Organic Puppy Toys!

Over the past few months, a lot of my time has been spent trying to train, Sunny, the puppy that is in my care.  She was a rescue pup and will have her forever home with my son-in-law and daughter once they move into a place with a yard.  In the meantime, she is quite happy to have the Bayou as her temporary home.  She is a lively pup (as most young pups are!) and with all that energy comes the problem of keeping her entertained.  When she is bored, she chews....everything!  She has already chewed up four beds, five blankets, three towels,  along with shoes, collars, feed bowls and all of her toys.  Nothing is safe more than about two hours!  Those teeth will rip apart anything that she can get at and then she devours most of what she has demolished.  It is sort of like she hides the evidence!  She will look at me with those big brown eyes and seemingly say.. "I do not know what you are talking about..what bowl?  I did not see a feed bowl!  Speaking of food...where is mine?"  She is very food oriented!

One of the many toys demolished by Sunny, the pup!

This all presented a challenge.  What could I do to provide her with non-destructible toys at a minimal cost?  I pondered the situation and was just about to head to the store to see what was on the market.  A friend recommended that I visit the local thrift store to buy old stuffed animals.  The eyes, nose and any other "choke" hazards could be removed before letting Sunny attack the critter.  This would be fine except for the "mess factor".  I would have to clean up all of that stuffing before she ate it!  Not something that I relish as wet, chewed on polyfiber is pretty nasty!  Dog slobber is not my hand lotion of choice!

Sunny's new favorite toy..a dead squash plant!

Then..another squash died!  Sad for the garden..happy for Sunny!  She loves flinging the dead squash plants about the yard.  The thing is attacked, dragged, flung and eaten!  The perfect toy!  I mean, this has got to be ideal!  She is elated as she gets to rip something to shreds without being reprimanded.  I am elated because there is no cleanup afterwards and if she eats it..so what?  She is merely getting a salad in advance of her regular meal!  Come to think of it..cost-wise, it is perfect as well!  The seeds were thirty cents at the local dollar store!  There were about thirty seeds in the pack, so I am looking at about a penny spent as a toy!  Plus..I had squash to eat for the past few weeks!  I do believe that I am on to something here!  Why did I not think of this before!!!!  Organic doggy toys that you grow yourself!!!  Hmmm..should I start marketing these ideas???