Welcoming a new puppy into your home is an exciting adventure! One of the most common questions puppy owners ask us is “What toys do you recommend?” Providing the right toys is important to keep your puppy happy, and to help prevent them from finding the wrong things to play with and chew on! Here’s a list of our favorite safe and fun toys for your pup!
Chew toys:
Your puppy needs to chew and bite, so it’s crucial to provide appropriate outlets for them- especially during the teething phases!
Nothing beats chewing on a good bone. We recommend raw marrow bones and bully sticks.
Nylabone Puppy Starter Kit- This is a nice starter kit that has chews with different textures.
Interactive Toys:
Interactive toys are great for providing mental stimulation and teaching your dog to self-occupy.
Kongs- we recommend having a couple on hand, filling them with food (look for recipes online), and storing them in the freezer. This provides a long-lasting snack for your dog! Kongs are the only product we approve of being left unsupervised in your dogs crate.
Snuffle mats- snuffle mats are designed to mimic what your dog loves to do naturally outside, sniff around in the grass and find stuff to eat! Nothing beats the real thing, but this is a great way to supplement on bad weather days!
Scatter feeding in your yard- Just like we said above, nothing beats going outside to sniff around and explore! Bring your pup’s meal outside and scatter it in the grass for them to hunt!
Tug Toys:
Tug exercises are a fun way to play and bond with your puppy!
Rope toys are perfect for tug! Our recommendation for starting tug is to always let them win and see if they’ll chase you while carry the toy. Keep sessions short and trade using a high value treat. Put the tug away until your next session in order to build it’s value, and to prevent your puppy from destroying it!
Flirt poles provide a great outlet for your dog’s prey drive! Keep your sessions very short (too much back and forth movement isn’t good for you pup’s growth!)
Comfort Toys:
A lot of dogs love to shred/’kill’ their toys. We want to prevent accidental swallowing to keep our pups safe, so we generally do not recommend plush toys for puppies. Some dogs like to carry a plush toy around without ‘killing’ it. If this is the case with your pup, we recommend keeping the toy away and only allowing your pup to have it when you can supervise them.
Remember to supervise your puppy when they're playing with toys, especially if they're small enough to be a choking hazard. Rotate toys regularly to keep your pup interested and prevent boredom. We strongly recommend PLAYING OUTSIDE with your puppy to support their nervous system development and learn that inside = rest. Chews and kongs are great options for calm, independent time indoors.
Proper training, exercise, and socialization are equally important for raising a well-rounded and happy dog. That's why we recommend enlisting the help of professionals like Sigh of Relief Walk and Train at sordogs.com
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