Doggie Doldrums

During these long dog days of summer, Milton cannot spend too much time outdoors because it is just too darn hot. So how does he while away his time? Well, Momma, Daddy, and numerous friends have spoiled the Milt with a wide assortment of toys. See the below:


Milton digging through his toy bin

The concept of a toy bin for Milt is just perfect because he can wander over, reach in, and grab out whatever he wants.  We rotate his toys, so he never has one for too long.  We always want his playthings to be freshly interesting.

Ropes

"Red rope" was the first toy introduced to the Milt.  Jeff and I think that if we name everything then Milton will come to recognize his toys more easily.  After red rope, we bought Milton the New Orleans Saints rope (Jeff's homestate pride), and finally we purchased the massive boat rope.  Milt enjoys a good game of tug of war on a daily basis.

Silly toys

Did we buy Milton the #1 Pet toy?  Actually, no.  That was a present from his breeder because she predicted he would be an all-star pet.  As for the toothbrushes, they were a hand-me-down and are quite comical to watch him chew.

The Monkeys

Milton loves his monkeys.  He can often be found heartily chewing away while trying to reach the elusive squeakers that are buried deep inside each of them.  The monkey on the right is "Crazy Monkey" because the legs are pullable  and can be twisted around Milton's harness for him to figure out how to get that crazy monkey off his back!

All natural

This is Milton's cheapest toy and one of his most treasured.  He just carried it upstairs from the great outdoors.

Nylabone is Milton's preferred brand of bone besides milkbones, of course.  We are really hoping that bones like this get Milton through his teething stage, when it starts at six months, without too many mishaps.

For days when Milt is quite bored, he needs a little something extra. The green bone is a puzzle toy that treats can be inserted into to mesmerize the Milt to pull them out.  It also helps if you slather the toy with globs of peanut butter.    

We also freeze water mixed with chicken broth and bits of dog food or hot dog to captivate the Milt's attention for a little while and help to cool him off.




These toys are extra special because Milton only gets to play with them with his Daddy. Jeff is worried that if other people, including me, throw Milton a tennis ball or a frisbee but do not insist that he brings it directly back to the thrower, that Milt could be "ruined" for retrieving. So, these playthings are always squirreled away and only brought out when Daddy is home.

So, I bet a lot of you are just dying to know which toy is Milton's most beloved?  You guessed it...

Crazy monkey!

The greater message underlying this post is: Thank goodness dog toys are a heck of a lot cheaper than children's toys...