The qualities of a great fundamental toy - There are
3 main elements that make a toy a great one for a Chihuahua:
1. It calls for attention.
In order for a toy to cure boredom, it first has to gain a dog's attention. If a dog fails to notice a toy or has no motivation to even check it out, it will do little good.
Long ago, it was thought that canines only saw in black and white; however you are probably aware that dogs see color. It is a bit different than how we see and can be compared to how things look at technicolor time (when the sun is getting ready to set). So, it is important that a Chihuahua has toys that draw him in with
color. If you take a look around at cheap $1 toys, these are often faded grays and browns or pastels
or
do not have enough
contrasting
color... so they don't do much. And if they do look bright, sadly that may be inexpensive dyes that fade fast. So, color is definitely one factor in choosing toys; having some in a variety of hues will help keep things interesting.
Other ways of gaining a dog's attention is that the toy makes noise or moves when nosed or pawed. Once something calls out to a Chihuahua, half the battle is already won!
2. It provides incentive.
A dog has no reason to play with or chew a toy if he receives nothing in exchange for doing so. Trying to buy as many toys as possible but without carefully choosing which ones will actually interest a dog is the #1 mistake that owners make when buying toys. You'll end up with a huge pile of toys that are ignored and that only takes up room in your house and leaves your Chihuahua with nothing to do. It's better to have 8 to 10 excellent toys that are put to use than 20 of ones that are ignored or do little to keep your Chihuahua busy.
Therefore, when you look for a toy that gives the dog something, it should be one or more of the following: noise, a treat, movement. As long as some sort of satisfaction is gained, playing offers the dog 'reward' and that toy will be treasured among the others.
3. Quality. As with teething toys, making sure that fundamental toys are durable and last for a good amount of time is crucial. When a dog latches on to 'favorites' it can be heartbreaking if the toy breaks, falls apart or otherwise becomes so worn out that it can no longer be used. If the manufacturer isn't making it anymore or it can't be found in the same color, this can be upsetting to a dog. In fact, once you obtain some excellent toys and find that your Chihuahua simply loves them, you may want to order doubles so that you always have one on standby should the first become lost or eventually wear out (since no toy can last forever).