The best way to find what your dog or puppy will like and really engage with it to try different things out. Just like with people, not all dogs are created equal. What you’ll find here is a ton of different toys, chews, games, and puzzles to try out.
Many of them we’ve used with our dogs, while others have been recommended to us, or we’ve found through all the research we do about dogs (we’re kind of obsessed :-)). Have a look, enjoy, and let us know if there’s anything else we should include!
If you’re a dog owner and don’t have these, get them:
- Classic Kong Toy — training tool meets dogsitter; there’s so much you can do with this toy.
- Chuckit! Ultra Balls — they bounce, squeak, float, last forever, and are basically amazing.
If you have a puppy and don’t have this puppy chew toy bundle, get it.
Puppies & Smaller Dog Toys
We love this chew bundle and recommend it for anyone with a puppy. It’s such a great deal. It comes with 12 toys for No products found. – you can’t beat that! It comes with a variety of different toys that are all designed for puppy mouths. So instead of buying a bunch of different toys for your puppy and trying to find out what they like, you can get this. We can’t recommend this set enough, honestly.
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I feel like the Kong toy is a staple toy for any dog owner. For me, it was part of my “puppy prep kit”…aka, all the stuff I bought before Oliver even came home with us. It’s not just a great chew for a puppy to experience, it’s a great training tool and can be filled with all kinds of stuff (peanut butter, treats, kibble, berries…) to keep them occupied. To this day, I still use it to distract Oliver for a bit when we’re leaving. Fill it with some peanut butter and he’ll be licking it for at least 20 minutes!
One of the best ways to make sure your puppy isn’t chewing on things you don’t want them chewing on is to make sure they know what they can chew on and have plenty of options to choose from. Rich found these antler chews for his pup Chachi who absolutely loves them. They’re super satisfying and last a long time.
Plush toys can be great for teething puppies because they’re more gentle on their sore gums. This soft dragon from goDog fits the bill and has their “Chew Guard” technology to make it more durable. It’s basically a woven chew-resistant fabric under the outside layer. The cool thing about this toy and other goDog toys is their replacement policy. If it doesn’t last longer than other plush toys, they’ll give you a replacement!
Older Puppy & Adult Dog Toys
Chew Toys
If you’re looking for a long-lasting chew, this is a great choice. They’re made from ground-up antler so they shouldn’t chip your pup’s teeth (like some real antlers can). Oliver loves these things and has since he was a puppy. He’s never chewed furniture and I attribute that to him having chews like this. Now if we could just keep him from losing them under the furniture…
Squeaker Toys
Hartz Frisky Frolic Latex Squeakable Dog
Warning: this toy is extremely loud and pretty darn annoying. 😀 BUT…it keeps my pup busy for a long time. We actually limit his play with this thing just because it’s so obnoxiously loud. So when he does get it, he loves it that much more. And surprisingly, it’s lasted a really long time.
These things are fun, funky, and dogs love em’. They love just about anything that squeaks but they especially like this chicken’s talk. And come on, just take a look at Earl.
Plush Toys
Plush toys are ‘play toys’ not ‘chew toys’, so they’re not indestructible. While they’re not going to last forever, the ones we’ve included here are very good quality. Keep in mind that leaving a dog unattended with a plush dog toy can be a bad idea — especially if they’re an aggressive chewer.
Plush toys = stuffing EVERYwhere…right? That’s not been my experience with this Opossum toy by goDog. They’re flat because they aren’t packed with stuffing. Stuffing-free means less mess if your dog’s able to bust this thing open. They might try since it has 5 squeakers to get them going. But with the double-stitched seems and chew guard fabric layer, it’ll be tougher than with normal plush toys. Satisfaction guaranteed or they’ll give you a replacement!
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Walter Wabbit is a decent size plush, measuring in at 12″ in length. They’ve tried to make Walter more durable by adding their Tuffweb™ mesh liner under the top layer. Based on Amazon ratings, it seems to be working quite well. For extra safety, the stuffing is non-toxic and the eyes are embroidered. As with all plush toys, make sure to watch your pup as they play with it.
Balls
These are probably one of the most popular balls for dogs in existence. If you don’t have on you need to get one (or 4). Not only do they float, but they also bounce, squeak, and are super durable. You can increase the fun and distance you can throw the thing with one of these ball launchers!
Looking for a tennis ball? Don’t worry, Chuckit! also makes those, but they’re way better than your typical tennis ball. They’ve made them much tougher than an actual tennis ball with thicker rubber. And while they still have a soft felt cover, it’s less fuzzy so the dog can’t scalp it. And they float! And can be used with the launcher I mentioned above (this one).
The spikey design of this ball is meant to give your pup’s teeth a nice massage as they chew. The squeaker on this thing is nice and loud which will really get your dog excited to play. Oliver loved his. I say ‘loved’ because it recently flew over the fence and never made it back. The neighbor dogs now love it.
Ropes & Tugs
Rope Chew & Tug Bundle (5-piece)
We like this bundle because it gives you a good variety of rope toys, including: (1) 4 Knot 22.5-inch long rope, (1) 6-inch rope ring, (1) figure-8 with a chewable rubber ball attached, (1) 20-inch handled-tug with a rope ball at the end, and (1) 3.5-inch diameter Monkey Fist rope ball. And at , it’s a really good deal. Just make sure not to leave your pup unattended with these or any rope toys. Ingesting pieces of rope can really damage their insides.
This tug can stretch up to twice its original length, adding to the fun, and making it super durable. The manufacturer even stands behind it with a 100% guarantee against doggy damages. Pretty nice! Made in the good ole’ USA, totally recyclable, BPA-free, and dishwasher safe. You’ll definitely want to have this tug toy in your pup’s toybox.
Flying Discs
Ok…full disclosure. Oliver cannot catch this thing (yet) but the rubber design doesn’t damage his confidence when it smacks him in the head. This is a great starter disc because it’s soft and really durable. So much so that the manufacturer will refund you 100% and send you a replacement if your dog chews it up!
Once your pup learns to catch a flying disc, you’ll probably want one that is still soft, but also flys better. This one by Aerobie is just that AND is designed specifically for dogs.
Last update on 2024-12-09 at 23:55 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API