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Ultimately, the right dog toy for your puppy depends on, well, your puppy. If you have a dog that chews, chews, and chews some more, you may invest in some durable rubber toys that can withstand tough play sessions. If you have a puppy who is aroused by high-pitched squeaking sounds, you may purchase toys that emit that special noise.
Still, choosing the right toy for your puppy is more than heading to the pet store and seeing what’s on sale. It’s about considering your dog’s activity level, chewing habits, and breed.
Benefits of Puppy Playtime
Puppies have a critical socialization window that begins when they’re 3 weeks old and continues until they’re roughly 14 weeks. The interactions during this timeframe play an integral role in building your puppy’s confidence and serve as the basis of their interactions throughout their lifetime.
Many new dog owners learn about this window and head straight to the dog park, eager to start socialization early. However, socializing a puppy starts at home. Then, once your puppy is confident and physically mature, socialization can extend to places such as pet-friendly restaurants and daycare facilities. Even though it’s important to exercise your puppy, you don’t want to overdo it. Excessive strenuous activity can hurt a puppy’s growth plates, and even lead to injury. Targeted play sessions are better than hours of exercise.
Remember, the benefits of playing with your puppy go both ways. It’s not just about boosting your dog’s confidence and shaping their character. It’s also about building the trust between you and your dog that’s key to a lifetime bond.
Soothing a Puppy’s Gums and Impacted Teeth With Teething Toys
Every puppy owner knows that there’s chewing, and then there’s teething. Chewing is a natural thing dogs do to relieve boredom and pass the time. Teething is when a puppy’s sore gums and impacted teeth nearly become too much to bear, prompting them to chew on anything from the dining room table’s legs to drywall.
When selecting a teething toy for your puppy, look for one that will offer them both comfort and entertainment. Consider purchasing toys made of nylon or hard rubber. Toys made with these durable materials are less likely to break apart after a few play sessions, plus they can prevent your dog from taking out their growing pains elsewhere.
Puzzle Toys to Provide Mental Stimulation
Dr. Stanley Coren, the author of the landmark book “The Intelligence of Dogs,” notes that a dog’s intelligence is 51% breed, 49% environmental. This means that for their intelligence is about half based on their breed, but that isn’t everything. It also means that they can get more intelligent and mentally stimulated based on their environment. So it’s never too early (or too late) to start boosting your puppy’s brain power. Puzzle toys that rely on finding treats or locating a coveted toy can offer your dog an opportunity to explore their surroundings and build their problem-solving skills.
You may look for puzzle toys with pull-out drawers, sliders, and rotating parts that you can fill with high-value treats, offering an extra incentive to engage your puppy. There are also puzzle toys with noise-making features, such as rattlers and squeakers. Some even let you record your own voice!
Since many puzzle toys come in varying stages of difficulty, you may want to purchase a toy that allows you to adjust the difficulty based on your dog’s abilities. Soon, a puzzle that once took your puppy hours to crack could be solvable in no time.
Soothe Puppies With Comfort Toys
In the days and weeks after bringing a new puppy home, it’s understandable that they miss their mother and littermates. Unfortunately, this could lead to whining, pacing, and other symptoms of stress. Thankfully, there are many toys designed to help your puppy adapt to their new home.
For example, some plush toys emit a sound similar to their mother’s heartbeat, helping them sleep through the night. Other comfort toys include plushies with beads that heat up in the microwave and offer a soothing, warm sensation.
You may choose to purchase a toy specially designed for comfort if your puppy struggles to sleep through the night, experiences separation anxiety, or needs help adjusting to a new environment. Comfort toys can also be helpful if you’re crate training your dog and hope to create a positive association.
While these toys can offer much-needed comfort, avoid leaving them with your dog for extended periods unsupervised. So, if your dog relies on a toy with an artificial heartbeat to sleep, remove it from their bed once they start snoozing. That way, they won’t wake up and start chewing on it.
Dental Toys: Good for Teeth (But Not a Substitute for Brushing!)
Puppies can also benefit from dental toys, which can help promote good dental health and stave off dental disease.
Search for dental toys that come with ridges or uneven surfaces. These features help dislodge bits of food stuck between your young dog’s teeth, preventing decay and that dreaded puppy breath. There are also flavored dental toys that encourage your dog to chew. Some toys also allow for the insertion of dental treats, though these items are generally sold separately.
As with any toys that your dog will gnaw, be sure to choose durable materials that won’t break apart easily. If you notice rips, tears, or deep punctures, throw the toy out. You don’t want to risk your puppy ingesting any small parts.
Always Supervise Your Puppy During Playtime
Even if you’ve seen your puppy play with the same toy dozens of times, it’s always a good idea to supervise the activity. Puppies have sharp teeth, and you don’t want a day of play to turn into a night at the vet. Even a seemingly small puncture in a toy could cause foam, stuffing, and other materials to come loose, posing the threat of bowel obstructions.
Supervising your puppy’s play sessions can also be a great opportunity to teach and brush up on basic commands, such as “leave it,” “drop it,” and “come here.” Plus, can you name anything cuter than watching a puppy play?
