-I realize this photo is not in focus, but it was such a cute moment of Kip’s puppyhood-
My puppy Kip is an Australian Terrier. I would say he falls between the small and medium breeds. I used to think of him as a small breed, but when I browse around in pet shops I quickly find that the toys meant for small dogs seem a little too small for him. In any case, I am sure Kip can’t chew as hard as the bigger breeds, but boy does he chew hard for his size.
Material
I now avoid buying Kip any toys that have stuffing inside. Usually these toys are softer and are easily destroyed by Kip. The toy in the picture above is a Fire Hose toy. It is not a soft fabric but rather a fire-hose-like material. I can’t say for sure if it is made from actual fire hose material since I have never touched a fire hose, but it seems to do the job. The weaker black handle was torn off not so long after I bought him the toy, but the main part of the toy is still in good shape!
Durability
If you have seen more current pictures of Kip on this website you’ll notice his fur color has changed a bit. This picture is when he was 4 months old. I picked this toy up in Fred Meyer for five bucks or so. Kip is now 11 months old so this toy has lasted through his teething phase (Mind you I did get him a teething ring toy).
Best Attribute
The best part about this toy is that it does not squeak. When you squeeze it you can hear air going in and out of the toy but it doesn’t squeak. While its mighty fun to have your dog run around with a squeaking toy, there are times when you really need your dog not to be squeaking up a storm. This toy has served well for when I am on the phone, when I have a headache or am extremely tired, or when I’m trying to go to sleep. There seem to be several different companies making this type of toy though, so I would check if it squeaks or not before picking up this toy.
Games to Play
1. Try rolling the fire hose slowly on the ground. Kip usually perks up and comes to pounce it!
2. Try covering different parts with the palm of your hand so your dog can’t pick it up easily.
3. Try holding it above your dog a little bit more at a time to see how high he/she can jump!
