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mturner
Jul 2, 2008, 3:04 AM
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Registered: Dec 17, 2005
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Odd but serious question:
I recently made a monkey ball out of an old climbing rope that my dog absolutely loves. However, I'm concerned there may be some chemicals the rope is treated with that will not be so good for her if she just sits and gnaws on it for a while. Besides the dirt that I'm sure it's picked up, should I be worried?
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happiegrrrl
Jul 2, 2008, 3:19 AM
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Registered: Mar 25, 2004
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I don't think so, chemical-wise....simply on that I imagine dog toys from stores pretty much use commercially available nylon, cotton and/or cotton blend ropes for chew/tug toys.... Although, if the rope is dry treated, it would be good to have an idea on what is used for that treatment
You might want to contact Sterling ropes and ask. They're pretty good about responding to queries.
One thing TO worry about, which isn't got anything to do with chemicals, is if the dog really rips the thing to shreds and keeps going at it like a Slo-Poke All Day Sucker(an old toffee candy from back in the 1960's).
If the core gets exposed and your dog tried to rappel off the strands....just kidding. If the dog began chewing the core strands, and kept swallowing them as he or she went, that could be dangerous. The long strand of fiber could get twisted in their intestine, and that can be fatal(Though rare. I mean, puppies eat EVERYTHING. Mine once ate a cassette tape....He took a poop and....began ejecting the tape. Luckily, it all came out clean, but I learned a lesson about being more careful....).
Still, you want to make sure the ends are clean, maybe a knot tied in with a small tail extra would do it, and then melt the tail end to stop it from fraying.
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hafilax
Jul 2, 2008, 10:13 PM
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The nylon MSDS says that ingestion may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and that's about it. The dry treatment is probably OK as well.
I'd be worried about leaving the dog around ropes. Once they associate something with a chew toy they tend to chew everything like it. You may end up buying a lot of ropes. I've got quite a few ultimate discs and golf discs with teeth marks due to dogs off leash. All I got were apologies but that's another issue.
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potreroed
Jul 2, 2008, 10:26 PM
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I've thought about doing something like this but decided that I don't want my dogs to associate climbing ropes with something it's OK to chew on.
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irregularpanda
Jul 2, 2008, 10:32 PM
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Registered: Mar 13, 2007
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Odd but serious answer
mturner wrote: However, I'm concerned there may be some chemicals the rope is treated with that will not be so good for her if she just sits and gnaws on it for a while. Besides the dirt that I'm sure it's picked up, should I be worried?
Think about all the other crap your dog tries to eat when you're not watching. Dead fish, fecal matter, styrofoam, etc.
One of the best ones I saw was a kong, with a climbing rope fed through the hole. That way you could wing it really far.
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Arrogant_Bastard
Jul 2, 2008, 11:03 PM
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potreroed wrote: I've thought about doing something like this but decided that I don't want my dogs to associate climbing ropes with something it's OK to chew on.
Quoted because it's worth a second reading. A good point.
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scotchie
Jul 2, 2008, 11:55 PM
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potreroed wrote: I've thought about doing something like this but decided that I don't want my dogs to associate climbing ropes with something it's OK to chew on.
That's what I was concerned about. One of the things they taught us in obedience class is that dogs can't usually tell the difference between your old shoes and your new shoes, old climbing rope vs new climbing rope, etc. If you give it to them, they will think it's ok to chew on anything that looks and feels the same, especially if you leave it on the floor.
Maybe there's a way to train them more specifically, but I wouldn't want to risk it with climbing gear.
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stymingersfink
Jul 3, 2008, 12:03 AM
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I would no sooner teach my dog to chew on my climbing equipment (retired or otherwise) than I would teach my dog to beg food from my plate.
the first they've no ability to recognize the stuff you have retired,
the second because it bugs the fuck outta me when dogs find it necessary to constantly beg while I'm eating.
don't teach your dog bad habits, else you'll only have yourself to blame.
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mturner
Jul 3, 2008, 3:32 PM
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Registered: Dec 17, 2005
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Good point, didn't think of that. I'm not concerned about her chewing ropes too much though I can see that may be a concern for other dogs. I don't leave ropes around and she's not really much of a chewer rather than fetcher (but still putting the ball in her mouth hince my original concern). Also I keep a good eye on her or leash her at the crag.
Thanks for the replies, sounds like she's got a new safe toy.
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