More toys for Shio...

I must say... we're pretty big fans of the Jax and Bones rope toys. They are not only cute to leave out in the apartment but Shio also has a great time ripping it apart. They do cost a bit more but that's Josh's way of overcompensating for being the absentee dad.

http://www.jaxandbones.com/pages/ropetoys.html

Shio's Treat Dispensing Toys

To keep Shio out of trouble, we've been hunting down treat dispensing toys to keep his mind busy and his belly full. This is the perfect equation for a dog that will stay happy. With these toys, we don't buy special treats to put in although they are available to buy. We just use the dry food to fill up the toy and he's happy as a clam to work for his food.

Here are the ones that we've had so far:

Premier Busy Buddy Puppy Twist 'n Treat Of all the treat dispensing toys that we have so far, this is our favorite. This toy allows you to adjust for the difficulty rate and you can easily load the treats into the toy. The rubber makes it easy to grip onto hardwood floors that we have and it rolls around the apartment with ease. It is easy for Shio to learn how to play with it and dispenses the treat at a good rate. Highly recommended.

Premier Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug We had ordered the Tug-a-Jug but returned it before trying it out. The reason why we returned it is because the toy itself is pretty clunky and given that Shio would have to obtain his treats by swinging the bottle around by tugging a rope, we didn't want to have broken furniture. I put this toy on the list because it would've been a great treat dispensing toy for Shio if we had more space in our apartment for him to play with it.

Classic KONG We have 3 KONGs sitting in our freezer at any given time. These are amazing for freezing peanut butter in and giving to your dog as a treat. We used these as a special crate treat (only got these when he was put into his crate) and a "We're leaving you for a couple of hours... sorry" treat. The unpredictable bouncing of the treat and the  endless number recipes that you can use to fill the KONG up are enough to keep us and Shio occupied.

KONG Dental Stick This toy was interesting for Shio but also messy and boring. If we were to fill up all the ridges with peanut butter, there would be one side that would touch the floor when Shio was eating it and it would make our hardwood floors all sticky. When Shio finished the treat, we would have a hard time cleaning our the residual peanut butter. It is supposed to be a dental treat but it did not work as a dental treat since Shio would never gnaw at it.

Atomic Treat Ball This is another treat toy that we would recommend for dogs. It dispenses treats and is easy to load and clean up. Shio has a great time rolling this toy around on the floor and working for treats. The shape of it makes it easy for him to pick up and move around. Only complaint is that the opening is just a big hole and it is easy for the dry food to fall out so it only entertains Shio for 5 minutes before he finishes all the food.

Buster Mini Cube I would also recommend this toy if you have carpeting on your floors. The complex interior of this toy makes it difficult for Shio to get all the treats out (even I have trouble!) and it is the perfect size for the apartment. It is a bit tedious to load in the dry food if you're on the go, but it's worth the time if you want to keep your dog busy. Only complaint (and this is a serious one) is that the designers of this toy did not realize that hardwood floors make the cube slide without turning. Shio will slide the cube straight across the living room and the cube will not turn because of the material it is constructed out of. Huge disappointment. I hope that they update this flaw soon.

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Shibas and Dingoes

I was randomly researching some animals in Australia when I came across a picture of a Dingo. Shibas look so much more like Dingoes than foxes or wolves and I am so amazed that no one compares Shio to a Dingo. Shocking!

Dingo:

Shio:

Shio's Very Productive Day

While Josh and I were out this morning, Shio got busy doing all the things that he loves to do in this world. This is what I came home to:

1. Half eaten broccoli snacks

2. Chewed rope toy

3. Shredded take out menu (I think it's for a Thai restaurant)

3. Sneakers with plastic things chewed off the shoelaces

4. Squeaky gorilla tossed on the ground

5. Treat toy with no treats left inside

And last but not least, 6. A very excited Shio running up to me saying "Taaaa-daaaaaaa!!!"

Shio vs. Costume

When people say that dogs have personalities and are expressive, non-dog-owners do not really believe. We lucky dog-owners, however, know better. Dogs are very good at showing their humans how they feel.

For example, look at Shio's expression as T put a costume on him...

Being the good boy that he is, Shio put up with wearing the costume. However, he showed us his discontent:

With the costume on, Shio did not move at all. He basically gave us the sad puppy eyes until we took the costume off.

Regardless of whether he enjoyed being dressed up or not, we had to bring him to the dog run Howl-O-Ween party as Robin Hood!

See the resemblance?

We found his Maid Marian there too!  (Did not plan it... I swear!)