Buying The Best Dog Toys For A Dog

Saturday, February 11th, 2012 at 6:17 am

Dogs are bundles of energy who just love to play and can keep going all day. But unfortunately, someone has to pay the bills, so what do you do when you're at work and your dog is home alone and needs to be kept amused?

For these occasions, there are dog toys, and with the dizzying array of choices available these days, you’re sure to find something that your dog will love.

Pick a few from the list below and you’ll be able to keep your dog happy, and out of mischief, when you’re not around.

Kong Toys – If you have a dog that loves to chew, then a Kong toy is the answer. These rubberized toys and virtually indestructible, so even your Pitbull can chew away for hours and not make much of an impact.

A cool feature of these toys is that they have a hollow center that you can stuff treats into. The dog then has to try and get the treat out, so it's great for working his problem solving abilities.

Tug-a-War Toys – Dogs love to pull, but beware of cheap rope toys that fray and can be swallowed by your dog.

Once again Kong comes to the rescue. Their pulling toy is basically a pair of rubber balls wrapped in canvas with a canvas cord at the end. Like all Kong toys they’re tough, and nigh on impossible to break. Plus, the balls also squeak, which most dogs love.

Frisbees - Many dogs love this game, but the plastic disc many people use can actually be dangerous, as they can shatter when bitten, and cause serious cuts.

The best disc to use for dog games is the Frost Bite Frisbee which is made of a soft, pliable plastic that punctures when the dog bites it rather than shattering. It flies pretty good too!

Puzzles – No, I don’t mean jigsaws, or crosswords. Puzzles for dogs come in all shapes and sizes and challenge your dog to work something out in order to get a treat.

A good example is the Squirrel Plushy, which is a soft plush toy with smaller plush toys hidden inside. The dog has to figure out how to get the smaller toys out.

Nylabones - These tough, bone-shaped toys are all but indestructible, and are a must for any dog that enjoys a good chew.

Tuffies – Normal stuffed toys can actually be dangerous because the stuffing can be pulled out and swallowed. Tuffies are stuffed toys made specifically for dogs. They even have ratings based on how difficult they are to break.

Squirrel Dude – This is a clever little toy that has a timer you can set to pop out a treat every couple of minutes. Just watch how your dog waits expectantly for his next titbit to arrive!

Some thing for every dog on this list, I'm sure you'll agree. And even if you can't find something here that your dog fancies, shop around there are tons of choices these days.

Read more about dog toys, dog grooming, dog health and other useful dog information at Dogs and Dog Training