Playing and chewing are innate behaviors for dogs, essential for their well-being. Especially during the teething phase, puppies have an irresistible urge to bite anything they find, making toys a fundamental choice for protecting your home objects and/or furniture.
Choosing the ideal toy for your faithful companion is not just a matter of entertainment, but also of well-being. Remember that dedicating time to play is essential to strengthening the bond between you and your dog, so it is essential to do it in the most appropriate way.
Here are three factors to keep in mind when choosing a toy for your dog and a selection of five types of toys that he is sure to appreciate.
Factors to consider:
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Age:
- Puppies with baby teeth: Opt for soft rubber or plush toys.
- Teething phase: Choose chewable toys to help teeth grow.
- After the teething phase: the teeth are developed and you can move on to games made of harder materials and interactive games.
- Older dogs: prefer soft toys to avoid damage to fragile teeth.
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Cut:
- Adapt the size of the toy to the size of the dog to avoid risks of ingestion or disinterest.
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Toy Safety:
- Make sure the toy is non-toxic and made with safe materials free of harmful substances that could harm your dog's health, such as BPA, Bisphenol A, a chemical compound used to produce plastic.
- Check the resistance of the toy to avoid the risk of swallowing broken pieces which could make it choke or cause discomfort, injury or gastrointestinal blockage.
Five types of dog toys:
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Balls:
- Suitable for all ages and breeds.
- Various sizes and types, with different bounce, sounds and colors.
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Ropes:
- Ideal for shooting games.
- Made of durable rope or fabric.
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Chewable:
- They help maintain healthy teeth.
- Examples are My Ciuffogatto's chewable toys, made with natural and biodegradable bioplastics.
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Soft toys:
- Loved by puppies and larger dogs.
- Choose high quality plush toys, like those from P.L.A.Y., which are resistant and safe.
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Interactive toys:
- Mentally engage the dog with puzzles or food dispensers.
- Useful for stimulating the dog's mind.
- Buy a variety of toys to understand your dog's preferences over time.
- Supervise your dog during play to prevent risks of ingestion, no matter how safe a toy may seem there is always the possibility that it could break.
- Replace worn toys to avoid damage. Remember, broken toys should always be thrown away and replaced with new ones.
- If your dog seems to have too many toys, alternate their use to maintain interest.
- Prefer eco-sustainable toys to respect your dog's health and at the same time respect the environment by contributing to the reduction of waste and the environmental impact of the production and disposal of pet toys.