The Best Toys for Puppies

The Best Toys for Puppies

It’s a fact- dog’s love to play! Before they can even walk, puppies play with their litter mates. Play helps puppies learn about the world around them and how to interact with people and other dogs. Training through play helps build a strong bond between you and your puppy. Of course, we may not always be available to play with our puppies when they need that all-important mental stimulation. So what are the best toys for puppies? In this post, we’ll go through some of our favourite toys for pups, why they’re so great and where you can buy them.

Disclaimer

This blog post contains affiliate links from Amazon . If you use them, we may earn commission of the sale. Please note that we only recommend toys and products that we have personally used and loved and we always have my readers’ best interest at heart. Any commission we earn is used to buy Duke Silver new toys, treats and generally keep him in the decadent lifestyle he has become accustomed to…

KONG Puppy X-Small, Assorted Colors

The Original Kong! This toy is an enrichment classic and ever so versatile. Fill it with your pup’s food or get inspired by Bindi’s Bucket List. Once your pup gets the hang of it, you can make it more challenging by freezing the Kong before giving it to them. Start by putting it the freezer for 30 mins so it’s semi-frozen and if your pup enjoys it, you can then freeze it fully before giving it to them. They’re dishwasher safe too!

KONG – Wubba Puppy – Nylon Tug of War Dog Toy – For Small Puppy (Assorted Colours)

The Kong Wubba is a great toy to get your puppy interested in playing tug with you. It can also be used to teach a basic fetch/retrieve. Tug is a great game for puppies but it’s important to have some rules. Always let your puppy win the game of tug to boost their confidence and put the toy away when you’re finished playing. This keeps it a ‘special’ toy to your pup. Avoid shaking your puppy’s head too much from side to side when tugging, you’re aiming for more of a ‘to me, to you’ back and forth style of play. Never tug so hard on a toy that your pup is lifted off the ground.

LICKIMAT Buddy Treat Mat , Assorted colors

Lickimats are brilliant for serving up your pups wet or raw food. You can put any kind of spreadable dog friendly food on it and encourage your pup to lick it off. These are particularly useful when introducing your pup to new noises and experiences that you don’t want them to be scared of. For example, give your pup a Lickimat with something tasty on whilst you go and hoover another room. In future, they’ll likely associate that noise with that pleasant experience instead of being scared.

Outward Hound, Nina Ottosson – Interactive Puzzle Game Toy for Dogs

Nina Ottoson toys are great for getting your puppy using their brain. Puzzles like this help build your pups confidence and independence. They also support the development of their problem solving skills and physical coordination. Always supervise your pup when playing with puzzles and put them away once they’ve finished it. Toys will last much longer this way and your pup won’t get the opportunity to destroy or potentially choke on components.

Nylabone Puppy Starter Kit

If you’ve recently bought home your puppy, you’ll know that they’ve got teeth like a piranha! Puppies don’t know how to inhibit their bite until they are 15 weeks old and teething often goes on until they are 6-7 months of age. Providing them with appropriate things to chew on, like these Nylabones, can help you to manage biting and mouthing. Whenever your pup bites you, redirect them to a Nylabone or another appropriate toy and give them lots of praise for chewing on that instead.

KONG Honkers Shakers Dog Toy (Small, Duck)

You can’t go wrong with a squeaky stuffed toy! These toys are great for playing tug, chasing and for preventing boredom. Soft stuffies can also make a crate feel warmer and more comfortable. Pups can easily shred toys like this with their shark teeth so always keep an eye on them, the squeaker inside can easily become a choking hazard.

YEAKOO Dog Snuffle Mat,BenchMart Hand Woven Dog Sniffing Pad Soft Pet Nose Work Smell Snuffle Mat Training Feeding Foraging Skill Blanket Dog Play Mats Puzzle Toys 45 x 45cm (Grey/White)

A snuffle mat is a great toy to get your puppy using their nose. Sniffing is super calming for dogs, it’s not dissimilar to us humans meditating. If your pup has had a busy day of new experiences, giving them their dinner in a snuffle mat can help calm them down so that they can then settle down and sleep for the night. If your puppy isn’t finishing a toy which has still got their favourite food in it, they have probably got frustrated and given up. Next time you give your pup that toy, see if you can make it easier for them to succeed. For example, maybe scatter a pinch of grated cheese on top of the snuffle mat instead of hiding it between the fabric folds. To learn more about the benefits of enrichment for puppies and dogs, check out Dogminded.

That’s our round-up of the best toys for puppies! Consider your own puppy’s breed, size and individual personality when buying toys. Remember, puppies have no concept of the cost of a toy and are often just as happy with an empty cardboard box to destroy! If you’re struggling with an excitable, boisterous pup, we can help! We run puppy training classes every 6 weeks at S&S Doggie Field, Folkestone.

For positive, professional puppy training tailored to your lifestyle and your puppy’s individual needs, we highly suggest our one-to-one training courses. For puppy pawrents outside of Kent, why not try our online puppy class? We also offer one to one online training for puppies and adult dogs, for more info click here.

Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.