Boredom is said to be the mother of all undesirable behaviors, at least in dogs. A bored dog will sooner or later begin to exhibit behaviors that will alter her life and that of her human companions, and not for the better.
It is clear that in general people have their obligations and, although you love your dog, you cannot be entertaining yourself with him all day or much of it. In rural areas the dog, even if his guardian is not present, has his daily activity, such as walking and warning of strangers within what he considers his territory or trying to catch a bird that walks around, but in the city, the story is other. Doing nothing for a dog in that situation usually means literally doing nothing. To help with this problem, we have prepared this article on our site about best toys for dogs
Big Dog Chew Toys
This type of toy is usually intended for large dogs and is the best known and oldest, but it hasn't lost its effectiveness and usefulness. They are basically bites where the dog entertains itself by biting them. Although the dog entertains itself with this type of toy, it does not use its brain much, since it generates more of a mechanical act in the dog and does not stimulate it much mentally. Some of the best chew toys are:
- Teethers: on the market you will find many types of teether toys whose objective is for the dog to have fun biting it, but without the possibility of that it breaks it and eats some of its parts, due to the strong material with which they are made.
- Rubber Balls: These types of balls are suitable for large and strong dogs, as they are very resistant and keep your dog entertained for hours without fear of breaking it. In addition, these balls usually have grooves so that when they bite, dogs clean their teeth.
- Wind-up toy: another type of very popular dog toy. It consists of a thick and resistant rope designed to play tug-of-war, although there are dogs that are distracted by themselves with this toy.
A toy of this type for a large dog must be made of rubber quite hard so that it cannot be torn apart by the dog, with the consequent danger of ingesting the small pieces that have come off the toy, so it is essential that they be resistant toys There are different shapes and sizes, and one must be chosen that is according not only to the size of the dog, but also to the force of its bite
In the video below, we'll show you how to make a homemade rope toy for your dog. You'll love it!
Intelligence toys for dogs
Mental stimulation is as important as physical stimulation. For this reason, these types of toys are intended to make the dog think or generate a strategy to get his prize, usually food. Some of the best intelligence toys for dogs are:
- Kong: one of the best known is the Kong toy, which allows solid food to be placed inside, but it can also smear some pasty food inside and then the dog spends his time trying to remove it all with his tongue. Also, the Kong is made of a durable material, so the dog probably won't be able to destroy it.
- Olfactory rug: in the market they also sell rugs for dogs in which you can hide different snacks inside. In this way, the dog will entertain itself looking for hidden treats, which helps to develop its sense of smell and stimulates its intelligence.
- Interactive toys: these types of toys are similar to scent mats, although their main difference lies in the material, since in this In this case, instead of being a rug, it could be, for example, a smart saucer that hides treats inside, and the dog has to figure out how to get them out.
As we said, the Kong is one of the most popular toys for dogs. However, it is not necessary to spend a large sum of money on these products, since you can create one at home, as we explain in the following video.
On the other hand, it is also important to know these other toys not recommended for dogs.
Toys for puppies, small dogs or the elderly
Puppies and small or elderly dogs deserve a special mention, since, due to their size or age, they do not have the same physical or mental conditions as medium or large adult dogs. Therefore, toys for puppies, small dogs or the elderly should be:
Fit for his size and age
The material of the toys is very important, since the teeth of puppies, small dogs or the elderly will not have the same strength than that of the big dogs. In addition, they can be more fragile In many toys that you will find in the market they indicate what type of dogs they are indicated for, as well as their age range.
Quality materials
Regardless of the type of dog toy we opt for, it is important to ensure that it is made with quality materials and, above all, non-toxic for pets In this way, we will avoid possible he alth problems, which could be fatal in elderly dogs due to their already delicate he alth conditions.
If you have a puppy, you can also read this other article about The best toys for puppies.
