Do you know how they say that kids will more likely play with the box that an expensive toy comes in than the toy itself? Well, apparently, that kind of toy logic applies to animals as well. Take my dog Bella, for instance. She and Bailey both have two huge baskets full of toys, expensive and non-expensive alike, but guess what toys she likes best. That's right, the inexpensive ones. Her favorite cheap toy of the moment is this blue rubber thing that my mom bought her at the Dollar Tree this weekend. I don't know how to explain it other than it looks like a hairy, blue, rubber turd with eyeballs. She has carried that toy with her everywhere this weekend--up the stairs, down the stairs, outside to the bathroom, to bed. When she's not carrying it in her mouth, she's dropping it at my feet and whining for me to throw it. It's amazing how a dollar toy can suddenly make her mobile again.If I had known this little fact about Bella when I first got her almost seven years ago, I could have saved a lot of money in toys or at least bought myself something from time to time. I could have saved even more if I could have trained her to make her own toys, like these dolphins at Sea World:
The dolphins have learned how to blow bubbles out of their blow holes. They then spend hours chasing, carrying, and playing with the dolphin bubbles in their exhibit at Dolphin Cove. You can watch them do it by clicking play on the above video, by visiting DolphinBubbles.com, or by traveling to the Sea World in Orlando. I haven't been there since my Rollins College days, back when it only took me an hour or less to get to Orlando amusement parks and I could get a Florida resident discount by flashing my student ID. After watching this video, I can't wait to go back.
So do you think I could teach Bella and Bailey to blow doggy bubbles? Probably not. The only thing that I have ever seen them blow out of their noses is snot, and that's one thing I definitely don't want them playing with. Thank goodness there is still the Dollar Tree.
