A tug toy that is free and works for me too! No bite solution.

[Theresa Washburn]

Our Freddy like to tug and bite at 12 weeks old.  And tug toys were never perfect for me anyways.

SO watch this video.  Oh by the way, he fav toys are always the cheap ones, like catsup bottles, milk bottles, socks with a knot.  I dont think you need to spend alot of money on toys.  At first when we adopted Freddy we spent alot of money on new toys to spoil him right away.  I threw in a few homemade ones and the new ones never got played with.  lol    My husband said in the beginning that we should have a puppy shower like people do with expectant mothers.   lol   I guess he say how much I was spending on the new toys.  What  a waist of money.   Well back to the video , my invention for avoiding teeth marks on hands and still have fun with your puppy's tugging play time with you.

Another fav toy is the tape roll ,,, at the end.  he loves it.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

One of Daisy's favorite things when she was a puppy was the cardboard packaging rolls from work...of course we had to be there so she didn't eat them.

My choice (and just another opinion)  was to NOT have tug toys when she was a puppy. We read in a book that it makes them aggressive. She plays tug now though.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

be careful when using those "homemade toys".  If you give your dog a sock with a knot as a toy, it may cause him to think that ALL of your socks are his toys because dogs can't make that destinction.  Also be careful with using empty plastic bottles and make sure that your dog does not ingest any of the plastic and watch for sharp edges that could hurt his mouth.

[Theresa Washburn]

Thank you Amy, 

I love helpful thoughts.  We dont leave him alone with any of his toys, believe me.

The milk carton is too big for his mouth right now, it just can get a hold on it.  So it works ok for now. 

All his toys are in the main room we are in 99% of the time.  It is amazing you know he will get his stuff fluff dog (his pal)  pull it out of his big crate and then put it in the middle of the floor and then go get his baby blanket and put it on the stuffed toy.  SOOOOOOO darn cute.

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

You need to take care in giving your puppy things like ketchup bottles, water bottles, etc - things made of lightweight plastic. A puppy chewing on the toy can get cuts on his gums, also he can ingest tiny bits of the plastic. If he's allowed to chew socks or any soft things like that, he will chew ones he's not supposed to - also it is easy for a large puppy or young dog to swallow a sock and end up with an intestinal blockage.

Good solid toys made especially for dogs and puppies have a lot of research behind them. Soft plush toys are never a good choice for puppies or aggressively chewing dogs. The best, most durable toys you can find are made of a material called Zogoflex made by a company called WestPaw. TUX, BUMI are both great durable toys. WestPaw also will replace toys with dog damage if you keep your proof of purchase.

By 4- 41/2 month when your puppy's teeth start falling out, he will seriously need something to chew - especially on his back molars as they emerge. A good thing would be a bully stick (not rawhide) made in the US. They chew down, not break off in pieces. He might also enjoy a GI Bone (with the marrow removed) made by Merrick.

While homemade toys can be fun for the humans because they are inexpensive, they are always not the best choice for the puppy.

[Theresa Washburn]

Thank you for your knowledge and advice.  Will surely keep a good eye on Freddy and take your suggestions very seriously.    Thanks again

Theresa