When my son was a baby, he loved his binky. It was an instant soother and he couldn’t fall asleep without it. We had four of them on hand at all times, just in case one got lost or broken. We were a bit dismayed when my daughter was born and wouldn’t take a binky. We bought dozens of different kinds, desperate for her to latch onto one, but she didn’t want anything to do with a binky. We felt helpless without having a soothing pacifier for her. How were we going to calm her without a binky when she fussed?
I kind of feel the same way about Hershey. She does not have a go-to toy that keeps her quiet for a long stretch. I’ve tried numerous treats, hoping to find one that keeps her occupied and quiet. But anything I give her just gets chomped up and eaten in minutes. And those chew toys made to hide treats inside to keep them busy? Bought ‘em. She loses interest after a few minutes once she realizes she can’t get the treat immediately. (Personally, I don’t understand how the treat comes out either. I don’t really blame her.)
And when she does play with her one of her toys, it’s usually just for a minute or two before she’s looking for something else to chew on—which usually ends up being a toy, book or something else off limits. (A close inspection of her droppings reveals the true extent of her damage. Yuck, I know.)
I’ve been wary of bones or rawhide as a time consuming treat; I’ve heard the horror stories about shards breaking off and injuring or killing the dog. And my sister in law says rawhide gives her dog really bad gas. Fun. So what, what, what can I give Hershey that could be like her binky? (Do they make dog binkies? They should.)
Then my sister in law suggested giving her pressed rawhide. That seemed to make sense, it’s ground up and pressed into a form, so there should be no splintering involved. So I searched around and couldn’t find pressed rawhide. Of course.
But then today, I saw a pack of two round circles promising hours of chewing fun. And oh, happy day, here sits Hershey next to me, chewing on her pressed rawhide. It’s been over an hour now, and she’s as happy as can be. She’s not jumping on anyone or chasing the cat or knocking over furniture or chewing on anything she shouldn’t be. I’ve found a binky for Hershey.
But of course, I’m sure there’s a limit as to how much pressed rawhide a dog can have per week. I’ll have to carefully choose the occasions for dispensing this wonderful treat. (A treat for her and for me!) It’s nice to know I can buy some quiet time if I need to.
I wonder if they make pressed rawhide in binky form. I’m stocking up if they do.
(Unless my sister in law is right about the gas thing. I guess I’ll find out soon.)
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Have you missed any of the articles in this series?
If so, you can find them at:
The Bringing Up Puppy Series page.
Related posts:
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Not Such a Notable Nose
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Tricks and Treats
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Who’s Training Who?
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Two Steps Back
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Two Weeks Later
