I don’t know about you, but when I’m looking for new dog toys I want to hear what has stood out, been appreciated and had a tangible benefit to other people’s dogs.
These toys are all tried and tested by our family dogs. Most of them we have been sharing with our puppies and dogs for years. And I have strong opinions about what has worked, and not worked, for our chewers and hard-to-play animals.
Many of these toys have puppy and adult dog size options, and some even come in a variety of sizes to work for any breed.
You’ll notice that I’m going to start with a few different toys by the same company, Kong. And that’s because I’ve had good experience with this type for a period that must be over two decades!
Classic Kong
I don’t think I’ve ever lived with a dog that didn’t at least have a few weeks where their old Kong was their favorite. I love the shape and flexibility of these toys, they are easy for dogs to pick up, but they provide chewing challenges that keep them interested. And they are really strong, I never had a single split or break despite our Labradors best efforts. And you can hide treats inside them, and even set them up for a very distracting playtime for your dog.
The Kong Ring
These Kong rings are top choices for our dogs for daily walks. They don’t chew them either, but they seem to be just the right size to easily handle whether it’s a large Labrador or a small Jack Russell. The ridged edge of this ring means that it makes great contact with our dogs’ mouths and seems very satisfying to chew on. This design is something I suspected wouldn’t be a fan favorite years ago when I first saw it, but I was completely wrong. A definite member of their top ten toys list.
Kong Bone
This Kong Bone is another top choice, and has been a great tool for Pippa’s Terrier when she learns to fetch like her gundog breed friends. He found even the smallest dummies very little, but easy to pick up his bone was very encouraging and a good gateway to the beautiful world of retrieval.
It also offers a good old fashioned chew toy too, and comes in a really good size like most Kong products.
Knot Toys
There are two types of knot toys that our dogs love – Wild Knots Toys and Floppy Knots Toys. They come in several different sizes, and a number of different animal designs. For soft dog toys these hold up very well to painful play, although they obviously won’t have the durability of hard plastic toys.
Our dogs love to bend these and carry them, and they tend to chew them less compared to their hard toys. As soft dog toys go they are on the lower end of the scale, but the fact that they last longer than some we have tried in the past makes them a good investment if you have the money to spend. If your dog is a dedicated toy destroyer, it’s probably best to skip these but for most dogs, even our muzzled sports dogs, they are quite good and our puppies have had a few for a few years now at least.
The Kong Jumbler
This toy looks like a complete gimmick, I get it. I was also suspicious before seeing the dogs interact with it, because what’s the point of a ball inside a ball, right? But actually, it’s a really cool design. The tennis ball moves around inside, but is out of reach, giving the dogs an incentive to try to get into it. So they don’t just play with the outside ball with handles, but the inside one as well.
It’s interesting that it’s meant to be sarcastic but I’ve never heard it sound like that! The ball rolls around inside, and maybe the more your dog plays with it, the more it will sound.
Antler Chews
Reindeer dogs make wonderful chew dogs for avid chewers like ours, but they are not without their controversies. There’s no doubt that they make great, long-lasting chew toys that our dogs really love to gnaw on.
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Some veterinarians are concerned about the risk of tooth breakage due to its hardness, but others believe that the dental health benefits of having this natural option outweigh the potential risks. In moderation we feel that the relative risk is important compared to the good it does to their teeth and how much they enjoy and get out of spending time working on it. But how you feel about this will be personal, and they’re not the only option if you’re uncomfortable.
Donkey Pull Toy
I love this donkey, and its appearance alone sold me immediately. He’s designed as a pull toy rather than a typical plush toy, so he’s built to withstand fun play. It’s been a while since we’ve had this one as others have mentioned, but it gets a special mention because of how much they’ve enjoyed playing with it over the past few months. And the fact that despite being a pull and chew toy, it’s still going strong at the moment.
I’d love to hear what your dog’s favorite toys are if you’re happy to share your suggestions in the comments section below. I will try some of them, and add any that our dogs like to this list!