New QI!!! and dog toys

Charlotte, I can't help with the toys, but I'm very curious about the breed you mention and which I've never seen before. Do you have pics? Congratulations on the new QI! :)

Congratulations on your new addition! :)

Nancy in NS

I don't know of links, but after wandering through a craft fair over the weekend, I saw an awful lot of tug/chews made of polar fleece. They took

1-inch wide strips, braided them, and double knotted the ends. Ta-da, toy. Length went from 6 inches finished (I'd guess a foot before braiding and knotting) to 3 feet long. There were 4 and 6-stranded braids for larger dogs, but I think the smaller sizes would be better for your pup. Felt and fleece toys tend to wear very well for chewing.

-georg

I was wondering too! But, I guessed that it might be a cross between a Cavalier and a Bichon frisé? Come on then, Charlotte >g< Put us out of our misery! . In message , Sandy Foster writes

He is indeed a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise mix. He's light in color with long straight and very soft hair. Not very big, just a little fuzz ball for right now. I don't have pictures of him yet, but am planning on taking some once we get him home. I will post them in my QI album and let you know they have been added. Right now we are thinking Samson, aka Sam, for a name (DH came up with it, and it seams fitting).

Thanks Georg.

At the pet shop he had the remnants of a stuffed lobster. One side seam was spit wide open and all the stuffing was gone. I'm not sure if he did all that or if it had been "previously loved" before they gave it to him. He just loved chewing it, head shaking it and play a little tug of war with it. I should be able to get some fleece cheap if I watch the clearances for old designs or use my 40% of coupon at Joanns. I am glad you said it tends to wear well, I was thinking it might be an economically way to give him plenty of appropriate chew toys while he goes through his teething. I know I can make up some bone shapes, even squares or circles and he'd love them. Hopefully though, I can find some interesting things to make on the internet for him too. Thanks!!!

If you do find links, please share them! I feel the need to make cat and dog toys. :) He definitely needs stuff to help him teeth at that age!

Unfortunately, the Jack Russell Terrier we've been caring for as a favor to a friend has been surrendered completely to us, and we've made arrangements for JRT rescue to give him a good home. We knew we would not keep him forever, and he is in fact too energetic for us. It's still sad to drop a dog off, but hopefully I can send him off with some toys for his new friends. I know they'll care for him and he'll be happier.

-georg

Let me just clue you in on a little fact about puppies and chew toys......... You will be much better off to purchase an actual 'doggy toy' for your baby then make sure he knows that is the one and only toy he chews. The rubber and rawhide for puppies make great teething toys and your puppy will be teething and chewing a LOT. If you make toys out of fabric it resembles clothing and the chances of your puppy chewing up a favorite garment is high. If there's a "toy" you give the baby to chew made out of fleece they won't know the difference between that and somebody's favorite fleece jacket or the blanket. The same goes for giving them an old shoe to chew on.......your baby can't tell the difference between new shoes and old shoes. As dogs get older, and they have good consistent training your choice of toys can broaden but you are going to have your hands full with an un-potty trained toddler who will have a lot of things to learn. Don't put the poor thing on overload because you think this animal will actually appreciate that you hand made a toy......it won't. You just may be conditioning that pup to something that will take a lot of frustrating time to UNcondition.

Val

Pics please! Post pics!

As for dog toys -- don't buy the braided fleece toys. They're super easy to make -- why pay $5 for one when you can make a half dozen for less than $1? Get a quarter yard of fleece on sale at TSWLTH, cut into

1" strips, braid them, tie a knot on each end. Voila. Dog toy. My puppy loves them, and they're great for her teeth.

Howdy!

Looks like a QI to me.

Ragmop/Sandy--

I'll give a "me too" on this idea. Dog toys that are so obviously different from people's clothing or home furnishings are really much safer for all concerned. :)

Awwww...what a fluffy bundle of cuteness! Enjoy him! :)

One of the funnest things I ever made for my girls was to take a jean leg and sew across on end, fill it with crinkled up cellophane and stitch the other end. It made such a delicious noise when they shook it or stomped on it.

Since their favorite game appears to be tug of war, they don't have these kinds of toys anymore. They can tear up anything in a half hour.

Now they get old socks, heavy rope and that kong stuff that is practically indestructible. The little one's favorite is squeaky toys, but she can get to the squeaky in seconds. Now I just use them to call them back to the house.

Cindy

Old jeans are good for this too!

C>

wish I could help with the dog toys - but fabric toys of any kind only last a day with my Boxer so I have only heavy duty plastic and rawhide for her! Congrats!

Musicmaker

I think I'm going to do like blackrose (I believe) suggested and cut strips of fleece for tug of war toys. I think I'll also sew up some bone and basic shaped toys using it. I wonder if baby (human) toys made from fleece would work. I've seen a couple of ball variations on the internet that I may try. Sorry I don't know the links right now, but will try to remember to post them later. I will also post any results I have with them for you. I think someone (for some reason I want to say butterfly but am probably wrong) used some embroidery minkie patterns for making cat toys. If your interested, it should be in the archives since I read it here.