The post What Are Heartbeat Toys? And Does Your Puppy Need a Heartbeat Toy?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n When you welcome a new puppy<\/a> to your family, you want them to feel safe, comfortable and at home. But it\u2019s an adjustment for the little guy or girl, particularly if they spent the first few weeks of their life sleeping next to their mom and littermates. They may miss her smell and the sound of her heartbeat, something they were able to do in the womb, too.<\/span><\/p>\n To help their pet adjust, some pet parents may look into heartbeat toys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey are designed to feel like a heartbeat, so the puppy feels like they are close to mom or their littermates,\u201d says Dr. Joanna Woodnutt, the in-house vet for\u00a0<\/span>DoggieDesigner.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n But there haven\u2019t been studies that say they actually help, and Dr. Woodnutt has some concerns that heartbeat toys may cause more harm than good. She shared the pros and cons of heartbeat toys for dogs and other ways to help your new pup feel at home more quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n Though there\u2019s no scientific proof that heartbeat toys work for pups, anecdotally, they may.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPuppies have been in the same house since they were born,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says. \u201cThey\u2019ve been taken from their siblings, moms and the place they know all in the same day. The idea is\u2026to give them some consistency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There are perks for pet parents, too: If the puppy isn\u2019t crying at night, their parents will likely get more sleep, too.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Woodnutt tends to steer clear of recommending heartbeat toys to pets, mainly because it\u2019s a temporary solution.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you give the dog a toy and take it away, does it make separation anxiety worse?\u201d Dr. Woodnutt wonders.<\/span><\/p>\n And not all of them are safe to leave with an unsupervised pup.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSome contain batteries or heat packs,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says. \u201cThey aren\u2019t suitable for chewing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Check the label to see if there are any safety warnings, and avoid leaving your puppy alone with battery-operated toys.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Woodnutt thinks one of the best ways to help your pet feel safe is to crate train properly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne thing I\u2019ve always advocated is finding a breeder that is willing to try crate training before you bring them home\u2026so when they get to the house, they are already used to it,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re rescuing, that may not be an option. Start by putting the dog in the crate for short periods and giving them a treat so they associate it with a positive experience. Gradually increase the amount of time you leave them in the crate. At night, consider putting the crate in your room.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat way, they can see and hear you, and you can hear them,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says.<\/span><\/p>\n If your pup is already using a heartbeat toy, it\u2019s possible to wean from it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo it slowly and help them become less dependent on it,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Woodnutt suggests starting by taking it away during the day while you\u2019re home (potentially on a weekend).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOver time, take it away at night but still let them have it while you are away,\u201d she says. \u201cBuild up to having them not having it at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The post What Are Heartbeat Toys? And Does Your Puppy Need a Heartbeat Toy?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post What Are Heartbeat Toys? And Does Your Puppy Need a Heartbeat Toy?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n When you welcome a new puppy<\/a> to your family, you want them to feel safe, comfortable and at home. But it\u2019s an adjustment for the little guy or girl, particularly if they spent the first few weeks of their life sleeping next to their mom and littermates. They may miss her smell and the sound of her heartbeat, something they were able to do in the womb, too.<\/span><\/p>\n To help their pet adjust, some pet parents may look into heartbeat toys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey are designed to feel like a heartbeat, so the puppy feels like they are close to mom or their littermates,\u201d says Dr. Joanna Woodnutt, the in-house vet for\u00a0<\/span>DoggieDesigner.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n But there haven\u2019t been studies that say they actually help, and Dr. Woodnutt has some concerns that heartbeat toys may cause more harm than good. She shared the pros and cons of heartbeat toys for dogs and other ways to help your new pup feel at home more quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n Though there\u2019s no scientific proof that heartbeat toys work for pups, anecdotally, they may.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPuppies have been in the same house since they were born,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says. \u201cThey\u2019ve been taken from their siblings, moms and the place they know all in the same day. The idea is\u2026to give them some consistency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There are perks for pet parents, too: If the puppy isn\u2019t crying at night, their parents will likely get more sleep, too.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Woodnutt tends to steer clear of recommending heartbeat toys to pets, mainly because it\u2019s a temporary solution.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you give the dog a toy and take it away, does it make separation anxiety worse?\u201d Dr. Woodnutt wonders.<\/span><\/p>\n And not all of them are safe to leave with an unsupervised pup.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSome contain batteries or heat packs,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says. \u201cThey aren\u2019t suitable for chewing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Check the label to see if there are any safety warnings, and avoid leaving your puppy alone with battery-operated toys.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Woodnutt thinks one of the best ways to help your pet feel safe is to crate train properly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne thing I\u2019ve always advocated is finding a breeder that is willing to try crate training before you bring them home\u2026so when they get to the house, they are already used to it,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re rescuing, that may not be an option. Start by putting the dog in the crate for short periods and giving them a treat so they associate it with a positive experience. Gradually increase the amount of time you leave them in the crate. At night, consider putting the crate in your room.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat way, they can see and hear you, and you can hear them,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says.<\/span><\/p>\n If your pup is already using a heartbeat toy, it\u2019s possible to wean from it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo it slowly and help them become less dependent on it,\u201d Dr. Woodnutt says.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Woodnutt suggests starting by taking it away during the day while you\u2019re home (potentially on a weekend).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOver time, take it away at night but still let them have it while you are away,\u201d she says. \u201cBuild up to having them not having it at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The post What Are Heartbeat Toys? And Does Your Puppy Need a Heartbeat Toy?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat are the benefits of heartbeat toys for puppies?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Are there downsides to buying a heartbeat toy for your dog?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Other ways to make your new puppy feel safe<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
How to wean your puppy from a heartbeat toy<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
What are the benefits of heartbeat toys for puppies?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Are there downsides to buying a heartbeat toy for your dog?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Other ways to make your new puppy feel safe<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
How to wean your puppy from a heartbeat toy<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n