Toys to Consider - Part 1

I still have Shana Bana’s food and water bowls! They were heavy crockery and of excellent quality, and although I haven’t used them for well over twenty years, I just couldn’t part with them. But when I searched all over the house for my top quality, 6 foot, leather leash that l had and the 25 foot canvas long-line, they were nowhere to be found! Some people are savers. My sister Bev is such. Not only is she a saver, she’s an organized saver, imagine! Everything Bev has saved over the years is cataloged and much of it is stacked in piles. Her own words admit that her piles have piles!

As is often the case, siblings are often opposites and this is the case with Bev and me. My motto is “when in doubt, throw it out!” Early in our marriage, Pam was lamenting that “she had nothing to wear!” I opened her closet and noted that there was no room to hang any additional garments. She replied that those clothes were out of style and she couldn’t wear them anymore. I suggested that she go through her closet, garment by garment and remove anything she hadn’t worn in the past 12 months. All clothes that were in good condition we gave to Good Will, the American Rescue Workers, or the Salvation Army. Once done, I agreed that she truly had (next to) nothing (relatively speaking) to wear and out she went, credit card in hand to replenish her wardrobe. My eyes cross just remembering!

For the longest time, I had saved the screw in the ground dog tether, and the plastic retrieving dummies, but they too ultimately had been discarded. So I began to acquire a list of “must haves” and I began to acquire them. Even though I had the crockery food bowls, I decided it was time to “upgrade” to something lighter. Stainless steel was my choice. Keep in mind, although I had made the commitment to obtain a pup, the pup had not even been born. Secondly, I am the type of person who gives a lot of thought and quiet consideration prior to making a decision – I rarely discuss these matters with anyone. Once, however, the decision is made, I move ahead quickly and decisively. To an outside observer it probably looks very impulsive. I assure you, it is not. For the following purchases, I tried to find the best choices, the best quality, and the best prices. I’ve listed the vendors, the products, and an evaluation of the various purchases. In some instances things worked out better than planned. In other instances things worked out worse.

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Red Kong Goodie Bone, small. This was the ideal size for JayDee until she was 5 months old.

Red Kong chewtoy, medium. This was the ideal size for JayDee when she was 4 to 8 months old.

Red Kong chewtoy, large. This was appropriate for JayDee after the age of 8 months old.

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Kong ball, small.

Kong ball, medium.

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Kong Flyer (Frisbee). This has proved to be one of the best purchases ever! Initially, I thought that it was indestructible, but after 9 months of JayDee’s abuse, she did chew holes in it. When I bought a replacement, right on the outside of the package it says “Not a chewtoy. Not a tug toy”. Live and learn. It flies just a well as a standard Frisbee. JayDee loves to try to catch it in midair when she can and always chases after it and retrieves it. She may not actually bring it back to me, preferring to try to shake it or chew it to death. In the process of preparing this post, I discovered that Kong now has an Extreme Flyer which is made with their most "indestructible"material. Next time that is the one I'll purchase.

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Kong stuff-a-ball medium. For the first 6 months I had this, I thought it was a waste, nothing but a ball with flat sides. Just before I was going to discard it, I decided to stuff it with kibble/peanut butter and froze it. I thought it would be impossible for JayDee to get the goodies out, but get them out she did. Like all of the Kong products, this too turned out to be a winner.

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