The importance of safe dog toys

Not unlike children, dogs need toys. Toys are not a luxury for your pet, rather they are a necessity. For dogs, toys are used for training, for preventing boredom, and they are used to provide comfort for your pup. Some say that dogs absolutely need toys in order to maintain a positive well-being.

When used to prevent loneliness and boredom, toys can be used to prevent problem behaviors from your dog. If you have ever left your dog at home alone and come home to find a chewed up shoe, or a door frame that they have chewed on, a toy may have been able to prevent that.

Toys can make a huge difference in the happiness of your pet, but the importance of safe dog toys needs to be high on your list of things to consider when you are looking for the right toys for your pet. Dogs are not often picky about their toys, so it is up to you to be careful about choosing the right toys.

What factors determine if a toy is safe?

There are many different factors that make a difference in whether or not a toy is safe for your dog. Ask yourself these questions when determining if a toy is safe for your dog:

What size is your dog?
How active is your dog?
Where does your dog spend most of his time?
Are you able to supervise your dog while he plays with toys?
Is the toy meant for dogs?

What size is your dog?

The size of your dog is a very important factor when choosing a safe toy for them because a toy that is too small for your dog can easily be swallowed or choked on.

How active is your dog?

If your dog is not yet very active, you should be wary of buying them toys that require heavy exertion. Your dog may get to that activity level at some point, but first start out slow. Toys of all kinds help them reach a healthy activity levels, no matter how slowly they start out.

Where does your dog spend most of his time?

To prevent damage to your home, it is best to tailor your choice of dog toys to where your dog spends most of his time. If he stays in your home most of the day, you don’t want him to have a long stick-like toy that he can run into stuff with.

Are you able to supervise your dog while he plays with toys?

Some dog toys require supervision. For instance, when playing with a squeaky toy, many dogs like to destroy the source of the squeak. Unfortunately, many of these squeaky type toys can become destroyed easily and the pieces can be harmful if ingested.

Is the toy meant for dogs?

It is important that any toys that your dog plays with are actually created for dogs. Many things that dogs are intrigued by such as rubber bands, plastic pieces, ribbon, string, etc, are found on children’s toys and other items that you can find in your home that dogs like to play with. These items can all be quite harmful to dogs. They can be swallowed and cause injury or even death to your pup. It’s best to avoid using any of these items for dog toys, and instead get them toys that are meant for them and safe for them to play with.

Our favorite safe dog toys

Obviously we love dogs here and you know we want to keep them safe! If you are wondering what our favorite safe dog toys are, check out this list of some of our favorites.

Wool Ball Dog Toys

These wool ball dog toys are organic and are made with food-grade dyes to safely color the toys. Use these wool balls to play fetch with your dog to keep them active, healthy, and having fun. These are much safer than cheap balls you find in the stores and you don’t have to worry about any hidden hard plastic that your dog could ingest.

Cycle Dog Duraplush Medium Bone Dog Toy

A fun, fuzzy medium-sized bone dog toy that is made from post-consumer recycled materials. That means that not only is your dog going to have lots of fun, but you can also feel good about your purchase.

Cycle Dog Large High Roller Ball Dog Toy

If your dog likes to stay busy, this large dog ball is perfect! It bounces erratically when tossed by you or dropped by your dog, which keeps your dog engaged and having fun. Plus, like other toys on this list, it is made from post-consumer recycled materials.

Cycle Dog Large Duraplush Springy Thing Dog Toy

This large springy thing stuffed dog toy is lots of fun for your pup and again, is made from post-consumer materials. It is a great toy especially if you have multiple dogs in your home. Safe and fun for your canine kid and earth friendly for you!

How to make dog toys last

Rotate them

Now that you know all about the importance of safe dog toys, let’s talk about how to make dog toys last. In order to make these toys last as long as possible, rotate your dogs toys often. You can do this weekly or every other week to keep their most played with toys in better shape.

Have several toys

Make sure that you have toys on hand for various purposes. For instance, give your dog a toy to carry around with him, give him one for snuggling, and one for more engaged play.

Use interactive toys

Interactive toys last longer, because it is not all about the toy. These toys focus on the time with you. These toys also enhance the time you get to spend with your pet, which strengthens your bond.

Just the fact that you are reading this and learning about the importance of safe dog toys tells me that you are a wonderful dog owner! Your dogs will appreciate any of these fun and safe toys that you surprise them with. Have fun on your toy-filled puppy adventures.