A Guide to The Best Puppy Toys!
Toys are essential to the wellbeing of all dogs. Toys provide physical benefits, help dogs solve problems, and reduces their risk of developing behavioral problems. This is why it is important to give toys to your dog while they are still a puppy.
Dog toys create a lot of fun for your puppy and provide a swag of other hidden benefits. Let’s walk through a handful of advantages that puppy toys can bring into your home.
The advantages of puppy toys
When it comes to puppy toys, you are spoilt for choice. Having puppy toys on hand is advantageous. Here are some reasons why:
Toys tire puppies out
Puppy toys mentally stimulate and tire little pups out faster than long walks. The amount of energy puppies consume when playing with toys is similar to solving a puzzle or doing a crossword. Playing with toys leave your puppy with less energy, stopping them from getting into mischief around the house, more specifically, your shoe collection.
They stop bad habits forming
Have you ever come home and found reams of tissues shredded across the lounge room floor? Do you find yourself cringing when you hear your dog howling as you leave your house in the morning? Lots of us can relate to this. Toys keep your puppy busy, preventing the development of bad habits like barking and inappropriate chewing.
Puppy toys build independence
Dogs are pack animals. They are not supposed to roam alone for a long time. Are you worried about leaving your puppy alone while you go to work all day? Puppy toys are excellent boredom busters and will keep your fur baby entertained for hours while you are away or busy around the house.
Good for intellectual stimulation
Like humans, dogs get bored. It’s important to give your puppy a healthy balance of physical exercise, mental stimulation, and relaxation. Without adequate intellectual stimulation, dogs are destructive, disobedient, and challenging. The types of toys that are good for intellectual stimulation are interactive food dispensing toys.
Toys are fun for your pup
You and your puppy can have loads of fun playing together with toys. Dogs are naturally playful so it’s critical to set aside time daily to play fun games with your puppy. Playing regularly with your puppy is essential to building and strengthening your bond.
They reduce puppy stress
Puppies have lots of nervous energy and may feel a little anxious at times, especially at night. Like children with a security blanket, your puppy may find it soothing to snuggle up with a soft toy that might even become its security toy.
The best toys for new puppies
It is a good idea to have some puppy toys available when bringing your puppy home for the first time. Here’s a list and information about the best puppy toys on the market.
Kong Puppy Toy
A Kong toy is the number one toy that every puppy should have. Kong is a rubber toy in the shape of a natural beehive that you fill with soft food and freeze for 45 minutes. This toy will keep your puppy busy for hours trying to figure out how to get the food out with its tongue. The types of food you can include are canned dog food, pumpkin mash, or plain white yoghurt.
There are a variety of Kong toys available on the market. The most suitable for puppies is Kong Puppy because the rubber is soft and designed for puppy teeth and gums. Other excellent treat-dispensing toys on the market include IQ Treat Balls and Treat Maps – these are more suitable for older dogs.
Rope toys
Rope toys are good for your puppy’s teeth and gums. You can also use rope toys to play tug-of-war, making it an excellent way for you to bond. It’s important to always supervise your dog when playing with rope toys and never leave these toys just lying around. If you see your puppy pulling out and eating the strands, you must take away the toy straight away. If your pup swallows these, they can lead to digestive obstructions that could be fatal.
Plush toys
Plush toys give your puppy a bit of comfort and a sense of safety. Some puppies will cuddle up and sleep with them, and others will rip them to bits and tear the stuffing out of them. Choose the soft toy most suitable for your puppy’s characteristics and don’t be surprised if you need to buy more of these!
A popular favourite is squeaky plush toys. Your puppy’s love for squeaky toys comes from their ancestors, the wolf. As a hunter – wolves prey on other animals, and the squeaking of a toy draws on your puppy’s natural prey drive.
When a toy squeaks, it sort of sounds like an injured or scared animal. This sound instinctively drives them to keep playing and interacting with their toy. This all sounds a bit morbid, but allows your puppy to act on their instincts in a healthy way.
Fetch toys
Playing fetch is a good way to bond with your puppy while using up excess energy. Some great toys to use when playing fetch include tennis balls, Kong Dental Sticks, or rubber frisbees.
Types of toys to avoid
For the safety of your puppy, it is essential to stay away from toys that are:
- Small enough that they could be swallowed
- Stuffed with beads or beans
- Squeaky (unless supervised) because puppies try to get to the squeaker
- Too hard, they can break your puppy’s teeth.
To wrap it up, puppies need various toys, so they don’t get bored too quickly. There is a right and a wrong way to give your puppy toys. If you have them all available 24/7, your puppy will probably get bored easily with them. To stop this from happening, keep your puppy’s toys in a toy box and then bring out certain toys are different times for playtime. Make sure you put your toys away again – this will keep your puppy interested.