Toys Toys Toys!!!!!!

[mypepsee]

Hi Yall...What do your babies think about toys?? Like do they *LOVE* them? Or distroys them in a flash or hides them...or could care less?? :-|
ALSO....CAN SOMEONE PLEEEEEEASE GIVE ME SOME HELPFUL HINTS ON TRIMMING NAILS....MY GUYS WILL RIP YOUR FACE OFF EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR NAILS FROM ACROSS THE ROOM!!!!!!! :evil: :cry2:

[Amaze]

Heuser and Tally's favorite toy is actually a kitty toy. It is a furry, colorful ball that has crinkly paper stringed with the fuzzy stuff and they go nuts trying to "kill" it or get it out of the rest of the ball. Also, we have a TON of farm animal toys at work that make different animal sounds (cow, turkey, pig, sheep, chicken, etc) and Tally LOVES them! I am going to get her the cow for Xmas since it looks just like her (really, it has almost identical markings!)

As far as nails go, there a several options. The first is to try a nail grinder instead of the actual clippers. They are quite cheap ($30 at Lowe's) and work great! I swear by them! Tally used to be REALLY bad when I first got her and it would take me, Matt, and a towel wrapped around her whole body to get them done. Now, although she doesn't like it, she lays quietly on her back in my lap and allows me to do them. It took time and patience to acclimate her to the sound/sensation but she doesn't struggle like she used to. We used LOTS of positive reinforcement (ie: FOOD) as i gently first held each of her paws in my hand, then each nail. And the was it for the day. The next day, I did the same but had the grinder next to my leg and picked it up and set it down until she ignored my doing so. After that, I touched her feet with it (off of course) and then each of her toes. It took almost a week until I even turned it on. Heuser also likes the grinder better and doesn't cry anymore when I do his. Your other options are to have them done by a groomer and most only charge like $5 a dog per time so its not too bad. Otherwise, your vet might be willing/able to help with a mild sedative to ease the dogs fears and calm the situation down. The key no matter what, is patience and to keep them associating the clippers with positive experiences. Hope this helps!

[wavychi]

i have found the only way for me to clip nails is to have my daughter feed him shredded cheese while I am clipping. I usually sit on the bed with my back against the wall and he is in my lap, his back against my chest. I can then manuever his paws right in front of me. then my daughter sits right in front of him, feeding his face! it is still a very tedious task but we can get it done. other suggestions i've heard is to only do 2 paws at a sitting and then at the next sitting do the other two.

good luck!

[Romans Mom]

Hi Yall...What do your babies think about toys?? Like do they *LOVE* them? Or distroys them in a flash or hides them...or could care less?? :-|

Roman and Elle love toys...stuffed, squeqky rubber, anything. They choose the ones they want to play with, but they love it when I pull one out that hasn't been played with in a while. It's so cute how they look when they see a "long lost friend." They tear some of them up, mostly getting eyes and noses removed. lol

I also use food when I trim the nails. Like Lys and wavychi, I do a little here and there throuhout the day, and it's done. :)

[Hercules Momma]

The H2's love toys! Furry ones with squeakys are the best.. course we make sure we bit the noses and eyes off first! Then we pull the fur or stuffing off ASAP.. that's always loads of fun! They love greenies and rawhide chewies.. I've got so many stuffed animal toys that I really need to get a toybox to put all their toys in.. it's almost embarrassing once you stack them all up in a seperate little stack.

[2Chiwawa]

Sammi's fav toy (besides her special soft fuzzy special friend) is a squeeky rubber hamburger. She gums it and pokes it and licks it and squeeks it. She has never bitten into the rubber and has had it from the first day she came to me 4 years ago. I have to wash the spit off it every once in awhile. She hides it in all kinds of places and then runs to get it.

Gracie's fav is a canvas skunky that no longer squeeks. She loves to fetch it and tug it and flap it around. I washed it this week and I don't think it smells right to her and will have to get her to play with it this weekend so it can begin to smell good to her again.