Beware Of Dog (Toys)

All this playing is hard work!

Dogs bring a lot of wonderful things to our lives; companionship, friendship, and unlimited joy. They also bring an immense amount of toys into our homes. My dogs collect toys like they're auditioning for a spot on the TV show "Hoarders". Some mornings I wake up and wonder how long it will be before I'm crushed in my sleep by a mountain of chewy Kongs and canvas frisbees in cheerful colors.


I admit that some of it is my own fault, I mean my dogs don't have credit cards, a job, or any means to actually purchase the toys on their own. I am, of course, their main accomplice in taking the world over via squeaky stuffed animals so I have to share in the blame. The problem is that the dogs are just so cute! How am I supposed to resist those two pairs of limpid brown eyes as they gaze into the center of my soul?

The other reason that we have so many dog toys is that I've been collecting them for years. I still have the tiny, squeaky tennis ball which I bought for my first dog over 15 years ago. Since then a steady stream of toys have marched into the house. Holidays are the worst culprit, an army of toys usually invades every year on each of the dogs' birthdays and on Christmas. The presents aren't just from me, either. Nearly every member of my family likes to give the dogs some kind of gift - usually a toy.

I have managed to partially control the toy clutter. I keep a toy box in the living room, the kitchen, and both of the bedrooms and pick up any stray toys lying around on the floor any time I pass through the room. This keeps the piles of bouncy tennis balls, plush hedgehogs, and knotted rope pull toys mostly at bay, although the dogs like to resume spreading the toys about as soon as I've picked them up.

I don't really mind having my house filled with toys though. I love to watch my dogs playing together, anything which makes the dogs happy makes me happy too. Anyway, the boundless joy which fills the house because of my pets is always more than worth having my living room rug covered with piles of dog toys.