In the third part of this series on dog training, celebrity dog trainer Tamar Geller explains how owners should use toys.
Gellar believes that while owners may provide many toys for their dogs, they may not know how to play with them.
She advises seperating toys into two different categories. One category would be for toys the dog would play with while with the owner. The other category is for dogs to use chew toys to play with by themselves.
Geller advises that the natural chewing habits of dogs are redirected in a proper manner.
One thing Geller advises is putting chew toys within reach of the dog and on the ground to play with when leaving the house.
"So instead of him being anxious while Mommy's leaving, he's like 'Can you please leave already so I can get at my goodies?'" Geller said.
Demonstrate & Making a Point
- Do not leave toys on the floor; you must establish that you are 'giving them' to your dog
- Give the dog only one or two toys at a time
- When you buy toys, make sure they don't have buttons or other objects that your dog can swallow
- Stuff chew toys with gold treats, so your dog will keep busy treasure hunting
- Chew toys are great because you don't have to replace them and they can be cleaned in the dishwasher
- When you give back the chew toy, make sure you have improved it by upgrading your treats inside
