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What Toys are the Safest for Your Dog?

One of the most common questions I am asked during a new puppy exam is “What toys are okay for my puppy?” The choices out there are overwhelming!

We not only want these toys to be fun, but we also want them to be SAFE.  The easy answer to this question is that for a young puppy, probably most toys are safe. However, they quickly learn what their teeth are for, and many toys immediately become NOT safe.
Before bringing our Golden Retriever puppy home, our kids had a blast picking out toys for him.
We had a stuffed tree log with little stuffed chipmunks, we had super long and squishy plush toys, and we had rope toys. They were squishy, they were squeaky, and they were a lot of fun to play with. Most of these toys lasted a few months. Once Onyx learned how to chew the ears off the chipmunks and the tails off of the other toys, I knew it was time for all of the plush toys to go.

My biggest concern with toys is the possibility for them to become an intestinal foreign body. Yes, it is unlikely the dog will swallow the entire plush toy, but what about all that stuffing?
And, what if they just swallowed a “leg” or “arm” of the toy? That stuffing balls up in the stomach and impedes flow of food, and that arm or leg they chewed off lodges perfectly in the small intestine. If strings are pulled out of the rope toy, they can easily get stuck in the small intestine causing an intestinal tear, leading to an abdominal infection. That $10 toy may have just become a $2000 surgery.

So, what toys are best for long term usage? My favorites are Kong toys.
These incredibly tough rubber toys can hold up to the best dog chewers out there. Kong toys come in a variety of shapes: the original Kong (that can be stuffed with treats), tires, balls, rings, frisbees, tugs etc. They also come in a variety of strengths and sizes. The original strength red Kong has lasted my dog YEARS. But, for really powerful chewers, they also make the “Extreme” line of toys.  Click here to see my Kong Toy List on Amazon.  For page transparency: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My favorite Kong, however, is the Kong Blue. Their blue line is 25% stronger than the original Kong, and features “radio-opaque” rubber.
If for some reason part of the toy would break off and be swallowed, the material will show up on x-ray. Pretty cool! My previous Golden Retriever had one of these Kongs for probably 8 or more years, and other than tiny punctures around the edges, the toy really held up over time.

That’s not to say that you should only purchase Kong toys for your new dog. Lots of companies make super strong rubber toys that are very similar to these. Just know that sometimes you get what you pay for. Do some research prior to picking a brand or type of toy.

Are soft plush toys okay for some dogs lifelong? Absolutely!
Not all dogs will shred, de-stuff, and destroy a new plush toy within 5 minutes of it entering the house. For some dogs, these toys are their favorites; they don’t like how tough the rubber toys are to chew on. For other pets with dental disease and uncomfortable mouths, these toys can be soft and soothing for them. Just know your specific dog and their preferences for play.

One of my favorite memories from our first Golden involves a huge pink bone plush toy. He would join us at work at the Animal Hospital most days. One day we were down the basement where extra supplies were kept. While down there we found this big pink plush bone. We offered it to him, wondering what he would think. He hadn’t had a toy like this since he was a tiny toy destructor.
To our surprise he instantly LOVED it. He was so gentle with this toy and it had to go EVERYWHERE with him. We often laughed at this big manly dog carrying his equally big pink bone. This first toy lasted him about a year. It didn’t fall apart from chewing, rather it got a little gross from saliva. So, every Christmas from that point on he got to unwrap a new plush bone toy. We couldn’t find a pink one like the original, so he had to settle with tan, but I’d argue that he was equally happy with it!

Happy shopping!
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