| yipyap | 09-04-2013 07:39 PM |
Toys for Chasing & Playing, plus a Toy Basket!!
The wonderful thing about most Yorkies is that they naturally LOVE to chase all kinds of toys and will usually bring them right back to their human to throw over & over again. So, when it's cold or rainy outside, your Yorkie can get plenty of exercise right inside your house--this doesn't work as well for big dog breeds!
My little guy is 5 1/4 pounds...our vet says he is a perfect size for walks in the country lanes where we live. His favorite toys for "fetching" are the small/petite-size, yellow tennis balls by "Hyper-Pet"...they are lighter in weight than most brands, bounce like crazy & are strong! Taffy will ignore the 2 other heavier balls of the exact same size that friends have given to him; he will dig through his 8" high x 20" long "toy basket" until he finds one of those Hyper-Pet yellow balls, and then he carries it to lay beside me on the sofa, all set to play Fetch! **Now, I am lazy at age 63, so I leave space beside my hip for Taffy to stand up beside the sofa and deposit the ball...he will keep up this game, running in all directions for @ 15 tosses. And, I always tell him how "great" he is to find the ball!! Be careful not to overdo fetching if your Yorkie is old or tiny!
If your Yorkie knows basic commands, (I was brave enough to take Taffy to 2 simple obedience classes at our nearby PetSmart Store) when you can also tell him to lay "Down" and leave the ball there on the floor when he lays down. Taffy knows "down" & "leave-It"--he really loves the challenge of having to wait while I count softly to 10 - then, I throw the ball & call out,"Fetch it!" He takes off like a little rocket! By the time I count up to 8, he is actually quivering with excitement & anticipation! I also vary this routine by telling him to Stay & then throwing the ball...he has to wait right where he is lying while I count again, and he can see the ball over in the other room the whole time. This is the hardest for him to do!
His next favorite chase-toy is a 9" long, stuffed grey elephant that is covered in soft, nubby threads. He loves to chase & fetch this toy too, but he will also "shake" it so hard that its legs are flopping like mad in all directions...my husband says Taffy is trying to "kill it"...trying to break its neck, Gross!! It is his favorite of all his stuffed toys. (Chewing it also is good for cleaning his teeth!)
Now, I also think that Taffy's "toy basket" is the best thing for everyone in the family! He has about 10 toys inside it, and it is just the right height for him to hunt through on his own! He will even stand in it, with his two front feet inside the basket, while he searches! We always leave it in the corner bedside his small, metal dog crate in our den. (He only uses this crate for daytime naps; we leave its door open!) The last person to go to bed just drops the 3-5 toys that Taffy has taken-out back inside. We have also caught him putting a toy back inside to swap it for another one! Ha! (If you get your dog a toy basket or box be sure it is low enough for your own Yorkie to get into on his own, and that is tightly woven so parts of toys do not get stuck between the woven slats. If you are lucky, you may find a nicely woven basket for sale with a "cloth-liner" already inside it! Lots of bathroom departments in stores carry these cloth-lined baskets! But, be sure it's low enough for your Yorkie to really use on his own! | 
Amazon.com: Vee Chase 'N Pull Small Dog Toy: Pet...