Dog Toys

All dogs enjoy playing and that’s why your choice of dog toys is very important. Dog toys should be fun for your pet, durable, should keep them entertained for a certain length of time and should above all else be as safe as possible. You must be smart when purchasing dog toys.

It is important to purchase appropriately sized dog toys. Remember that balls and any parts of a toy that is very small could easily be bitten off by your dog and then swallowed and could get caught in your dog’s throat or travel to its stomach and not be digestible. Just because the manufacturer labels a dog toy “dog-proof” doesn’t mean it is. You know your dog better than anyone else so use your own judgment. Remove items off of dog toys such as ribbons, bells, strings, and feathers, etc. that could be hazardous to your dog.

Plenty of dogs enjoy plush dog toys that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some dogs like to carry around their dog toy and then gently play with it while others love to tear toys apart. Many dog toys contain a “squeaker” element inside of them. Pay special attention to these toys and make sure if your dog rips it open that he is not capable of swallowing anything inside.

Many people give their dogs rawhide dog toys to munch on but these, especially the smaller ones, can cause injury to dogs. When it is chewed repeatedly rawhide becomes very soft making it extremely easy to swallow and the likelihood that it could get caught in your dog’s throat is very great.

Dog toys can be broken down into three groups. These include active toys, distraction toys and comfort toys. Active dog toys are ones that are designed to keep your dog active, both in a mental as well as a physical sense. Examples of active toys include those made of hard rubber (such as balls or dog bone shaped toys), rope toys, and tennis balls.

Distraction toys are those which refocus a dog’s attention and help keep him entertained (often for hours on end). Distraction dog toys are toys that are filled with special food treats and/or peanut butter. These dog toys also come in handy when it comes to using positive reinforcement methods to train dogs. Another example of a distraction toy is one called a “busy-box” toy. This toy is made of large rubber cubes where you can hide dog treats. Dogs have to put their mind to work as well as their nose, mouth and paws in order to win their prize.

Finally the last types of dog toys are the comfort toys. These are the soft stuffed plush toys that are light to carry around and often come in different shapes and sizes, some of the most popular being that of mice, birds and rabbits. Many dogs like to suck on, shake and sometimes even “pseudo-kill” these toys. However gentler canines often make friends with their comfort toy and like to keep it with them wherever they go, many even keeping it with them when they sleep.