Oscar seemed to like it. He played with it for less than an hour, and then this happened:
Destruction again. Sigh. For a toy that is built to be durable, it didn't last very long for Oscar - he's that intense right now. He ripped it right near where the squeaker was, so I took it away right away before he could do more damage and/or swallow the squeaker. We went back to the pet store and returned the toy. I know fabric toys aren't meant to be indestructible and all that, but it was still a surprise how quickly he managed to rip it, since it was marketed as being very tough and durable. It felt pretty sturdy - maybe when Oscar calms down a bit down the road, we'll try the toys again, because I liked it...at least until Oscar defeated it.
They let us exchange the toy for another one, so we got an Orbo Bone. It's very bouncy rubber, so hopefully he'll like chewing it, even though it's not made of fabric. We are definitely avoiding fabric toys for the foreseeable future, no matter how "durable." He seemed to like it when we first let him play with it. The time that he spent playing with it was the longest I've ever seen him show interest in a rubber dog toy. The toy tags says that the Orbo Bone tastes like mint, so maybe that's why he was intrigued by it.
I was doing some reading online tonight, trying to figure out why all of a sudden Oscar became an even more intense chewer than he was before (and that's saying something!). It turns out that puppies may go through a second chewing phase. That was news to me! Apparently it takes place between around 6-10 months of age. That would explain why it was like a switch went off this week with the chewing. Knotted rope bones that he's had for ages with no trouble suddenly got literally chewed in half, and he's destroyed several toys in the last few days alone. The cushion in his crate that he has slept on with no problem for months got de-stuffed. Towels get eaten, or he pulls long threads out of them, so he doesn't get those in his crate either. He only gets fleece blankets now, because he either can't or isn't interested in chewing through them.
I'm crossing my fingers that this second chewing phase passes quickly! It's exhausting!
7 comments:
That is so strange! Our Tuffy toys haven't come apart and Goldens and Labs are also known for their destroyer capabilities :) We've had a lot of luck with those. I hope you just ended up with a destructive one! Maybe try them again after this chewing phase? :) We also love the Orbee toys, though! I think the different flavors and whatnot are what make them a huge hit. Enjoy your new bone, Oscar!
~Katie, Nugget & Oscar
Also, when my Oscar went through his second chewing phase, we just bought a TON of stuffed cow bones. Both boys love those and it seems like those kept his jaws busy better than anything! (Seriously, I wouldn't hear anything but chomping for 3 solid hours!)
HA!! So much for a "durable toy". NO toy is durable to Oscar! Let's just hope that green rubbery bone lasts a LONG time.
He just sounds like our Pinky! Toys that were from the earlier girls and some new ones are all being DESTROYED by Pinky.
Oscar the Destroyer! Here's hoping this second chewing phase goes by quickly!
you were right to take it back. shouldn't be coming apart the first hour.
I did feel a bit bad bringing it back...but I've never returned a dog toy before, even after they've been destroyed - this one just fell apart oddly fast. We'll definitely try them again - maybe in a few weeks (or months) when this chewing phase is over! Silly schnauzers. On the bright side, the Orbo Bone is still all in one piece, and he still chews it every once in a while!
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