Dog toys: let your dog choose his own toy

I learned from experience that buying your dog a new toy without their involvement is often the wrong thing to do. Usually, he would look at me with a smug look, as if to say, “I’m great at playing with that.” (My last dog was a German Shepherd with a real prima donna complex.) So I solved the problem by taking her to the pet store with me.

Most pet stores will allow you to bring your dog inside as long as it is on a leash. And please, if you do this, make it a short leash. Inside a pet store are some of the most interesting and fascinating scents your dog will ever encounter. The better control you have over your dog in a pet store, the better.

There are numerous types of toys for your dog to choose from. Chew toys are likely to be your first purchase in the early years, when your puppy is always chewing on something. There are rubber bones, squeaky toys, calf hooves, rope toys, balls, frisbees … and a host of all kinds of toys under the sun. That is why it is best to let your dog choose his own toys. With all those options, you will surely choose the wrong one.

Squishy stuffed animals aren’t necessarily the best toy on the spectrum for the destructive dog; Unless you want to spend endless hours cleaning the filling. But again, if you know your dog and you know that he is a lover and not a fighter, you may want to consider a stuffed toy. A great advantage of this toy is that your dog has a companion when you are not around.

Chew toys come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and materials. Flavored rawhide bones are very popular because they last a long time. But the “flavor” tends to invade everything. Calf hooves are another popular chew toy, and in my own personal experience, I have never seen a dog that didn’t like them. But if this is your dog’s favorite chew toy, be sure to save space in your pet budget for dog breath mints.

Kong is another popular chew toy. The Kong is a hollow rubber toy that looks like a headless snowman. Kong is hollowed out so you can put sandwiches inside the toy. Most dogs chew on a Kong for hours trying to get that little piece of liver out of there. And Kong comes in all sizes so every dog, from the Chihuahua to the Great Dane, can own one.

Rope toys and balls can also be used as chew toys. But most of the time, these toys are more for interactive games. Most dogs like to play tug of war. But again, speaking from experience, don’t use your own teeth to pull the toy with your dog. That is a good way to wear dentures ahead of time.

The ever popular noisemaker toy, more affectionately known as squeaky toys, is another good toy for the curious dog. Dogs can spend hours trying to find the source of that damn screech. But be careful, when they finally find it, they will likely swallow it. And until they do, that “damn” squeal is likely to drive you crazy.

But no matter which toy you choose, be sure to let Fido have a say in the choice. Dog toys can be a bit pricey at times and you don’t want to spend a fortune on a toy and make your adorable little pooch more interested in the box it came in.