Toys should be an integral part of any dog’s life – they provide relief from boredom and stress, fun and excitement, dental care and tasty treats. But finding the right toys for your dog can be overwhelming; there are more types of dog toys than there are varieties of milk. We’ve got a few hints to help you find something your pup will love, and use it to the best of its potential.
Engaging Natural Instincts
The easiest way to figure out what kind of toy your dog will enjoy is to think about their breed. For instance, sight hounds (greyhounds, borzois, salukis, etc) have super keen eye sight and usually respond immediately to quick movement. That’s why the lure I picked up at a stall at the Sydney Dog Lovers’ Show this year is now Atlas’s favourite toy. Similarly to sight hounds, gundog breeds (e.g. labs, golden retrievers, vizslas) chase for fun and particularly love combining this with water.
Atlas’s favourite toy, made with naturally dyed suede and sheep skin
Working breeds tend to be quite clever dogs, so put them to the test with puzzle toys like kongs and similar treat dispensers. The more stocky breeds also come with a lot of strength and love showing it off with games of tug o’ war – so a good strong rope toy is a must. For many breeds their original purpose has long since given way to aesthetics, and in that case, it’s just a case of trial and error to find out what interests your dog.
Did you know you can do it yourself?
If you’ve ever wandered into Pet Barn to buy dog food and ended up with 11 toys, you will have noticed that the expected total just tripled. For some reason, companies who produce most high quality dog toys expect you to pay a premium for them, whether they’ll last 10 years or 10 minutes with your dog. For the latter, buying toys ends up as part of the monthly budget and can become really expensive. I also know all too well the buyer’s remorse of spending $30 on a toy, only to have a certain stinking greyhound show absolutely zero interest in it (forever).
So with that in mind (as well as my being a poor, poor student), I LOVE anything DIY. The video above shows just how much fun dogs can have with homemade toys. If you’re not quite that handy, don’t worry, there are easier things to make. Got a bunch of old rags? You’ve got yourself material for a rope toy or a lure. If your dog is a shredder, give them a cereal box or toilet paper role filled with treats and sealed up. You’d be surprised how entertaining an empty milk bottle can be for imaginative dogs. Turn an ordinary tennis ball into a treat dispenser with a kitchen knife alone. If you’re looking for more ideas, hit up pinterest for a bazillion suggestions. Just make sure to be aware of choking hazards, pointy bits and things which are unsuitable for consumption.
My Dog Is Broken
For a long time I thought I had a broken dog. Actually he kind of was. Atlas came to us not knowing how to play. He showed zero interest in toys and was actually afraid of most of them. If you’ve adopted an adult dog and find yourself in the same situation, know this – dogs can definitely learn how to play. Time and their relaxation into your home environment are big factors, but your interaction with them also plays a big role.
We realised after about 10 months that if we riled Atlas up by running around and generally acting nuts, he would want to play. We started off just racing around the yard, but soon introduced toys into the mix. We would run, stop, throw a toy, pick it up ourselves and run away again – soon he got the idea that we were after the toy, and of course he wanted to beat us to it. Even now he still isn’t as toy obsessed as many other dogs I’ve met, but he has at least learned how to get some enjoyment out of deading all of his toys. My main piece of advice – try every toy more than once! What they hated 6 weeks ago they may go crazy for today.
The Golden Ticket
Once you’ve found the perfect toy for your dog, you’ll be amazed at what you can do with it. From redirecting destructive behaviours to exercise, fun and even as a reward during training, the perfect toy is a golden ticket to a happy, healthy and well adjusted dog.
We hope you find something your dog loves to bits – if you’ve got a favourite toy, share it with us!
With love,
blackandwhitehound 