Just like in humans, you need to have them be up and active to keep everything going. You're going to help strengthen their muscles, especially for when they're getting a little bit older and cannot use them as well. Their joints will be healthier and you’re preventing obesity problems, such as buildup of cholesterol, that are just down the road.

You can. It depends on the type of toy. Like I mentioned a while ago, if it has stuffing and things that they could inadvertently rip up and destroy while you're gone, they could ingest it which could result in an emergency surgery.

You want to avoid those. But ones that are pretty hardy and can keep them entertained, are certainly good toys for them to have to keep them occupied while you're gone.

Puppies have puppy teeth and with puppy teeth comes shredding of toys and other items in your house. So, you want to get something that is pretty bulletproof so that they can't rip it apart and take out a squeaker that they can potentially swallow. The same goes for stuffing. You want to get something that they want to chew on, but won’t really hurt their teeth. Different types of little Nylabones and Kong toys are all great to keep them entertained and are pretty indestructible.

You can even add some flavors inside, like peanut butter, that will make it a little more enticing to them. But I definitely don't recommend anything that you don't want the puppy to chew on, being something like a shoe, string or things you may not want the puppy otherwise gravitating towards. I wouldn't offer toys along those lines.

Playing with toys and interacting with them is always good. Like I said, when you are training your puppy’s mind, it is still playing and you can make training them a game, especially if it's getting rewarded with food or more play. Playing with toys like balls, different bones and stuffed toys are all things that will keep them active and keep them moving.

After their vaccines, they're going to be more protected and less susceptible to diseases out there. But, while they're doing their booster series, we need to be cautious. No dog parks, no taking them to PetSmart and things like that, where they are going to get exposed to a bunch of different dogs or environments that have dogs.

You can go to a friend or a family member’s house that has safe yards and dogs that you know are healthy and vaccinated. You can also take them to the immediate area around your house, unless you know that there has been a case of Parvo in that area.