Recently an advert came up on my TikTok For You page that made me so mad I recorded a 3 minute video about it.
It was an ad from a Chinese dog toy manufacturer, advertising a chew toy called the "ComfortBone" as a cure for separation anxiety and the perfect toy to leave your dog at home with. The toy in question is a "100% natural rubber" chew toy with a hollow in the middle for hiding scented fabric, and a rechargeable battery to record your voice.
There are a plethora of reasons this elicited such a strong negative response from me, not all of which I could fit into a 3-minute video, so I've chosen to gather my thoughts here in this blog. It clearly elicited a similar feeling in many of my social media followers, so I hope that you'll get something from this blog too.
Dog toys are not regulated
This doesn't appear to be common knowledge, but did you know that there are no specific product standards applicable to dog toys? They fall under general consumer law provisions, which are very limited.
This is why there are so many cheap toys flooding the market - these large overseas manufacturers have effective carte blanche to make any junk they like, and so long as they can't be shown to be using certain "regulated" chemicals, then they are able to access consumers without meeting any standards.
A toy is not a cure for separation anxiety
The marketing angle of the product as something to resolve your dog's separation anxiety raised my eyebrows.
Separation anxiety is an extremely complex and distressing behaviour issue. If there was a "quick fix" for it, it wouldn't be such a huge problem for pet guardians. No toy is going to solve it!
Separation anxiety requires a holistic look at your companion animal's health, lifestyle, learning history, previous trauma, ability to engage in species-appropriate natural behaviours and more before starting to work on the specific behaviour. It requires support from a suitably qualified trainer or behaviourist who specialises in this area and who works with kindness and compassion for dogs and their guardians. It takes time, effort and compassion to work through. A toy is not going to replace all of this effort!
I think the marketing angle of preying on pet parents' vulnerabilities is absolutely horrendous. Pet parents struggling with separation anxiety are likely stressed out and desperate for solutions, This marketing is exploitative!
Never leave your pet unattended with toys
It is hugely irresponsible for toy manufacturers to market their products as something to leave with your pet unsupervised.
No toy, however well-made, is indestructible, and advertising them as suitable for keeping your dog occupied and comforted when you leave them home alone is putting dogs at huge risk of choking or a bowel obstruction.
Many dogs die or need complex surgery as a result of swallowing toys - it is just not worth the risk. Always supervise dogs around toys!
Limited to no transparency on materials
The product in question is marketed as "100% safe, durable natural rubber" - despite having a battery inside that is clearly NOT made of rubber.
The type of battery (e.g. lithium-ion) is also not disclosed, and I tried on multiple occasions to reach out to the manufacturer via their official channels to ask (WhatsApp, Facebook and their website) but got no response.
All toys should be transparent about their materials and composition. Unfortunately, there's not a requirement on manufacturers to do this - and many don't. That's why it's important to do your research when buying toys and pick manufacturers you can trust.
Rechargeable batteries can be lethal
This was probably the issue that triggered me the most. I was shocked to see a toy with a rechargeable battery being marketed as a chew toy!
Rechargeable batteries, particularly those in cheap, mass-produced toys, are a fire hazard and have been known to spontaneously combust. If damaged they can explode, and if ingested by your dog it just doesn't bear thinking about.
Please do not give your dog any toys that are battery operated - they pose too high a risk to their health and safety.
Moving on from the marketing and production of the product, I want to briefly touch on it's design. Remember its marketing - it helps your dog's separation anxiety because you can include your scent inside it and you can record your voice to play?
Your scent is already everywhere
Dogs have an estimated 300 million scent receptors, whereas us humans have a measly 60 million. A dog can detect scent into the parts per trillion, which is the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar in 2 Olympic sized swimming pools. Your dog already knows your scent, can identify it in amongst other scents, and can even "tell time" from how your scent decays. So no, a scrap of fabric with your scent on it is not going to bring them comfort. Clearly the designer of this toy knows nothing about dogs (if the rest of this blog didn't already lead you to this conclusion).
A recording of your voice is going to cause more stress
The toy allows you to record a message for your dog. But your dog knows you are not home - so hearing your voice is likely to cause more upset as they try to look for you.
If you shouldn't leave your dog with a toy - what should you do instead?
Now I've put the fear of God into you about the harms of unregulated toys and supervising dogs playing with toys, you're probably thinking, what should I be doing instead?
First off, if you and your dog are struggling with separation anxiety, just know that I understand the struggle and you're not alone. I recommend reaching out to a suitably qualified trainer or behaviourist, preferably someone specialising in separation anxiety, who can work with kind and ethical methods to support you. When looking for support, it can be hard to find the right trainer. That's why I built a training and behaviour page, where I list kind, ethical trainers with a variety of specialisms who would be more than happy to support you. Please do reach out to them for help if you need it!
Second off, enrichment can absolutely form part of your plan for managing separating anxiety. A dog that is fulfilled and has all their needs met is more likely to be able to settle when at home alone. I recommend doing enrichment activities together with your dog, offering opportunities to meet a variety of needs (foraging, digging, chewing, licking, chasing, shredding etc) and rotating the toys and activities you do for variety. However, enrichment is just one piece of the puzzle and on its own will not solve separation anxiety.
If you read this blog and think "wow it's the wild west out there for dog toys" - know that I vet all my manufacturers and only work with those I can trust. Materials are disclosed on all my product listings, including all third-party manufactured products. It's important to me to know that anything you buy from me is going to be safe for your dog. I love with pet guardians ask me about what my enrichment toys are made from!
All my handmade toys are made with knowledge and experience about dogs and their natural behaviours, so you can trust that when you are buying something from me, it has been designed and made with your dog front and centre, as well as with safe materials.
Whether you are looking for recommendations on enrichment toys or activities, or need signposted for support for separation anxiety - you're not alone. Drop me a message and I'll be happy to help!