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 and natural enrichment.

This is another post that I first wrote back in 2021 and am now updating in 2025. It’s been fascinating to see how much I’ve learnt in the past few years! So, to the best toys for dogs. Spoiler alert- there is no one toy that’s the best for every dog. There is such a huge variety in dogs that there’s just no way that one toy is going to be great for giant breeds, tiny dogs, puppies, seniors, flat faced, long noses and so on. This list is a compilation of my go to recommendations that are going to be good fun and generally promote positive well-being through behaviours like sniffing, licking and chewing.

Best Toys for Dogs- food based

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.

2025 Update- the Toppl is now my preference over the Classic Kong. I’ve found lots of dogs, not just the flat faced breeds, can persevere with the Toppl when they would get frustrated and give up on a Kong. The downsides of the Toppl are that it is quite expensive as dog toys go and that it’s not also available to buy online as it’s an American product.

LickiMat

Somehow the ever reliable lickimat didn’t make it onto my original best toys for dogs list?! I’ve no idea how, as it feels like I’ve been using and recommending lickimats since day 1. If you’re not familiar, the original lickimat is basically just a square silicone mat with raised areas, that you can spread food on. They now do all sorts of different shapes including licky bowls and pots. You can get cheaper versions too, though they tend not to be the same quality. Some of my lickimats are 5 years old and get used 3-4 times a week! These are such a handy product, I have a video on my instagram on how I prep these in advance.

Their major benefit is that licking is natural, calming behaviour for dogs and this toy provides them with an appropriate outlet for doing so. You can put any dog-safe food on them and they can be frozen too. There’s some good ideas on this post for what else to try on your lickimat but here’s some of our go-to’s for Duke:

• natural yogurt
• natural peanut butter (xylitol free)
• kefir
• any leftover dog safe fruit and veggies- broccoli, sweet potato, banana, blueberries
• cream cheese
• pate
• sardines

Snuffle Mat

Another one where I’m shocked that it wasn’t on my original best toys for dogs list! Snuffle mats are super handy for encouraging your dog to use that marvellous nose of theirs to get sniffing. Of course, sniffing is the way that dogs understand the world and engaging in sniffing can help them relax and recover after stress. It also gives them something to do in potentially stressful moments. Providing your dog with a snuffle mat with a handful of hidden treats in can be helpful when you have visitors, for example. I’ve linked to the snuffle mat I have for Duke, that I’m a big fan of, but these come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and price points. So it’s worth doing some research and finding one that suits your dog best. If you’re crafty you could also have a go at making your own too.

Tugg-E-Nuff Clam

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.

Update- I still love this toy, especially for dogs that love food but aren’t super confident. I use this toy with Duke regularly and like bringing it on walks with me. Tug e nuff also now do a Clam Power Toy, which is basically a clam on a tug toy, which is on my list to buy next as I can see that being lots of fun!

Best toys for dogs- non food based

Zippy Paws Burrow Toys

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!

Update 2025- I still think these toys are RIDICULOUSLY cute and great fun for dogs who love a squeaky toy. Once your dog has got the squeaky toys out you can hide them around the house for some ‘find it’ fun. I’ve found quite a few of these over the years in TK Maxx at a much cheaper price than online, so keep your eyes peeled next time you’re in one of their stores.

Tugg-E-Nuff Frisbee

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 four 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!

Update- still a big fan of these frisbees, I just find them super versatile. If I’m working with a dog that’s highly motivated to stay with me I can use this frisbee to throw and play find it in different environments. For other dogs I like to use this frisbee as a tug toy to reinforce staying close by.

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.

Update- another Tug-e-nuff product that I use every week. It’s just a great all round tug toy, really hard wearing (as long as you don’t just leave it with your dog unsupervised-they will chew it up!) and good for getting a dog ready to train with some fun play. I’m a really big fan of this brand but they are quite pricey products.

What next?

• Looking for help with your dog? Contact us to arrange in person or online training.
• Read more blog posts here.
• Perfect Recall: Teaching your dog to come back when called every time. Our guide is free to download when you join our email list- sign up here.   
• 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.