How To Choose Safe Toys For My Dog?

The wrong choice of toys for our dog can cause more than one problem to them and displeasure to us, the owners. It is best to consider several issues when buying these toys.

The right choice

The choice of toys and all the entertainment elements that we use for our dogs is something to which we must pay the utmost attention. Although these are objects created for fun, the wrong choice of them can cause them different problems and expose them to many risks:

• The first thing to consider is knowing how to differentiate the toys that the animal can enjoy alone and those that it can use for fun under our supervision.

• There are other types of objects that are totally harmless.
• There are also those that are good to be used in some stages, as is the case with dog training.

Shapes and materials

The toys that will be used at any time, that is, those that the dog can use whether or not we are its owners, can be of different formats and materials.

The forms and the “chews” of hard rubber are suitable, since they do not tear and the dog is not in danger of swallowing a piece, or hurting its mouth with them. It should be borne in mind that this type of toy must be large enough so that there is no danger of being swallowed completely, depending on the animal.

For puppies, choose hard toys. This is because your baby teeth should not get caught in the softer gums, falling off and hurting themselves before their time.

Cow bones

We can ask the butcher to get us a beef leg bone that is very clean and of a good size. With this, the dog will be entertained for a long time, even if it is left alone during our absence.

Undesirable toys

Plastic toys are not recommended, as they break very easily and can be swallowed or damage the dog’s mouth.

When the dog is under our supervision, we can use other elements, as long as they are not toxic or tear. For example, the classic tennis ball, of a small size, that will help us to throw it and run to catch it. It must always be borne in mind that, if the toy breaks, we have to remove it immediately.

In the case of golf balls, they provide substances that are not recommended for the dog, as they will be toxic in the medium and long term. In addition, their small size can cause the animal to swallow them by accident.

Cloth games and stuffed animals can release part of the material of their composition, and all this will be ingested by our pet during their game. They are not recommended at all.

What is the material?

If we do not know the manufacturing material of the toy, the kind of paint it has, or if it has parts that could come off, the best thing to do is to prevent the dog from playing with that element.

It is also not a good idea to let it play with rags, fabrics or other similar objects, among other things because the animal will understand that these types of elements can bite them, and it will do so with the most expensive clothes it finds around the house.

Toys for all

All dogs should have dog toys: 

• They help release energies through play.
• They fight stress and reduce anxiety when chewed by the animal.
• They help keep the property of the owners intact.
• They keep dogs’ minds active.
• They help in the learning of the animal.
• They serve us owners for those moments of play, always essential.

However, we must bear in mind not to let our pet play with anything that is not going to be his toy for life, because you will be teaching him to bite “forbidden” things. If we do not want the animal to bother children who play soccer in the parks close to home, the best thing we can do is not get our dog used to biting a soccer ball, thus avoiding a future problem from the beginning.

The same happens at home, we have to accustom our pet to play with what we allow, in front of our presence and when we are not.