Choosing the best toys for dogs is important for meeting their physical and mental needs. You are much less likely to have behaviour problems with your dog if these needs have been met. To get the most bang for your buck with most of these toys, you’ll want to actively engage your dog with you and the toy together. Others are perfect for keeping your pooch entertained whilst you’re busy elsewhere. We recommend always supervising your dogs with toys, particularly the first time they use them. Whilst the right toy can help keep boredom at bay, there really is no substitute for appropriate walks and positive, reward based training.
Got a puppy? Have a read of our post on the Best Toys for Puppies here. Most of the toys we discuss there also come in adult sizes, which we love too! Our enrichment go-to’s include the Classic Kong, Lickimat and the Snuffle Mat.
Disclaimer- This blog post contains affiliate links from Amazon and Tug E Nuff . If you use them, we may earn commission on the sale. Please note that we only recommend toys and products that we have personally used and loved and we always have our 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…
Zogoflex Toppl, Large, Aqua Blue
The Zogoflex Toppl is perfect for stuffing with your dogs favourite food and letting them lick it all out. Once they get the hang of it you can pre-stuff and freeze the toy for extra challenge and to keep your dog busy for even longer. We particularly like this toy for our short-nosed, brachycephalic friends. Bulldogs, Boxers and their similarly flat faced friends may find toys like the Classic Kong too frustrating and give up. By providing them with toys that meet their needs, like the Toppl, they are much more likely to succeed and grow in confidence.
Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel Squeaky Puzzle Plush Dog Toy – Hide and Seek Activity for Dogs
This is a soft, fun puzzle toy that keeps your pooch entertained without the use of food. Ideal for dogs that don’t need any extra calories or who are generally more toy motivated. The aim of the game is to get each of the squeaky squirrels out of the trunk. This helps boost your dogs problem solving skills and confidence. Zippy Paws also do a great range of ‘burrow’ toys that are worth checking out. Duke’s Christmas Present last year was the adorable ‘Hot Cocoa’ themed Burrow Plush Toy!
KONG – Wobbler™ – Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Toy, Dishwasher Safe – For Large Dogs
The Kong Wobbler encourages your dog to use their nose and paws to tip the toy over and get their rewards. We recommend giving your dog all his daily food as training rewards and in enrichment and this toy is ideal for that. It’s like a more physically and mentally stimulating slow feeder. This is a fairly robust toy that comes in sizes XS-L so is suitable for large and giant breeds too. Once your dog has got all their goodies out, clean it out and put it away for next time. This keeps the toy exciting for your dog and in usable condition for much longer than if it’s left around to get chewed apart.
DDS FAVOURITE
These frisbees are made of a tough, durable fabric which makes them perfect for both fetch and tugging. This is definitely a training toy and it’s perfect for rewarding good recall, especially for chase-driven dogs like gun dogs and retrievers. It’s waterproof and folds up easily in your pocket so isn’t cumbersome on walks. It’s also lightweight enough that your dog won’t get the ‘mouth smack’ that some frisbees give when they catch them. A personal favourite of our very own Duke Silver, we’ve got two of these frisbees. The first is to throw out for him to chase and retrieve. The other one is for him to tug on as reward when he brings the first one back. We highly recommend it!
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The Clam is a great toy for food motivated dogs and it’s ideal for when you want to reward your dog at a distance from you. For example, in agility or flyball training, gun dog games or distance trick training. The clever mechanism allows your dog to push their nose into it to get their rewards but secure enough that treats don’t just go flying through the air. This training toy is brilliant for rewarding independence in ‘velcro dogs’. We also love this toy for helping dogs to move away from distractions on walks too.
Tugg-E-Nuff Sheepskin Chaser Tug
Meet the ultimate tuggy toy. Tug is a great game for building your bond with your dog and boosting their confidence- as long as you let them win of course! We’ve found this sheepskin toy to be particularly popular with Border Collies (unsurprisingly) and Terriers, who are super motivated by the stop/start chase fun you can easily create with it. The long handle means you can drag it along the floor to mimic prey. It also saves your back as you don’t have to bend down as much to play.
Need a little help knowing whats best for your dog? Drop us a message here, we’re always happy to help! Have a look here to read more of our blog posts or check out our Instagram and Facebook where we share our favourite DIY dog toys and enrichment ideas.
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