Top Ten Schnauzer Toys

elk antler

(1) Elk Antlers - My dogs love these and they are the only "bones" they are allowed to have. I personally only use elk antlers because it is a safe and durable chew. The elk antlers are actually less dense than other type of antlers (which can be so hard they can actually break teeth and are more likely to splinter). I buy only grade A or A+ that are naturally shed. 

I find the 6 to 7 inch unsplit antlers are best for my dogs because they can demolish a split one in no time. If your dog isn't an aggressive chewer or you are just introducing them for the first time, I would recommend the split ones.  Elk antlers are a great source of natural calcium, phosphorous, manganese and zinc and helps to naturally keep teeth clean of tartar. 

(2) Treat Dispensing Ball - To say my dogs love this ball is an understatement. They are obsessed with this ball. I finally had to put it away because my girl, Abby, kept getting really nasty with the others because she claimed it as hers and hers only. It is a great toy to keep them entertained for a long time. You could even feed a fast-eating dog with this ball to slow them down. I still occasionally pull it out and put Abby into the crate so the other dogs can enjoy it.

Hol-ee Roller Ball

(3) Hol-ee Roller Ball - A couple of my dogs love to shred things. This ball is the perfect solution.  I cut up some old fleece rags into strips and stuff the rags into the holes of this ball. They love ripping them out and completely gutting the ball. 

(4) Hide-A-Squirrel - All schnauzer owners know that the squirrel is the arch enemy of the schnauzer. I can't remember where I first saw this but I knew my dogs would love it. It is a stuffed tree trunk that has three fuzzy squirrels that you shove in holes on the trunk. My girls love to pull the squirrels out and shake the doo doo out of them. I see now that Amazon not only has different sizes, they also have bees in a hive and birds in a birdhouse. 

tug toy

(5) Tug Toys - The link included here is my dogs' favorite tug toy. There's hardly ever a tug game between just two of them.  It is almost always three of them pulling in different directions. This Kong toy has held up through many games and is still going strong. It has a squeaker in it which my Carly likes to squeeze in her mouth to get the other dogs interested.

(6) Snake with Squeaker - My dogs love snake shaped toys. They like to shake them, play tug of war with them and drive you crazy squeaking the squeaker. Sometimes you just have to put it away, like when you are on the phone, but they do love it like no other toy.

rope toy

(7) Rope Toy - My girls love to chew on these as well as play tug-of-war. We keep a supply of two or three in the toy box at all times. It's a great way to help keep teeth clean. The minute they start looking stringy, I toss them. I particularly like the ones that have a minty scent to help with that doggy breath.

(8) Classic Kong Toy - I have used the classic Kong toy for all my dogs, especially as puppies when I had to go to work and they had to go in their pen/crate. I use peanut butter inside the hole and sometimes add a few larger treats wedged inside to keep them interested. I have never had any of my dogs chew any pieces of rubber off the toy. I think I still have all my original Kongs.

(9) Wobble Wag Giggle Dog - This is another toy that can drive you crazy but my girls adore this thing. As they push it around the floor it makes all these crazy sounds. It's actually pretty fun to watch if you are in the mood for a lot of noise. I don't think they ever get tired of it. I'm the one who usually ends the game. This is a perfect toy for dogs who have a high prey drive, which schnauzers usually do. My tiniest girl, Abby, loves to pick it up and carry it around so the other dogs can't play with it. I don't know if she just doesn't want to share or if the sound is driving her crazy, lol.

10. Stuffed Animals - Some dogs love to sweetly carry their "babies" around everywhere, some care nothing about softies, and some love to tear them into a thousand pieces. I have all of these types. Nothing is more frustrating than paying $5.95 for a cute stuffed toy and find 20 minutes later, the arms and squeaker are already demolished. 

Tip:  I shop the Goodwill and yard sales for appropriate stuffed animals. There are always tons to choose from and you can usually get them for less than a dollar apiece. I do not buy the ones filled with beads or ones that have button eyes or pieces that can be chewed and ingested. When they start getting severely mauled, I just throw them away and don't feel bad about wasting money.  Sometimes, I just remove the stuffing and they play with the "flat" toy for a long time. As long as they are in good shape, I throw them in the washer and dryer about once a week.

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Three 3-Ingredient Treats

I just cringe every time I hear there's a new recall on dog treats or dog food. It seems as though the manufacturers don't understand that our dogs are like our children. I guess they have looser standards on pet food.  I started scouring the internet and Pinterest looking for treat ideas that I could make myself.  That way I know what is in the treat and don't have to worry about a recall.  

Before I start with the recipes for baked treats, I wanted to share the fruits and vegetables I give my dogs as treats:

Vegetables:

• raw carrots
• frozen peas
• canned green beans
• cucumbers

Fruits:

• apple slices
• frozen blueberries
• bananas (fresh or frozen)
• strawberries
• watermelon

*Note:  Grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs!

Recipes

Here are some three ingredient recipes that are quick to make and my dogs love them:

Banana-Peanut Butter Treats

4 bananas (mashed)

2 cups peanut butter (no artificial sweeteners)

6 cups uncooked oats

I put the oats into my food processor and pulverize them into a powder.  I then add in the peanut butter and mashed banana and mix well.

I pinch tiny amounts, roll & flatten on parchment paper.  These are the perfect size treat for my mini's.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until hard.  I freeze all but a small amount I can use in a few days.

Bella as a puppy

Banana Treats

7 cups pulverized uncooked oats

3 ripe bananas (mashed, reserving 1/2 banana)

2 eggs

Mix together the oats, mashed bananas and eggs. Roll out to 1/4" thick and cut with a pizza cutter or cookie cutter. Place a thin slice of reserved banana on top and press into cookie. Bake on parchment at 375 F for 20-25 minutes until edges are brown and banana on top is dry. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Carly as a Puppy

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Treats

1/2 cup peanut butter (no artificial sweeteners)

1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1-3/4 cup flour (oat, rice, wheat - your choice)

Mix all ingredients well.  Roll out on floured covered surface. Cut out with cookie cutter or use a pizza cutter to cut into squares. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F for 8 to 10 minutes. I freeze all but a small amount I can use in a few days.

Abby getting kisses

Speaking of treats....