Among Laika's favorite chewables were tennis balls. At the park, she was content to run around like a fool with a tennis ball in her mouth, gently squeezing it at various points as if it were a stress toy! At home, tennis balls met a different fate. Laika would initially ponce on the tennis balls, then squeeze the life out of them until they actually popped. This usually took under 30 seconds, tops. It was pretty impressive. She would be very proud to hear the pop and would continue to lazily chew the punctured ball while happily wagging her tail and strolling around the house to show-off her skills. I would buy the factory-seconds tennis balls for cheap and keep a bunch on top of the fridge as a "treat" for her to destroy on occasion. I made sure to monitor her play, so the ball could be taken and disposed-of quickly after its demise. Otherwise, green fuzz and small rubber pieces might make a surprise appearance during a pit-stop on our walks.
Most other rubbery toys enjoyed slightly longer, but not too long, lifespans. Heisa and Laika used to enjoy playing with these things that looked like big blue jacks which bounced weirdly and were big enough to be tugged between two strong hounds. Laika would quickly discover their weaknesses and pull off at least a few of the spikes within the first few weeks. Since the jacks didn't dispense treats, they had no use for Laika. Luckily, she was only hell-bent on ripping the jacks apart and not swallowing the pieces (even the tiny ones). Several of the spikes were usually part of one molded piece, so even in their depleted state, the toys were usable.
Laika also had a few bones that came with her as gifts when she adopted me. At first, she would try to chew these pretty hard and, as a result, her gums would sometimes bleed. Since these were hollow, I usually put peanut butter in them, so she would lick instead of chewing. This worked like magic and she stopped trying to destroy the bones. I would make sure to put them out of her reach unless I was home. This was not the case with Kongs and her Kong ball, which were all-the-time toys that she played with while I was away.
After taking care of Laika for a few years and experiencing the power of her jaws on toys, I asked at the pet store about appropriate chewables for her. Reindeer antlers were recommended. As a vegan, I didn't really want to buy one, but I was guaranteed that they were naturally shed by the animals and were extremely sturdy and safe for dogs. They said the antler that I picked should last about a month of Laika gnawing on it. I was happy that Laika might finally have a chew toy as strong as her jaws. I went home and presented the antler to a very curious and expectant Laika, who heard the crinkling of the paper bag as soon as I entered the apartment (selective, super-hearing). She was pumped to have something new to chew and immediately went to work. I watched with caution and amusement, as she was so excited to have a new toy. She rolled around the floor with it then laid-down on her belly, holding the antler tightly between her front paws, chomping-away. 13 minutes later, she bit it in half! 13 minutes! This might be a world-record! I quickly took the broken pieces and congratulated her on a job done well ahead of schedule. I was in awe at her determination and chewing ability. Antlers were quickly relegated to the status of tennis balls: once in a while, fully-supervised treat.
The next time I went to the pet store, I told the owner about Laika's impressive skills and she couldn't believe it. The legend was growing! If Laika could have been employed, I think she would have been a perfect toy tester...the only problem would be that after her tests, there would probably be no safe dog toys available on the market! Since I had found the secret of protecting her favorite chewables with a little peanut butter or hidden treats, I was at least able to keep some things for her to play with. Not surprisingly, her love of chewing (and destroying) led to some dental mishaps...but, with pet insurance and a good local dog dentist, Laika was able to continue her gnawing ways for her entire life!
Laika happily chewing a Kong near her enemy the vacuum.
(From the looks of the carpet, I didn't really employ the vacuum much.)
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