Choosing Toys for Your Dog

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Choosing Toys for Your Dog

Your dog can enjoy hours of entertainment and fun playing with high-quality toys. Some will even help him stay fit or clean his teeth. So spice up your pet's life with plenty of play.

Look for toys your dog can carry in his mouth easily, including rubber balls, nylon chew toys and noisemakers. Make sure each plaything is too big to swallow or inhale. Also check for rough edges that could cut his mouth.

Tasty Toys

Many canines consider rawhide, pig ears and cow hooves great delicacies. And while most pups' tummies can tolerate them, be aware that these chewy snacks upset some dogs' stomachs.

Keep an eye on your pet to be sure he's not swallowing these treats in large chunks. Or offer him the latest cornstarch-based edible chew toys instead. Dogs love them, and they're completely digestible, which could make them a safer alternative if your pooch can't stomach the other types.

Teeth-Cleaning Trinkets

Your best bet for tartar-fighting toys are hard rubber chew toys with grooves or ridges. Although your pet still needs regular dental cleanings to prevent gum disease, such toys can limit plaque buildup.

Outdoor Toys

Consider a playing with a nylon Frisbee. The disk's flat edge makes an easy target and fits well in most dogs' mouths. Fetch with a Frisbee is great exercise for a high-energy pet.

Your dog also can retrieve rubber balls, fleece toys, squeakers or other noisemakers. Water-loving pups will like playing fetch in the local lake or pond. An advantage to throwing toys for your dog, as opposed to taking him for a run, is that it gives him a healthy workout without wearing you out.

A playful game of tug can be another fun alternative to walking or running. Just don't play rough. Your dog's mouth can't tolerate yanking or hard pulling. Look for rubber tug toys and leather straps without rough edges. You don't want the strap to snag on your pet's teeth. As for tug-of-war, your dog should be trained to release toys on command before you ever play that game with him. And if he shows any aggressive tendencies, skip tug-of-war since it may encourage undesirable behavior.

Indoor Toys

Balls and tug toys make good playthings inside as well. Many fetch and tug games can be played in a spacious living room or kitchen. Try keeping your dog's toys in a basket or bin in an accessible spot. Rather than getting keyed up and whining at you, he'll be able to look in his toy box whenever he wants things to chew or chase.

Time to Toss the Toy

Over time, your pet's toys may wear out. Besides being unpleasant to touch, worn-out toys can harbor germs. It's a good idea to replace such relics regularly.