manly-men toys

Dude...you're a chewer! Penny tears up all my indestructible toys. It's so not fair....

WOW! You are a chewer. I prefer cow hoofies. Have you ever tried one of those? They last a loooong time.

Have you tried raw bones? Our dogs love raw bones and the larger ones last a long time.

Yukon's big problem is "Too happy"....I not only need to find something he won't destroy in 30 minutes or less. It has to be something that doesn't amp him up to the point of uncontrolability.....so I'm thinking raw bones will fail the second test. I will try hooves. Even if they only last a day, it's better than nothing.

You might want to consider some behavior modification. From what I read this past week doing research on kid/dog safety, you don't want to scold a dog for growling. Growling is the dog's early warning system. If it can't growl, then it might just bite. But, you need to be able to take the toys, bones, etc., without having Yukon growl at you.

It might be worthwhile consulting a trainer for tips.

Further Connie's point: we were also told that silencing the growls won't change the behavior reason, just make the growls inaudible to us (meaning, they do an internal growl and the feelings behind them are still there).

yup raw bones are the best for sure. Keeps the teeth clean thus fresh breath along with being pretty when you smile! Keeps me busy and the cookie guy said I get bits bone meal which is good for you. By the way fresh bone material will harden up a loose stool! I'ld imagine bone meal would work the same way but I've never tried that.

I haven't been at this house very long, not even a month. These people don't know when I'm "playing" and when it's serious. (Maybe Yukon was abused while crated?) I growl at my toys during soccer and fetch, but that doesn't seem to scare people (humans). When I'm in trouble (for marking) and sent to my crate, I do a warning growl to the angry person who is closing my door. That might explain why I growled at mom when I was playing with a toy (that I REALLY liked) in my crate, don't you think?

Is Yukon neutered?

I'd definitely second the behavior modification - Nigel went through a stage where he was VERY protective of his braided rawhide. Whenever he would growl, we'd take it away from him without a fuss and started letting him chew on it while we were holding it, and then randomly take it away and give it back. It worked and he's never been possessive of anything since.

he was also only a puppy (about 4 months old) at the time, so that may have made a difference as we were able to nip it in the bud ASAP.

As for indestructible toys, i've found a kong that has a rope threaded through it and he LOVES IT. he loves tug and just shaking it around. I got it at PSP.

Also, at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic we got him this big purple plastic jar that you put food in. the jar has a rope that sticks out of it blocking the entrance and the dog has to figure out how to get the kibble out of the jar. the BRAC people swear it is indestructible and it is also good mental exercise.

As the Dog Whisperer says, the dog's past is in its past and it is its present you have to work with. While many trainers don't agree with some of Ceaser's methods, I do think that advice is good. I am guilty of it myself. I tend to let things slide because I think "aw, poor dog, it was abused, or mistreated or whatever" and in reality I should be helping the dog get over it. The longer you let something go, the more the dog thinks it is OK and the harder it is to fix later.

I recommend reading "Mine: a practical guide to resource guarding in dogs". It will help you teach your pup that it's ok to let you take things, because it's possible that something better is coming along. It's really short and is available through IMCPL. Also a lot of people recommend "nothing in life is free" training that helps the dog realize and accept that YOU are the source for all food, drink and wonderful treats and toys. Hand feeding may help as well.

As for tough toys, have you tried the buster cube? Do they still sell Galileo bones? If so you may try one, it's a nylabone type material but extra thick and a special shape.

I agree with everyone here. Behavior modification can really help and it will also give him confidence and let him know the correct behavior in every situation. A confident dog will not become defensively aggressive towards you or others. Just keep up the training!

Ive got a face appointment for Oct. 7th. The lady wrote me down as a chocolate rotweiler mix.....I like anything chocolate!!!! I am kind of worried about the "no water after midnight" rule. Don't they know I am half elephant and half camel, besides all my dog parts? True enough, I'm a slobberinski, but I can make the water fountain go down over a gallon a day all by my thirsty self. Mom says we can put the water fountain in a closet and chain the toilet shut.......I'm pretty smart, though. And I LOVE WATER!!!!