Have you ever counted how many toys your dog has? I, myself, can never resist the temptation of a funny or innovative piece, so I think I could fill a huge bag just with the toys we already have.

Our collection includes plush balls, an oinking pig, a yellow neon ball with a string, softly bouncing and glowing balls, and home-made toys of faux fur. Usually the latest one is the most exciting, but there are some old favourites, especially with my golden retriever. He really appreciates his plush toys, never rips them apart, and prefers to use them as a pillow. Or rather, he used to, until a beauceron stormed into our lives, wanting to steal everything from him, thus, the plush toys left unattended usually end up in pieces.

What Toys to Use At What Age

For puppies it is advisable to start with soft toys, such as longish plush toys, or a sock with a knot tied on it, so we can start tugging with the puppy without damaging his milk teeth. During teething we should pay special attention not to yank the dog too hard when playing, but he might even refuse to play during this period. What I recommend avoiding with puppies is soft squeaky toys made of rubber, because the dog can easily pierce these with his needle-sharp teeth. Generally, they don’t stop at that point, but go on to chew on it, ending up swallowing pieces, in which cases you will have to keep checking if all pieces have passed through their system.

Toys that keep the dog occupied for a longer period of time can be especially useful for puppies when you are getting them used to being left alone. These are usually made from more hardy rubber, and should be filled with treats or liver paste. The dog then obviously will try to lick every last piece of food out of it.

Be Careful What Balls You Buy

Probably every dog owner has bought some kind of a ball for their puppy at least once. There are some puppies who are crazy about anything round in shape, whereas others need a little more time to understand how fun these toys can be. You should be careful, though, because too much playing with a ball could make a dog practically addicted to it.

When choosing the suitable ball you should consider its material, because a tennis ball, for example, erodes the teeth too much. The size of the ball is also important, as, if it is too small, the dog might accidentally swallow it, in which case it can only be removed surgically. If it is too big, it is not comfortable for him to pick it up.

For young adult and adult dogs you can use toys that are made of a harder material and must be held more tightly, such as tools used in protection training, so called tugs or bite pads with a handle. You can tug these without having to worry about them ripping, unlike plush toys.

How to Play with Your Dog?

Never ever force the dog to hold a toy in his mouth! Instead, try acting like you have something very interesting with you and play with it in front of the dog to make it look like a prey to raise his interest.

If your dog is being cautious, don’t lean over him to touch him only because you want to! Instead, kneel down to his level, slowly moving the toy around in front of him to call his attention. If your dog likes it and gets it, do not run after him, stay where you are, because he might fetch it. If so, don’t take the toy away from him immediately, praise him. You might also want to try tugging, and let him win. Playing with you should always be a positive experience for your dog. If he really hangs on to the toy and does not want to fetch it, then just prepare two of the same toys, he will probably exchange the first one for the second one.

If your dog is a little bit more pushy and likes fighting for the toy, putting all his energy into getting it, don’t be afraid to play more intensely with him (You might want to try protection training). If he likes not only getting but also holding on to the toy, you can also try exchanging it for another toy.

At times, try playing with your dog without toys. Playing together creates a better bond and can also be very useful. For example, if you get into a situation when your dog gets tense, you might be able to relax him by playing a little.

Don’t Be Afraid to Use a Toy During Training

If you have different kinds of toys you will notice after a while that there are some favourites that your dog likes better than others. He might even be motivated more effectively with a toy than with treats. Therefore, keep these most beloved toys for training situations and only give them to your dog when he has done something extremely well.  This will make learning much more exciting for him, and the toy will also become more valuable.

However, it is important not to leave toys out for the dog all the time, because they will be really valuable for him if he can only play with the toys on special occasions and only with us. This way you can also avoid the case of “exploding toys” when your dog is bored.

Orsolya Varga-Molnár