Choosing the Best Toy for Your Dog

Here are some questions to consider when you’re choosing toys for your dog.

How smart is your dog?

Some dog toys are designed for very smart dogs. Doodle dogs have the poodle heritage that means they’re usually bright, so they can enjoy the challenge of a complicated toy.

The HNNOAIDA Interactive Food Toy (and no, we don’t know how to pronounce that) is a good example. If your dog is sweet hearted but not too bright, he will not enjoy this toy. The smart dog will get a lot of pleasure out of solving the puzzle. The Dog Puzzle Toy is another example. If your dog solves the puzzle, he’ll be rewarded automatically with treats.

The best plan, if you’re not sure just how intellectual your pet is, is to try one of these challenging toys and see how your dog plays with it. If it turns out that puzzle toys are too hard for your pup, choose a Kong toy instead. These classic dog toys can be stuffed with peanut butter. Getting at the peanut butter and eating it up is enough of a challenge for many dogs.

Does your dog play alone?

Will your dog play alone, or mostly with human friends? If there’s usually a human companion at home to play with, tugging toys are a great choice. These toys usually involve sturdy rope, but they may also use a plush animal or other colorful element. The kind made for dogs to play with is gentler on your dog’s mouth than ordinary rope.

Many dogs will play fetch for hours if they have a human playmate. Fetch balls are a great choice if your dog is a fan. You might think a tennis ball would be a good choice, but tennis balls can actually be a choking hazard for dogs. They can split at the seams and stick in your dog’s throat.

If you go out to work, your dog needs something to play with alone.

The Cheerble, for example, will roll around by itself and flash eye-catching lights. It can avoid obstacles and change directions when it hits a wall or furniture, and it moves in unpredictable ways that will keep your dog entertained and excited.

Cheerble dog toy

How does your dog play?

You should also consider how your dog likes to play.

If your dog is an aggressive chewer, you need hard rubber toys that won’t disintegrate quickly. Toys of this kind give your furry friend a satisfying chance to chew without requiring you to buy new toys all the time. These toys also have the advantage of being okay to go through your dishwasher.

A smaller or less determined dog can enjoy soft plush toys. These toys often have more different sounds and textures, so they have high level of play value for dogs that aren’t determined to destroy them.