JW Pet Co's Cuz: A Life Saver For An Anxious Dog

   Sorry in advance for the long review, but I write a great deal about Cassie and her exploits and thought for a change I would bring you up to speed on Tobey!  This is the story of how a simple toy, the JW Pet Co Cuz saved Tobey from himself.

   Tobers is a four year old Min Pin/Rat Terrier mix (we think) who came to my parents at about four months old.  Before he was picked up by the local animal squad it's believed that he spent much of his life, as my mother puts it with a pouty face, "on the mean streets."  As a result of this harsh upbringing, he came with some very significant guarding and aggression issues (not great in a house that at that time had two other dogs) that we have worked very hard to get him through.  In the beginning he was always tense, almost on a razors edge even when he was sleeping and would easily become fixated on guarding places, food, toys and people.  With some positive reinforcement and handling training and some exercise he has come a long way.  He still has a few grumpy moments, but his real 'problems' have pretty much disappeared, especially now that he's the only dog at my parents'.

   When he moved in it was also difficult to teach Tobey to play.  He was (and still is) very food motivated, so teaching tricks was easy, but really playing with him was hard to even get started.  I found he liked to chase balls, but was not happy to bring them back.   People often don't realize when they adopt a shelter dog that many have missed out on those important weeks of puppyhood where they learned things like socialization, sharing and yes, even play! This is no excuse not to adopt an older dog, but still an important factor to keep in mind.  Many shelter dogs will need some help learning the basics of what we consider 'doggie-hood.'

    My mother, for instance, was very sad that Tobey was not acting like a 'normal' dog and determined to find a toy he would like.  After some tennis balls and soft toys (which he liked to sit on), she brought home a red Cuz that came to be known as Tobey's friend.  This one toy would, in my opinion, go a long way to helping Tobey overcome not only his guarding issues, but his general day-to-day rubberband-like tension.

   It started out simply enough.  We gave him the toy and treated him for sniffing it and then picking it up.  After a little while we took it out back and gave it a toss and off he went as if it were a tennis ball.  We stood there watching him run like a shot in the direction the Cuz had disappeared and then started across the yard after him ready to lure it away with a treat when he ran off with it.   To our surprise a great squeaking could be heard and from the other end of the yard Tobey came charging with the Cuz in his mouth giving a squeak with each stride.   He loved it!  When he reached us I quickly pulled out a treat and as he opened his mouth I said: "Drop it" and placed the treat in his mouth.

  From that moment he wouldn't let the Cuz go...he raced around the house by himself squeaking the Cuz as he ran, he would chase the Cuz when we threw it for him and bring it back.   Interestingly, he would even lie on his blanket and just squeak the Cuz with his eyes closed.  I wish I had pictures of this, but sadly I don't.   The Cuz did more than give Tobey an outlet for his nervous energy (though that did help I'm sure), it's hard rubber had just enough give to make squeezing it pleasurable.  As when people who are stressed grind their teeth, nervous or anxious dogs often carry a lot of pent up energy in their jaws.  T-touch massage techniques teach you to massage the anxious dog's jaws by holding thier heads or using a circular motion, but for Tobey (who didn't like people touching his face), chewing on the ball seemed to relieve his anxiety.  The Cuz acted as a self-soothing device and allowed Tobey to see that when he was more relaxed the world wasn't such a scary place!

   He has gone through many Cuzes since that first one and now doesn't really need to use it that much, though he still loves it.  Since then he has learned to love other types of play as well and I am thinking about starting him at home with some agility training very soon.   He's very smart and still super fast!

  Though this is a great story it's not much of a review, so here you go:

   The Cuz, like most JW Pet Co toys is very durable.  The hard pliable rubber is a joy for dogs to chew, but seems to outlast even the strongest chewers I've seen!  Cassie has a few of these types of toys and they have lasted well over a year.  With Tobers, his first Cuz lasted about a year before the squeaker fell out inside of the Cuz and a new one had to be purchased.  We've since bought him two others and the squeaker always seems to be the fail point.   They bounce very well and because of the odd shape and the feet at the bottom the bounce is unpredictable, making the dog have to think while they are chasing it.  The squeaker is the best part; it gives a loud and satisfying sound that seems to drive the dogs crazy!

  Cuzes come in a variety of sizes (S,M,L) and colors, including: red, green, purple and yellow/orange.  They also come in both a Good Cuz  (no-devil horns) and a Bad Cuz (with devil-horns)...Tobey started out with the Bad Cuz, reflecting my mother's feelings at that point in his life and now has two Good Cuzes.   You can buy a Cuz at Petsmart, Petco, Amazon or many other places online from between $5-$10 depending on size and style.   They're a great foundation to JW Pet Co's squeaky toy line from which many other shapes can be purchased, even a Cuz with a fluffy tail!  Overall, a stimulating alternative to a boring old tennis ball and one that will last for ages!

