They say “Dogs may not be our whole life, but they make our lives whole!”. In light of that, taking good care of them is essential. As a dog parent, you need to do more than just feeding, grooming and walking your dog. Playing with him is also important.
Dog toys are an excellent way to interact with your dog, prevent boredom, and keep him in shape. They provide mental stimulation for your dog and can also strengthen the relationship that you two have. Playing with toys since an early age can help prevent your dog from developing unwanted behaviours such as aggression, biting and anxiety.
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Benefits of Toys for Your Dog
Toys can help build independence. Dogs are pack animals which means they are not built to spend extended periods alone. A puppy dog toy is a great way for your dog to learn how to entertain himself while you’re not around.
They help to learn new skills. Toys can promote the dog’s natural behaviour such as foraging, exploring and playing.
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Playing with toys can make your dog tired quickly, leaving him with less energy to get into trouble.
Toys can help your dog relax. They also give your pup more control of their environment, which can help to keep stress levels at bay.
They can help you build a positive relationship between you and your fluffy friend. Since you’re the one who’s giving him the toys, your dog will associate you with the fun and excitement of play.
Interactive Toys
An interactive puppy dog toy is an ideal way to keep your dog more active, which can help to make his bones and muscles stronger. These type of toys require your participation, helping you build a strong relationship with your buddy, and spend some quality time together.
Fetch Wheel
Getting your dog a fetch wheel guarantee hours of fun. These toys for dogs are designed to toss and roll along the ground. The fetch wheel toy acts like prey, giving your dog the satisfaction of chasing it and catching it. These toys are a great way to engage your dog’s natural instinct. You can choose a model that allows air to flow through the channels so you know your dog can breathe while fetching.
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Fetch Football
This toy is ideal for large breed dogs and dogs that have a lot of energy. A fetch ball can help your dog run further and fetch longer, healthily losing that extra energy. You can opt for a model with a hollow, mesh-like design to facilitate breathing and airflow into the dog’s lungs while running and fetching.
Aquarium Toy
An interactive hide-and-sick toy that comes with an aquarium and three small squeaky fish is an ideal way to prevent boredom and promote mental stimulation to your dog. Your dog can enjoy fishing the little swimmers from the aquarium, and once he caught them all, he’ll be begging you to put them back in again and again for hours of fun. It’s the perfect interactive toy for keeping your dog busy and engaged.
Distraction Toys
Truth to be told, as much as you love your fuzzy buddy, it’s not always possible to find time to play with him. As a pet parent, you might have to find other ways to keep your dog busy when you’re not available. Distraction toys can serve just the purpose.
Bouncy Treat Ball
The fact that your dog has to manipulate this toy with his mouth and paws to get the food out can keep him entertained, engaged, and moving around. The ball bounces around, and releases treat every time it rolls, spins, or gets pawed at by your dog. Treat balls are a great way to stimulate your dogs mentally and physically. You just need to fill it with kibble or small treats and watch your dog enjoying himself.
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Dental Chew Toys
Dogs, especially puppies, are obsessed with chewing. It’s their nature’s way to keep their jaw strong and teeth clean. To avoid finding your favourite slippers ripped apart, it might be a good idea to provide a few dental chew toys for your dog. Chew toys come in many shapes and sizes, from bones, wheels and rings, to emojis and little turtles. Fun and practical, these toys can do wonders for your dog’s dental health.
Comfort Toys
These types of toys can help to provide a kind of emotional support to your dog. Soft stuffed toys are an excellent choice for biting and snuggling. Choosing the right comfort toy depends mostly on the dog type. Some dogs are mostly satisfied with a small toy to carry around with them. Small breed dogs can be comfortable with a little stuffed turtle, lobster or a doughnut-shaped stuffed toy. For dogs that want to shake or ‘kill’ the toy, you can choose a toy in the size of their ‘prey’, such as rabbits, ducks or mice.
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Safety
You need to make sure that the toys are appropriate to your dog’s size, activity level and play style. It might be a good idea to monitor your dog every time he is around a new toy. You can also ‘dog-proof’ the toys, by removing ribbons, string, eyes or other parts that could be chewed off and indigested.
