After thousands of hours spent watching hundreds of dogs play and interact with me, each other and a huge range of toys, a few of these stand out as worthy of a place on my list of the very best toys for dogs. Value for money is always somewhere in the equation when we consider which are the best toys for dogs, and with that in mind, there are really only two groups of toys to consider:
- Those that are cheap enough to be considered disposable.
- Those that are more costly, but stand the test of time.
Best dog toys that are cheap, destructible and very popular
1. Balls. Cheap dog ‘tennis balls’ won’t last long for most dogs, but they are popular and don’t cost much either. Kong manufactures a good quality, fairly robust tennis ball, which has a squeaker for added play value. A ball on a rope makes a fun alternative, and some people find these easier to throw. The Kong Squeezz ball is collapsible to an extent when chewed, which can feel very satisfying to a dog.
Buy the Kong Airball on Amazon:
Other recommended balls on Amazon:
2. Squeaky space lobber (hopper) toys. These are hugely popular but fairly easy to destroy – first, the squeak is removed, then the stuffing, then finally the casing will be shredded. I’ve seen them last in some ‘state’ in a household of dogs for weeks, providing oodles of fun. Don’t leave it unsupervised, as you’ll want to pick up the stuffing once it’s removed and also the casing if it gets torn off. The little one makes a great training aid as it has a loud squeak and is small enough to be easy for both humans and dogs to handle.
Buy space lobber toys on Amazon:
3. Strings of plastic sausages on a knotted rope. Another extremely popular toy with dogs of all sizes. Cheap enough and fairly robust, it provides hours of fun, especially with a friend. It’s a great tug toy which will get chewed, but usually in stages over time.
Buy sausage toys on Amazon:
Pet Face String of Sausages toy
4. Knotted rope tug toys. Great for chewing and tug of war. Cheap, fairly robust and machine-washable. The octopus is a small toy that’s excellent for puppies and smaller dogs who are often left out of tug as many tug ropes are too heavy.
Buy tug rope toys on Amazon:
And for large breeds
5. Cheap soft, stuffed or flat material toys. Yes, these will eventually be destroyed, so buy at a price where you don’t care – and don’t throw the carcass away once all of the stuffing has been pulled out. ‘Deflated’ soft toys make great tug toys and have often been a favourite with the dogs when I have lived with.
Buy soft toys on Amazon:
Pets & Play No Stuffing Plushies
These toys have been some of my own dog’s besties! He’s a small dog, and these are his go-to toys for a game of tug. The squeakers have long since died, but the toys have lasted 6-plus years. Each plushie has two squeakers (head and tail), and the tummy section is crinkly. Great value, and the presentation box makes them a lovely gift.
Seems to have a lovely ‘mouth feel’ for many dogs. Bigger than a tennis ball but smaller than a football. Great for indoor ball play, chewing and holding – especially for soft-mouthed breeds.
Rosewood Chubleez Noodle Buddy
6. Long-life chew toys.
A relatively cheap and more tooth-friendly alternative to the once-popular deer antlers for persistent chewers. They are softer, so they will get worn down, but this means they are unlikely to cause the tooth issues caused by hard chewers working on alters. For most dogs, they are still long-lasting and represent good value for money. Watch out for cheap copies, which often don’t last well.
These small bones make an excellent and long-lasting chew toy for small, medium and soft-mouthed large breeds. Like all bones, they can splinter, so they must be supervised. However, I have used them for many years, and this is an infrequent issue. They can be filled much like a Kong (and can be frozen) to renew interest.
Best dog toys that are more expensive but stand the test of teeth and time
7. Kong toys. The whole Kong range is wonderful and is loved by most dogs, but favourites include the Wubba range, Squeezz jells, Safestix, Squeezz stick and the Classic Kong (for stuffing and leaving with a ‘home alone’ dog). Kong toys wear really well and most take a long while to show signs of wear and tear. The addition of material makes the Wubba range slightly more vulnerable, but they are well-made and compelling to dogs.
Buy Kong toys on Amazon:
A selection of designs, mainly balls and sticks, that are pretty robust, while maintaining good chewability. Most are only recommended for medium to large dogs.
A great design that gives a good textural licking and chewing experience.
Please note that the wubba toys come in all shapes and sizes (xs to xl). Please make sure that you select the option that would suit your dog.
All Classic (red) Kong toys are durable, but destructive chewers will benefit from their Extreme range (black). They also have a puppy range (pale blue) and a senior range (purple).
8. Other strong, chewable treat balls and sticks
Tuff Pupper Super Chewy Ultra Ball
An interesting ball in terms of texture, chewability, and hundreds of tiny teeth that grip treats and kibble.
Chuckit! Glow in the dark stick
9. Ruffwear dog toys. Good range of tough and longlasting toys. We particularly like the Ruffwear Gnawt-a-Cone Dog Toy, which was designed based on the shape of a pine cone. Love the one on a rope.
These Ruffwear toys are tear-resistant (though not indestructible) while also being seriously chompable. So, they are squishable under a strong jaw, which is both satisfying and calming for your dog. They can also be filled and frozen.
If you are looking for a safe stick replacement, this may be what you need. Regardless of the name, this isn’t the best chew toy unless your dog is a light to medium chewer. But it *is* a great throw toy. The irregular shape makes it move erratically when it hits the ground, which seems to appeal to most dogs and it has a flotation device (which may degrade over time) that helps it to stay afloat in calm water. Not great for the sea or rapidly flowing rivers. One end is hollow so it can be filled with food for enrichment.
10. GoughNut. For the ultimate lifetime guaranteed chewable, retrievable, floating dog toy, look no further. Expensive, yes – but you’ll only ever need to buy one, as the company will replace the GoughNut free of charge for the pet’s lifetime if the internal red core is exposed. NOTE the toys come in different degrees of durability and different sizes. Make sure you are buying a suitable toy for your dog (don’t size up as they are heavy).
GoughNut indestructible dog toy – lifetime guarantee
While not guaranteed indestructible – and some dogs, even when given the correct size and colour for their breed and intensity of chewing, still manage to pick them apart – the lifetime guarantee means you can get a new one if the worst happens.
There are four toys in the series: a ring, ball, tugger, and stick, and each toy is made in several colours and sizes.
The softest toys are green, then orange, then black (which comes in two degrees of toughness!) The sizes also determine how tough they are, as the larger ones are thicker with a smaller central hole (rings only). The ball seems to be the easiest to get a destructive grip on because of the gaps between the segments.
Even if your dog is staffie-sized, you may need a larger toy if they are an aggressive chewer. I’ve seen a staffie ‘go through’ the medium-sized ring! But check out the product dimensions, as these are big, heavy toys that are much tougher than Kong toys.
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