What's In A Wubba?: With Guest Bloggers Elyse & Riley

    A few weeks back I had the good fortune of running a poll about desired reviews in the same week that one of our readers/favorite doggie bloggers had a very eye opening experience with one of the items on the list...the Kong Wubba line!

    I asked all of you to tell me which dog items you would most like to see a review of and Wubbas came in a very close second to Treats!  So I did the treat review and thought why not let Elyse provide  her thoughts on Wubbas!

Elyse's Wubba Tale:

   Hi, my name is Elyse and my Australian Cattle Dog, Riley is a notorious toy destroyer around our house.  Riley is a medium to medium-large size dog (53 pounds of muscle).  Stuffed animals don't last more than 5 minutes around our house, Riley has destroyed at least 3 different types of frisbees, tennis balls don't last, and Nylabones are typically chewed down in a few days...just to give a little background.  I would classify Riley as being an aggressive or serious chewer.

 I had been thinking about getting Riley a Wubba and when I got an e-mail from Barking Deals that they were offering 3 Large Kong Wubbas for $13.99 and free shipping, I jumped at the chance to purchase them for her.  The Wubbas got here within about a week and I decided to give one of them to my sister for her two Boxers.

 Riley took to the Wubba right away.  I just squeaked it and tossed it to her.  She had a grand time holding it by one of the fabric tails and shaking the daylights out of it.  We played fetch with it for a while, then she decided she would lie down and get to work on tearing it apart.  This is where I should have stepped in and confiscated it, but I didn't want to spoil the fun.  Here are day 1 pictures:

Day 1

 The tips of the tails were easily chewed off and the stitching around the body of the toy was easy for her to get apart.  Needless to say, this is what the toy looked like on day 2:

Day 2

Riley has had great fun playing with the big squeaky ball (that has since lost it's squeak) and really enjoyed tearing that little fuzzy, yellow tennis ball into microscopic pieces all over my bed.

 We're now on our second Wubba which I've only allowed her to play fetch with outside and not chew.  We've been playing with that one for about 2 weeks or so (only under supervision), and it has held up reasonably well.  She has managed to sneak in chewing off the tips of the fabric tails on it, but the side stitching is still intact.  If you don't have a serious toy destroyer on your hands, they're probably safe to leave alone with the Wubba.  If you've got a "destructo" dog like mine, use this toy only under supervision.  Despite this experience, I would definitely buy Riley another Kong Wubba to play with only while I supervise her because she's had so much fun with the first two.  It is a really fun fetch/shake toy and those are the two things Riley really loves to do.

  My Thanks to Elyse, who writes a wonderful blog called Adventures of A Cattle Dog about her certified therapy dog Riley the Australian Cattle Dog!

  I don't think I have to say much more, but it is my blog so I guess I should add my own thoughts:

   I completely agree with Elyse that Wubbas should be used only with "parental supervision" especially if, like Elyse and I, you have a super-chewer in the house.   Wubbas are great things to play a light tug and fetch with, though in my opinion they don't actually throw very well (I much prefer the Dogzilla Throw Toy available at Walmart stores).    Wubbas come in various sizes, colors and forms (regular, Tugga, fleecy Snugga, animal-shaped Friends, etc) each one less durable than the last.  Kong has recently come out with a "Ballistic" line, which I have yet to try, but will soon!   In addition, Wubbas can get to be pretty pricey ranging between $8-20 retail (though there are some good deals on Amazon) and when you think about how long they last in my opinion they're often not worth the money unless, like Elyse, you get a good deal.   

  Cassie always seem to get them as gifts and I have to smile and say thank-you knowing that the well meant and expensive present will probably be dead a few minutes after we get home!   I've put up two of Cassie favorites, the Tugga Wubba and the Snugga Wubba, to supplement Elyse's experience with the traditional Wubbas.  Cassie has succeeded even under my watchful eye to eat all the arms off the Tugga Wubba, though I have to admit she does love playing with it.  I've just made the mistake of leaving the Snugga Wubba on the table and in a matter of moments some one (whose name rhymes with Wassie) quietly took it off the table and to the corner and chewed a hole through the snuggy material...which does just seem to beg to be ripped open!   

For any dog that likes to chew even the littlest bit this must be a throw, play and put away toy!  Most importantly because, as Riley has demonstrated perfectly, though the Wubba might be correctly sized for your dog the little tennis balls inside are certainly not and can easily become a trip to the ER!