I am off to a champ show next month and am a bit concerned about using a squeaky toy in the ring! My boy isn't food orientated but loves this tiny red ball. It even has little legs! I haven't tried using the ball at his last show but its the only thing that gives me his total  attention! I don't want to be unfair and distract other exhibitors dogs in the ring but I have seen people using squeakys at shows before? I know that they can also be frowned upon.Help!!!!

Hi there,

If your boy is excited enough by the toy why not just show it to him and then put it back in your pocket until needed again - there's no need to squeak it ;)   In my own breed people often use a squeaky toy but don't "activate" it :P unless the judge has either just gone over their dog and stepped back to look at the whole picture or if the judge is clearly nit-picking between two individual dogs in a class or in the challenge (at which point beware of low flying objects :D ).

Regards, Teri

Thanks Ter!! I'LL try that! i'LL PROBABLY BE SQEUAKING MYSELF WITH NERVES!!!!

I perosnally find them non-considerate to fellow exhibitors.  When I use a toy a use something small and fluffy that the dogs love.  It has normally been in the show bag and smells of liver too!

I'm sure attention can be gained long enough with just showing the toy and it is common to see handlers making there own funny noises (or is that just me wishful thinking I'm not the only one.......!!!!!)

Is the toy a bad cuz??? :D
My Boxer love em.....the youngest tries her hardest to chew the devil horns off LOL :D
They have the good cuz's too...But the ones I have are too big to use as a squeaky
for the ring and they don't fit in my pocket either :D

Hi Boxacrazy! Yeah it is a bad Cuz (the red one!) They had little tiny ones in Pets at Home for £1.99(white and red!). I had to buy it! My boxer also has the big version! Its great cos I can grab it by the legs and pull it out of his mouth when he decides not to give it back!!!!!!! I bought it for the ring for my EBT, because he is obsessed with it!!!

Interested in this topic as I'm trying to find something other than food for Dylan (now 16 weeks) - sharp puppy teeth and my fingers are sore

So, ermmmm.....what's a Cuz and am I stupid Answers on a postcard please ;)

Thanks, Tara

Right OK, cancel the above as we have found what a Cuz is :)

However, we can't seem to find anywhere to buy them over here in the old backwaters and stuck in a timezone Isle of Wight :rolleyes:

Is there somewhere to buy these online does anyone know - badly need one now we know what they are, not for the dog, for us :p

Anyone ?

Cheers, Tara

http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Rubber.html

Sorry, cant do links so you will have to cut 'n' paste. :-)

Thanks for that will check them out :)

With having a breed which is totally toy orientated I don't think it's right for other people to have squeeky toys in the ring if they are going to squeak them.  It totally puts my dogs off for the rest of the day as they are then searching for it!!!

Chi people used to always have toys etc. in the ring years ago and it used to drive me around the bend because many of my Pom's are toy orientated too and if they were in the ring next to you it was hard work keeping them concentrating.

I'll probably end up taking the squeak out of the one I use in the show - i.e get two toys identical, one with squeak still intact that I'll use at home for training and the other squeakless one that will be used in ringcraft, shows etc - he'll hopefully see the toy, recognise it as his 'buddy' and that's all I'll need (in theory, although this is Dylan we are talking about and he is currently charging round the house, jumping over a very sleepy and grumpy Uncle Rufus all because he wants dad to take him out for a walk !)

See, I have a problem with food in the rings as, having a food orientated breed, he spends the whole time at ring craft hovering up other dogs dropped bits :rolleyes: