Dog Toys and Games

As you might have guessed, we are pretty big on toys for our dogs as it seems playing and chewing is something that dogs do not outgrow. 

I think people often struggle with which toy to select for their dog. In our case, we tried many different types to see what our dogs prefer.

We have a toy chest for the dogs. When they've used a toy, it goes in its own laundry hamper to be washed and another toy comes out of the toy chest for them to play with. I’ll show you a few of the toys we have for our cockapoos and tell you why we selected them.

Ball Toys

Ball toys come in a variety of sizes. As you can see in this photo Monroe has a tennis ball in his mouth. A ball toy works well with 2 of our cockapoos as they love to fetch. 

While we generally stick to a tennis ball outside or a rubber ball inside, we are aware there are other varieties out there such as glow in the dark and flashing light balls.

When choosing a ball for your dog, pick one large enough that your dog can’t accidentally swallow it . This wobble wag giggle ball may be a good alternative.

Discs Toys

We used a disc for a while and then it came up missing. Our disc was made of nylon and rope but there are many other varieties out there.   We occasionally go to dog shows and competitions and there are sports that also involve dogs doing disc retrieval. What I liked about our disc was that I could easily wash any mud off the nylon part.

Floating Toys

Floating toys are great for dogs. Two of our dogs like to spend time in the lake looking for floating toys and sticks.  It’s good to get the ones they can easily find in the water. Looking to train your dog with a floating toy here's one that many dogs like. The video below is of our dogs at Hueston Woods Pet Swim area which is at Acton Lake. Buddy and Motley like water. Monroe does not.

Food and Treat Dispensing Toys

Food and treat dispensing dog toys should be in every dog's household. They offer mental stimulation and will help your dog dispel energy. Here's a popular  Kong.

Plush Toys

We are big on plush toys as they are easy to find at our local department stores and the dogs seem to love them. 

Here's  Lucky is with his Christmas Elf. Unfortunately, he tore it apart as seen here. When your dog tears apart a toy discard it and fiberfill. Do not let your dog ingest it. 

Monroe likes his picks of the bears and Motley often carries the small pink poodle around in his mouth, while Buddy and the Mr. play tug-a-war with one of the other stuffed toys. 

 Here's a popular one that is pretty cute.

Squeakies (non-plush)

For Christmas, my mother bought the dogs this non-plush squeaky shown here with Buddy.  It works as both a Squeaky Toy and a Rope Toy. Here's some Chuckit squeakers they also like.

Rope Toys

Rope toys like the one shown above are made of braided rope or nylon rope. They can be used for fetch, tug-of-war or simply chewing. Two of our dogs love rope toys while one has no interest in them. I wish he did though as I'm informed the action of chewing on a rope toy can help brush a  dog's teeth. 

In the mood to play football with your dog? Here's a  toy it might like.

Tug Toys

There are many toys designed for tugging. It’s been our experience that our dogs will tug on about anything. This includes my favorite pillows or  sticks they find at the nearby dog park.

                          

Looking for a floating tug-a-war toy. Here's one.

Dog Interactive Toys  Puzzles and Games.

These engage your dog mentally. Some are listed above. A game we play with our dogs is to place all 3 dogs in the kitchen and tell them to wait and then take a handful of their dry food and place it in different locations, on our wooden floor, throughout the house.  We then open the door and say 'FIND IT'. All 3 go into hunt mode in search of the food. You could also do this with their favorite toys. 

Interactive toys, puzzles, and games teach cognitive skills and all dogs love rewards. Here's an ethical pet interactive game.

When selecting a toy or stick it is important to keep in mind the dangers. As dogs chew they can ingest the stuffing or stick and ingest small components.