Dogs love to play! If they had two hands like us, imagine the stuff they could get into (and play with!). Of course, since dogs have paws instead of hands, most of a dog's playing involves grasping, tugging and/or carrying the focus of play in his or her mouth.
I must confess I always hated the neon pink chicken dog toy I used to pass by in Giant Box Store of Pet Stuff. It looked unpleasant and faintly radioactive with the unnatural neon colors blaring from its odd smelly shape. It had a totally artificial stink; and I always imagined it would die a quick death on my floor, leaving bits of spitty-flakes to clean up (if our dogs hadn't already snarffed down its mix of chemicals for a quick, nuclear snack). I'm glad I didn't succumb to buying those types of toys at the Giant Box Store. They were inexpensive, but I also got the impression they were cheap.
My nagging fears were confirmed (and then some) in
The Whole Dog Journal's article "Why Vinyl Stinks" by Susan Weinstein in their April 2008 issue. (This is a great article in a terrific monthly guide.) Vinyl is a common name for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Basically, it's cheap plastic made with chlorine (which in turn can creat dioxins, which can cause cancer, immune system damage and other nasty ailments). Soft vinyl products may contain additives that are toxic, including lead. Add the fact that it's difficult at best to recycle vinyl to the potential health issues that lurk in this material and the thought of purchasing dog toys made from vinyl is a hard sell for me.
Besides the potential health issues, I still think if it smells completely artificial, I bet it tastes horrible! And do I want my dog chewing on a cocktail of chemicals for hours on end? And swallowing spit laden with who knows what? Absolutely not!
What can you do? We carry a variety of great toys that are well made, won't kill your budget
and are recyclable, made from renewable resources and just plain fun! Check out our natural toy selection
here!
Even if you've succumbed to the neon pink chicken in the past, you can replace it with something that won't turn your dog into a glowing beacon in the night!
