ejano Posted November 2, 2011 Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 Life does cycle around...when I found this board, my first question was, how do you entertain two rambunctious pups when you can't walk or talk very well? Well, I'll be recovering from another knee replacement again this winter (but hopefully that's the only thing that will be an issue this time!) and am looking for some things to stockpile to entertain the boys and Miss Ladybug while in recovery mode. What do you all think of the Nina Ottosson toys...they are alarmingly expensive...but I thought perhaps maybe one really complicated game if it would help to pass some time that I'm all ready dreading...Brodie likes to do things with his paws and Robin is a "noser".... Neither are "mouthers". Thanks, Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixx Posted November 2, 2011 Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 I really like the Nina Ottoson toys, and so do my pups. I have some other brands, but don't like them as much. This one is their favorite: http://hiphound.com/plastic-dog-spinny-interactive-dog-toy-nina-ottosson I found a really cool wooden one that I liked (shaped like a bone), then realized it wasn't so great. It fell apart right away. The wood was glued together, so it didn't hold up very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 2, 2011 Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 I bought the Dog Brick by Nina Ottosson when Torque was recovering from shoulder surgery on the advice of my rehab vet. It is rated 'Medium Level' and, of course, it didn't take him long (a couple of minutes) to figure out how to solve the puzzle. Even so, the website has hints about how to vary the difficulty. AND although Torque 'solved' the puzzle fairly rapidly, he doesn't seem to tire of pushing the bones around to get to his kibble (but I do have to keep replenishing the puzzle with kibble). So even though the toy is expensive, and he figured out how to 'solve' it within a few minutes (That's $20 per minute for a 2 minute "solve' time. ), he remains fascinated by it. The vet has the Tornado puzzle in her office (rated as hard) and that was also the work of only a couple of minutes to open it and get to the kibble. In summary, I am glad I bought it. I bring it out every once in a while, and he loves playing with it. But do NOT forget to supervise - once my attention wavered for about 30-45 seconds, and Torque had already started chewing on one of the loose bones. I would also recommend buying at least the medium level difficulty. Jovi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsgyay Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 My friend has about 4 or 5 of them that she uses for meal times. She usually fills up 2 or 3 and lets her dog work on it. I've always heard very good things about them and I would buy one if my dog was more food motivated. Edit: She has the tornado one, the casino one, the fighter one, and the dog finder one. I can't remember which other ones she has. It takes each of her dogs between 10-15 minutes to eat their dinner from 2 toys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waffles Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 I recommend getting the IQ Ball. http://www.amazon.com/Ourpets-DT-10504-Smarter-Toys-Inches/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320366009&sr=8-1 At first my guy kicked it around and basically played soccer with it and it took about 20 minutes for him to get all the food out (the size I have holds about 1/2 cup so he gets 2 "rounds"). However, it did not take long for him to figure out how to pick it up with his mouth so the hole faces the ground. Then he drops it and several pieces come out. Now he finishes each round in about 10min. Still, this occupies about 20 min. and he gets breakfast and dinner in his "food ball", as we call it. It is a lot cheaper than the puzzle toys and very durable. Even after banging the thing all over the first few weeks, it never cracked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thanks, all...and any other ideas for entertainment for me and the boys would be appreciated! January and February are going to be pretty tedious! Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Hope your surgery is uneventful and your recovery rapid! Doggy Entertainment: *Stash stinky treat in paper bag, crumple up bag around treat. Put bag in small cardboard box, close flaps. Hide box. Start out hiding in an easy place for dog to find, then gradually up the difficulty. Vary the height of the hiding spot, put it under things, behind partially opened or closed doors, in another room. *Teach to take an object and go find dad or whoever. You'll need the other person's participation for this. *Old muffin tin with balls in the cups. Under one ball, put stinky treat. Shoshone loved this game, and would paw at the tin and bark if I left it down. Good luck! Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Forgot entertainment for you: If you like to read, try paperbackswap.org. Offer some books you don't want anymore, and get credits towards 'purchasing' books for yourself. All you pay is shipping. Ntflix or other dvd rentals. Even though Netflix, IMHO, has made a couple major blunders, you can still get dvds by mail pretty easily. Might be worth it for your recovery. If you like to have friends over while you recuperate, set up a loose schedule. Ask to be taken out for lunch or a movie later on in your recovery. If you've got a DVR, record stuff now. Download music to listen to, and talk shows, etc. I love Car Talk - makes me laugh. Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Hope your surgery is uneventful and your recovery rapid! Doggy Entertainment: *Stash stinky treat in paper bag, crumple up bag around treat. Put bag in small cardboard box, close flaps. Hide box. Start out hiding in an easy place for dog to find, then gradually up the difficulty. Vary the height of the hiding spot, put it under things, behind partially opened or closed doors, in another room. *Teach to take an object and go find dad or whoever. You'll need the other person's participation for this. *Old muffin tin with balls in the cups. Under one ball, put stinky treat. Shoshone loved this game, and would paw at the tin and bark if I left it down. Good luck! Ruth Ruth, thanks -- both ideas are great (and I love to read.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Forgot entertainment for you: If you like to read, try paperbackswap.org. Offer some books you don't want anymore, and get credits towards 'purchasing' books for yourself. All you pay is shipping. Ntflix or other dvd rentals. Even though Netflix, IMHO, has made a couple major blunders, you can still get dvds by mail pretty easily. Might be worth it for your recovery. If you like to have friends over while you recuperate, set up a loose schedule. Ask to be taken out for lunch or a movie later on in your recovery. If you've got a DVR, record stuff now. Download music to listen to, and talk shows, etc. I love Car Talk - makes me laugh. Ruth All great ideas. I'll make a list. Garrison Keiler, the folk music shows, Car Talk and Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me...A friend of mine made it on WWDTM (and Jeopardy) -- she has a list of lifetime goals she's working through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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