012, “Dogs see toys similar to what the wolves perceive their prey, so they like them to know food, and eventhat can break and leave. ”However, this can be dangerous for some animals."Not everyone does it, but some tend to swallow," adds Garcia.

6. Think that you don't have to renew them

Fun ends up always being limited.“It depends on the degree of animal activity.For example, there are dogs that overexcal with a new toy, they play a lot with him and get fed up.Like children.There are others that do not exploit it so much and last more interest, ”says the specialist.For example, she tells that there are dogs who love to sound to bite, but others end up getting tired.

7. Give them too small balls

The balls serve to exercise it and, as indicated in an animal expert, to establish a link between owner and dog.From the web they differentiate between "search balls" and "balls to bite", the first "softer and soft" to prevent harm and catch them on the flight.Garcia points out that the balls are a complement to education and strengthen basic orders such as "throwing and bringing."

Do not forget that the size of the ball has to be adapted to that of the dog, so there are different sizes."The size of the ball is important, they should never be like a ping pong, for example, because it can cause suffocation," Garcia details."They have to be a bit larger than the mouth, so that you have to keep it open and bite, but not too much so that you do not weigh and you can take it well."

8. Use tennis balls

The perfect size can be the tennis ball, but this is not adequate."They are carbon fiber and if they bite their teeth too much, arriving in some cases to leave the nerve in the air and it hurts a lot," warns the veterinary assistant.To replace them there are others that imitate them in size and shape, but of materials suitable for them.

“There are dogs who like to go behind bigger balls, football or basketball.If you only run and give their heads or legs, they can serve.Or even if they bite them and are resistant and do not break.The problem comes when they tear and there is some harmful material, ”adds the expert."Not all dogs do it, but if they have a tendency to swallow in excess you can play a bad pass," she warns.

9. Do not look at the frisbee material

With respect to the discs, the veterinarians point out that it is very important that they never use them because they can injure themselves.To avoid problems, they focus on the material: always rubber and never plastic because it damages your teeth.

And who says only the teeth ...

10. belittle the strings

For Garcia, one of the key toys that every dog must have is the rope."It has to be always adapted to the size and strength of the animal's jaw and also from the owner's ability," he says.The expert emphasizes that this type of toys and the "pull and loosen" between the animal and the owner are very good for education."They learn orders such as‘ still ’,‘ for ’, and they have to know when you have to stop throwing, although sometimes let them win," she says.

11. Save the toys when leaving home

In addition to having fun, toys also serve to entertain him when he is alone and incidentally give the owner who is not shattered furniture when he gets home.“Most puppies and some adult dogs suffer anxiety when the owners leave home.They are usually restless animals that destroy the furniture or bite the shoes.For them, it is best some type of bitten or a kong, a chewable toy shaped like two United spheres that allows you to introduce a food reward inside and that the animal has to get little by little, ”says Garcia."After the balls and strings are the most successful and the owners usually see results," he emphasizes.

This is achieved that the animal is entertaining a long time and that extra feeding is not as strong as a bone."There are other variants similar to Kong but in the form of bone for dogs of smaller or less strong jaws," adds the specialist, who emphasizes that there are also food dispensers and ball pitches for when the owner is out.

The bites also fulfill this function but for a more limited time.Beyond this, they have a more important function, rather than entertaining them serve to strengthen their teeth.In Animal expert they indicate that they are "perfect for puppies" since they relieve the pain of incipient teeth and learn what can be bite and what not.

12. Do not value your intelligence

If the dog has great cognitive capacity, there are toys that can entertain them even more."They are called cognitive or intelligence toys and are a kind of puzzles within which there is a reward," says Garcia.

"They are very interesting for intelligent dog breeds such as collies, farmers, Golden Retriever, Caniche or German shepherds," he adds.Although he points out that if the dog is impatient and restless he will despair and get tired easily.

To do it correctly, the best thing is that the first times the animal does it with the owner and it explains how it works so that it does not dedicate only to bite or throw it.

Pet costumes

Marina Prats

Life and Trends editor, Huffpost