Whether the dog is an adult or a puppy, all dogs need toys to play with. They enrich the training and ease dullness. There are a lot of dog toys and chews that are available on the market, but all of them are not safe for your pet. Below, is a list of a few of the safe, beneficial dog chews that we recommend and the ones that you must avoid!
Recommended Toys:
Puzzle toys are a great enrichment tool for dogs of all ages and help with many behavior problems. Your dog’s low-fat treats can be stuffed in many of these toys to make mealtime mentally motivating. Toys that have small pieces, corners, or, parts, many of these types of toys will require supervision for safer use. Example: Buster Cube treat dispensing ball, this type of toy is better for dogs who need something more durable and challenging, similarly LickiMat and, Snuffle Mat.
Dental Chews can also be used that have the been recognized by Veterinary Oral Health Council. The following chews are labeled to prevent tartar and plaque accumulation and are highly digestible: Oravet Chews, CET Hextra Rawhide Chews, and Greenies.
Fetch Toys – These toys are not for chewing, but are intended to be supervised for fetching or chasing sessions: Tug or Chase Toys – long 4-foot snake type toys are great options for tug of war and they are especially useful for keeping sharp puppy teeth at a far distance from a child’s hands when playing. If you want to teach constructive and safe tugging games, reach out to a qualified positive reinforcement behavior professional who can train your pet better.
Not recommended:
Any toy that is harder than the dog’s teeth, can break their tooth and can even cause microfractures. Examples of these toys or chews are antlers, natural bones, and even ice. To clear the doubt, try to use the fingernail test: if you cannot press your fingernail into the toy or chew it, it is too hard for your dog to chew on. Chews that can be contaminated with bacteria like bully sticks, and jerky chews.
Toys that are too small or that contain small pieces that can be swallowed by dogs, some of these may be fine under supervision, but they may also be easy for dogs to chew up and ingest if they are left unattended. These can result in intestinal blockages and linear foreign bodies. Examples: Rope Toys, Stuffed Toys, and even small tennis balls. Sticks are not nature’s free toys, they are extremely dangerous as they can split and get lodged into the throat. If pieces are ingested, they can cause injury to the mouth, and intestines, or even cause damage to the heart.
Make sure your dog has the right and safe toys and chews that help to keep them happy, healthy, and entertained! Our clinic has a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who would be happy to set up a consultation to help assist you in which toys/chews are appropriate for your dog. Schedule an appointment with us to appointment you better.