So, you’re probably asking yourself: What is a Dragon Egg?
It’s our newest, heavy duty chew toy!
This chew is made out of hardened and durable rubber to hold up to even the strongest and toughest of chewers. The round shape also helps to make it more difficult to chew through as a dog can’t gnaw through any particular spot of thinner parts of the toy.
But, that’s not all.
The textured scales don’t just make this toy more interesting to chew on, they help clean your dog’s teeth!
The raised parts of the scales help scrape away plaque and promote gum health. That’s a win-win situation.
Your dog gets a fun toy to play with and you get to know that it’s also benefiting their dental health.
Though even the toughest of chew toys isn’t truly indestructible. There will always be wear and tear and pieces may eventually break away. So, we always recommend supervised playtime.
Especially for those tough chewers that seem to make it through everything no matter what you do, but we’ll get to how to help with that in just a moment.
Dragon Egg for Heavy Duty Chewing
Some dogs like to chew and they really like to chew. They will get through anything that you give them in a heartbeat. The Dragon Egg was made to combat this first and foremost.
It’s all too common for a dog to gnaw off a piece of a toy just because it sticks off and is easy to grab onto. They feel like they can really sink their teeth into it. Then, before you know it, they’ve destroyed that toy they were enjoying so much.
Not to mention that toy that you spent so much money on. Chewing toys get expensive!
With its round design, the Dragon Egg is much more difficult to gnaw through. Your dog can’t get any one part in their mouth to excessively chew on.
And, for those especially tough chewers, this toy can be stuffed and frozen beforehand to make it even more durable and long lasting!
Stuff it with their favourite soft treat and freeze for a few hours before play time to give them a delicious chew that lasts.
Play Fetch with the Dragon Egg
Maybe your dog isn’t super interested in chew toys specifically, but they do like to chew their other toys while playing. This toy is a great way to play fetch without spending a small fortune in tennis balls!
Your dog likes to play and they like to play with you. You are the ultimate reward.
A game of fetch isn’t only great exercise. It’s a great bonding experience. Afterall, your dog wants to please.
It’s also mentally stimulating. Because the egg isn’t perfectly round, it doesn’t bounce in a straight line. When you toss it, it may bounce all over the place and now your dog has to figure out which direction to chase it in!
Meal Time with the Dragon Egg
Make meal time more fun with the dragon egg!
Or perhaps you have a dog that eats far too quickly, but they need something a little more challenging than a slow feeder or puzzle bowl.
You just take their dry kibble and stuff it into the egg. As they knock it around, a few pieces will fall out for them to grab! Then they can knock it around some more and be rewarded again.
Not only does it slow down quick eaters, it’s a mentally stimulating game that will help keep your dog occupied and help to wear them out.
Especially those working breeds that are always looking for a job. Remember, if you don’t give them work to do, they’ll find it themselves.
This is a quick, fun way to incorporate a game and some work into their day.
Separation Anxiety and Crate Training with the Dragon Egg
This is one of the most useful functions of the Dragon Egg!
You want to fill it with a high value food and freeze it the night before, so that you have it ready when you’re getting ready to leave the house.
What you want to do is take the egg out about thirty minutes before you are going to leave the house.
Let your dog have a lick or two. Make sure they know it’s good. Get them excited for their reward!
Then open the crate and place the egg in, but close the door and lock it. Do not let your dog in yet! The point of this step is to get them excited about what is in their crate.
Five minutes before you leave comes the hard part.
You want to become a “cold robot.”
You need to act like your dog isn’t there. Don’t talk to them. Don’t touch them. Don’t acknowledge them. You want to take away anything that clues them into you leaving.
By removing those triggers, you help keep your dog calm and keep them from getting anxious.
Just before you leave, open the crate and finally let them in to get the egg!
There’s still no touching or talking. You just close the crate with them in it and leave.
The frozen egg will last hours and keep them occupied while you’re gone. This is the part where we recommend having multiples on hand.
In an ideal situation, you’ll be home before they’re finished with their egg and you can swap them out!
Going in the crate means they get their favourite thing! There’s nothing to be anxious about or worry over. They get a treat.
Other Forms of Anxiety and the Dragon Egg
Does your dog get anxious over:
- Guests
- Fireworks
- Sirens
- People passing your home
- Thunderstorms
This same sort of conditioning works with other stressors as well!
Anytime there’s a situation where your dog gets anxious, you can have one of their frozen treats ready!
You just place them in their crate with their reward and then they will begin to associate those scary things with good things instead.
Your dog’s crate should never be something they fear. That’s their safe place. They should feel secure there and know that good things come from being in their crate.
Excess Chewing and the Dragon Egg
There are many reasons for destructive chewing, but let's start with the most common one.
Lack of exercise is the number one cause of excessive chewing.
This need varies from breed to breed. Some dogs are happy with a few minutes of play. Some dogs need hours of play to be satisfied in this area. It’s a very important requirement to meet no matter how much or little they need.
When giving them a toy to chew on, they may decide that any toy is good to chew on. Which as you know, isn't true. Many toys won’t stand up to this chewing and will be instantly destroyed.
But, if you’re having an issue with your dog destroying any and all toys, we recommend not doubling, but tripling the amount of exercise your dog is getting every day. After a couple weeks of this, you should see marked improvement.
Your dog will most likely stop chewing! They’ll be tired, content, and calm after playing for the right amount of time for their energy levels.
The second most common cause of destructive chewing is lack of mental stimulation.
Your dog may be getting enough exercise, but are they bored?
If they are, they’ll find a job. Figuring out the best way to destroy something is a fun game for your dog. They aren’t purposely being destructive, but it lets them stretch themselves mentally. Ripping up the couch is a very fun and very destructive dog crossword puzzle.
You can combat this by giving them a job and an appropriate thing to chew on.
Find a game that has the two of you work together. Playing or working with you is a positive outlet for your dog. It will help to build a strong bond with you and it will prevent them from choosing a more destructive game that they find fun.
Fenrir Egg Stuffing Recipe Ideas
Eggs and Cheese
This is one of our favourite treat recipes to stuff the egg with! This recipe is enough to fill two of these chew toys.
All you’ll need is seven whole eggs and some full fat cottage cheese.
Scramble your eggs and then put them in a bowl. Mix in some cottage cheese and you’re done!
You can then stuff your Dragon Eggs and freeze.
We recommend placing them in large ziplock baggies to help prevent spilling while they’re in the freezer overnight.
Then they’re ready to use the next day! Your dog will love this treat!
Berries and Cream
Or maybe your dog isn’t a huge fan of eggs and would prefer something else.
All you’ll need is some strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and whipped cream. It’s super easy to make your own and you don’t need to worry about added sugar!
You’re going to make a sort of parfait with this one.
Start by dropping some fruit into the egg. We started with bananas. Then follow with a layer of whipped cream. Add another layer of fruit. Then another layer of cream until the egg is full.
Pop it in the freeze and you’re ready to go the next day!
Once again, putting the egg in a large ziplock can help prevent accidental spills in the freezer.
Conclusion
All of these things combined will make for a happy, healthy dog, but not only that!
Your dog will bond with you through this type of training and these exercises. They’ll be happy to see you. They’ll be excited for their next game of fetch.
Obedience isn’t the only goal of training. It’s a bonding experience for you and your dog.
By rewarding them, you keep them excited and engaged. It’s something to look forward to.
We hope that both you and your canine companion enjoy your new Dragon Egg and this helped you get the most out of it!