Toy recommendations (tug of war)

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Hey all! I know I haven't been on in a long time, but I haven't really had to ask about anything for a while. Orwell is doing great-- we enjoyed going to the doodle romp in June, and he turned 2 years in July. 

However, he loves to chew, and is very good at it. To his credit, he has only ever chewed his toys, but that still presents a problem. I cannot find a tug of war toy that can last. I recently tried the Kong rubber tug of war toy, but when I get tired of being almost pulled off my chair, he scissors his way through the rubber and cuts it in half in a matter of a minute. I tried another rubber too, and that didn't work. I also don't do the rope ties anymore because he does the same thing, and given his love of socks, he is banned from any fabric. I really want a tug of war toy that will last. The strong black rubber classic Kong has stood the test of time, but that is only because it is thicker and more difficult to get his mouth around. 

There is not a large variety of toys that I can give him. He has his black Kong, antlers, and squeaky tennis balls (ironically if a ball has a squeaker, he preserves it because he knows if he destroys it, it won't squeak anymore). Though, one of our favorite activities together is tug of war. If anyone has any recommendations as far as that goes, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, if there are any other toys that have worked well for you and your doodle likes, I would like to know about them simply because I would like to bring more variety to Orwell. 

For those that don't know, keep in mind that Orwell is a much larger doodle than usual, and therefore has a pretty big mouth with large teeth. This is probably why we have a problem. :P

[Amy and Annabelle]

Annabelle's favorite go to tug of war toy isn't really a tug of war toy. It is a West Paw frisbee. It has lasted over a year of daily use, tug of war, chewing and of course frisbee. It is still in good shape. She is only 16lbs so I am not sure how it would be with Orwell.

[Stella]

I also play tug with a Westpaw frisbee, my dog is 75lb and the frisbee is at least five years old and still going strong!!

[Stella]

My big guy likes to tug with his JW Hol-ee Roller, they come in different sizes, but I dont know if he'd chew through the rubber?

The most durable toys I have are by West Paw Designs. Their Zogoflex toys are indestructible without being made of the hard nylon, they have some flex to them. I have their version of a frisbee and their bones, my two power chewers have not damaged them at all and I've had them for years. They will refund or replace if you aren't satisfied with the durability of the toy - so worth a try! This is one of their tug toys:
https://www.westpawdesign.com/dogs/dog-toys/zogoflex-dog-toys/b-mi-...

[Kaitee and Orwell]

JW was the other rubber he chewed through, so no more of those for us. :P

I will try the Westpaw stuff. Thank you. :)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Make your own out of T-Shirts.   Saves money and if he destroys it is easier to braid your own at no cost. I have an example around here in the DIY Group of one I had made.  Cant link it to you right now but I'm sure it is easy to find. I'll look later when I have a chance

[Sam&Bella]

Bella also has an obsession of socks! That was our fault since we gave them to her when she was a puppy:) Anyway, I use a bandana. I know that sounds weird:) Bella is 55 pounds, and if you hold it in a way that it is hard to let go, it should work! And if he ends up ripping it, they are (I think) under a dollar. Bella ended up ripping hers in half, but it was made of a weird material. But it lasted over a year!

Oh, and to "sort of" make it last longer, only use it for tug-of-war:)

Good Luck!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

This is what we did:

http://makingithomeblog.com/tutorial-fleece-tug-toy-dogs/

When they come untied, I just tie them back.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I think I'm going to try Westpaw... I don't want Orwell to get the idea that playing with cloth is okay. Besides, he has been able to cut some pretty tough fabric with his teeth in the past. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

That's a good idea, Kaitee.  The braided fleece is actually pretty strong.  Our guys have stuffed toys so I am not worried about cloth. They do not get our clothing - never have, but they will grab the grandchildren's stuffed animals.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Believe it or not, Orwell has gotten through the biggest braided fleece I could find. I stopped trying those when he was around a year old, lol. Orwell has been doing really well with clothing in the past year, but I don't want to reverse his behavior. 

[Jenny and Cooper]

I was going to recommend the Kong safestix rubber toy but I think you've already tried that. We have one for Cooper and it last a whole year already, but then his teeth aren't that sharp.

If your dog likes balls, I would highly recommend Planet Dog Orbee balls. It's made out of SUPER thick rubber. Cooper's BFF (a lab) is a chewer and he couldn't even chew the ball up. You can get those at Amazon. :)

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I actually have not tried the safestix rubber toy because whenever I see and feel them at the store, I know that it would only last a couple of minutes at my house. 

I might try Planet Dog whistle balls. Orwell isn't really into balls unless they make a fun noise. Keeping him entertaining with toys is kind of a challenge because he bores easily.