Being a pet parent has its perks, but not without its share of duties. As they say, “With great paws comes great responsibility.” There is plenty to do, besides keeping your furred friend well-fed, well-groomed, and healthy. One of the top priorities is to build a bond of trust and friendship with your dog. We understand that many dog lovers erroneously assume that building a relationship with dogs owing to their domesticated and friendly demeanor. But you’d be surprised at the investment of time and patience needed to raise man’s best friend. It might seem like a lot of work, but the rewards are manifold.
Walking your dog daily and playing fetch is usually what pet parents stick to during playtime. But experts recommend taking these activities up a notch to keep your dog from getting bored. After all, your dog’s millennia-old instincts from the wild are still there. Dog toys are a great way to help them use these skills, expend all that extra energy, and feel less agitated throughout the day. Besides active toys, there is a host of comfort toys for dogs too. These are aimed to make your dogs feel safe and at home, no matter where they are.
What to consider when buying dog toys?
- Size: A dog toy needs to be small enough to carry, but big enough so as not to be a choking hazard.
- Material: There are plenty of hard thermoplastics and rubber materials to choose from, with interesting textures that are super fun to chew too. Whether or not it’s chewable, your dog is definitely going to sink their teeth into it, so make sure you’re picking non-toxic materials. Also, make sure they don’t disintegrate into smaller pieces that could become choking hazards.
- Age: A very important factor in picking the right toys for dogs is how old they are. Puppies who’re starting to teeth will need extra chewy distractions. Training them early is also important, so add on active toys with an inbuilt reward system of treats.
As your dogs grow in age, you can add more complex dog toys to keep them intellectually stimulated and refreshed.
There’s a host of dog toys to choose from. But here are the top 10 picks we recommend:
1 Trixie Cooling Bone, Natural Rubber
This natural rubber chewable is a refreshing treat for fuzzy doggos on hot summer days. It’s a freeze dumbbell with pores that ooze out water when it’s chewed.
2 Petsport Tiny Tots Nuzzle Buddies Plush Assorted
These fluffy soft boys are the perfect comfort toys for small puppers and doggos. Made with colorfast, soft yet sturdy fabric, the tiny stuffed barn animals will keep your pet entertained and cozy.
3 Kong Teething Stick
A splendid combo of treats and training, this teether is ideal for puppies up to 9 months old. Let them sink their teeth in for relief from sore gums. Plus, you can stuff this dog toy with treats to make this more rewarding.
4 Trixie Playing Rope With Balls
Spice up the ordinary “fetch” with this exciting cotton and polyester playing rope. The texture is designed for chewy goodness which freshens up your dog’s breath, massages gums and clears interdental spaces.
5 Kong Wobbler-Feeder
Here’s a dog toy for the curious, adventurous, active types. It’s a large, wobbly toy hollowed out with a food dispensing mechanism. Makes meal times as fun as hunting for prey. Bonus: It’s dishwasher friendly.
6 Trixie Dog Activity Slide
Feed Strategy Game: Get your mastermind doggo to exercise his super dog senses with this intensely stimulating challenge that makes meal times more enjoyable. Feed them and their curiosity too.
7 Trixie Sausages On A Rope
A chewable option built with vinyl. This dog toy is created for angst-y, extra-jumpy doggos who can chew on cheery-looking sausages and rope to calm down and relieve stress. 10/10 will recommend it.
8 Petkin Bacon Stuffed Dental Bone
This one is exclusively for the bigger dogs (medium to large). Besides its chewy texture, it’s got a rewarding bacon flavour inside that engages your dog’s sense of smell and taste together. Big win.
9 Trixie Tennis Ball For Dogs
Playing fetch with your dog is like a Pink Floyd song - old-school but still a timeless classic. Give your dog the freedom to chew up, tear down, and pull apart this tennis ball for dogs. Free of glass-fiber or gas filling, this is a more suitable option for ordinary tennis balls for humans (which are not designed for chewing. Please do not try chewing. No).
10 Trixie Dog Disc
This is a wonderful floatable dog toy built with natural rubber. Exercising even older dogs and keeping them active is a cakewalk with this fun little flying disc.
Dogs are never too old for playtime. Neither are you! Dog toys help you bond with your buddy by spending time that’s productive, entertaining, and super rewarding. Plus, if you have kids at home, the happy hormones from playtime will make for the best character-building and family moments.
Just remember to make dog toys completely hazard-free by removing tags, ribbons, strings, plastic buttons or eyes, etc. These can be lethal if not taken care of.
For the funniest, safest toys for dogs, head to the wide selection of toys at www.thewag.co.in