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Best Doggie Toy of All Time

I love dogs and have owned several dogs throughout my life.  When I was a child, we had a Beagle mix (OK, he was a mutt) and we never had any toys for him.  Just my two brothers and me.  We were just the toys our dog needed.  Us and the squirrels.  He loved to chase the squirrels!

He never had obedience training and he never chewed up the house.  This was a time before cell phones, cable television, computer games, and many other modern conveniences.  After school, we were expected to remain outside until it was time for dinner, and we took the dog with us.  We all knew to be home when the streetlights came on.

Why Do Dogs Need Toys?

Dog

Obi-Wan

Dogs don’t actually need toys, they need activity.  Dogs were originally working animals.  They helped our hunter/gatherer ancestors hunt for food and keep the tribe fed.  Their keen senses helped our ancestors prepare for other predators and protect the tribe.  Now, they are couch potatoes while we go to work and leave them home alone.

If your existence was just to get up, go out to “take care of business,” and return to sleep in a corner all day while your pack mate went out, you would go bonkers in a minute.  Dogs live in the moment, the “now”, so they have to do something to make “now” a bit more interesting.  If that is to let you know that they are displeased because you are not there with them, then you’ll find chewed walls and sofas when you return home.  Your dog wants to spend every waking moment with you (and not a few sleeping moments with you also).  My chihuahua is sleeping on my shoulder as I write this.

The earliest toys for dogs were sticks and balls.  This is the classic retrieval game of “Fetch”.  You throw a stick or a ball, and your dog returns it to you, waiting excitedly for you to throw it again.  And again.  And again.

There were also pieces of rope with knots ties in each end.  This could be used for games of “Fetch”, but also for “Tug-o-War”.  This is where you and your dog try to pull the rope away from the other one.  There are no winners or losers in this game because you can keep playing it again.  And again.  And again.

Obedience

Obedience training is necessary for today’s dogs to ensure that they are good canine citizens and are well socialized around their family, other people, and other dogs.  Obedience should be a form of play and work for your dog.  It is good quality time that you can spend together.  You can find obedience classes at your local shelter or a good reputable pet supply store.

Basic obedience commands are also a form of play.  We have a veteran at my place of work who has a service dog who helps him with different tasks.  We are allowed to give him treats after the treats have been approved by the owner.  We must also make the dog work for the treat.  I always ask what the dog needs to work on at that time.  The dog has a weigh in every three months and is tested annually to ensure that he still remembers his commands.  It’s fun for the dog and fun for me and my co-workers.

Interactive Toys

These are toys designed as puzzles for your dog.  They can be many different shapes and sizes of these from the simple chew toy with the treat hidden inside to a more elaborate puzzle that requires the dog to manipulate the puzzle to get to the treat.

I had one puzzle for my late dog, Gabriel, that consisted of a plastic puzzle with eight different compartments to hide treats.  My dog had sever separation anxiety and I thought that this puzzle would keep him occupied for awhile so that I could go off to work.  Gabriel had the entire puzzle figured out in 15 minutes.  He was amazing!

Gabriel

There are toys that will focus on different areas of what your dog needs whether it is puzzles or chewing, but they are all designed to occupy your dog and eliminate boredom.

Squeaky Toys

I am giving squeaky toys their own attention because my mother only buys dog toys based on the number of squeakers they have.  For her, it’s the more the merrier.

Some dogs will absolutely destroy the squeaker and you run out of toy very quickly.  Some dogs, like my Beppe, love his toys and will take care not to destroy the squeaky inside of it.  He takes very good care of his toys.  But he still leaves them all over the house and barks when he tosses them someplace where he thinks he won’t fit.  (He’s a chihuahua, but he thinks he’s a mastiff.)

Walking/Running

My sister-in-law runs triathalons and her dog runs with her.  Now you don’t have to be a competition runner, but you can take your dog running with you.  If you are not a runner, take your dog for a walk.  We take our dog with us when we are walking in the Crop Walk to raise funds for hunger relief.  Walking and running are great exercise for both you and your dog.  My husband likes to take long walks, about two miles, and he takes our chihuahuas with him.  That’s like a marathon for them, and they are always in good spirits when they return.  As a plus, the younger of the two dogs will start whining around 8:30 pm to be tucked into bed because he’s all tired out.

Why You’re the Best Doggie Toy Ever

The common theme among all dog toys is you, the owner.  You are the key piece of every toy designed for your dog.  Good dog toys keep the dog occupied, but the best dog toy keeps the dog enamored.  You dog loves you and would rather spend the entire day hanging out with you than in any other way.  That’s the best toy ever!

 

 

 

 

 

Ellen

I am crazy about dogs and want to make them happy and healthy.

8 Comments

  1. Best Doggie toys of all time!! You had me at the heading!!  As a dog lover I had to read this blog to find out more. 

    I can see how your had many wonderful childhood memories playing with your brother and your dog.  Today’s pets really do spend a lot of time alone while other family members relax with “screen time”. I can see how obedience training is a must for the modern dog.  We all have higher standards for “doggie etiquette” these days and jumping all over our visitors just because they want to say “hi” is a definite no-no.  I can see why lots of dogs like squeaky toys…. but we are their best toy for sure. I was just wondering what you thought about different sized toys for different sized animals?

    • I was going to explore the different sizes of toys for different sizes of dogs in later posts.

  2. Thank you for this interesting post. I had a dog when I was young and loved to play simple games of fetch. The sticks that you can buy to thorw the ball for miles are brilliant. He also enjoyed a good tug of war, but not always with an actual toy, more likely our clothes!! 

  3. Great article! Very well written and I could not agree me that humans are a dog’s best friend. Squeaky toys are not my favorite to  give my dog but I can see how they are popular among dogs.

    What would you say is the best type of dog toy after of course people?

    Thanks Ellen for the great information and look forward to reading more dog toy information on your website in the future.

    Jay S.

    Tower Bridge Consultants LLC

    • Thank you for your comments.  I don’t know what would be the best toy after people.  I think this would depend on the dog.  After all, we all have our own likes and dislikes.

  4. I got a good laugh after reading this. ” Just my two brothers and me.  We were just the toys our dog needed.  Us and the squirrels.  He loved to chase the squirrels!” This was hilarious. 

    Things were so simple back then, its hard to imagine a life without all of our current new gadgets. 

    I always said there’s no point of having a dog just to leave him sitting on a chain all say, They need action and activity, a sense of purpose. Someone to spend time with them. But as you know, most dogs now days only lay around and want to eat all day.

    I agree that obedience training is necessary for today’s dogs, otherwise they will not respect you and run over everything! the last dog i had was that way. I should have went ahead and got him the training that he needed.

    thanks for the wonderful article, i enjoyed it.

    • Thank you for your comments.  Dogs today do need obedience training.  I’m glad you enjoyed the humor.  My brothers and I would also tap on the glass door and shout, “Squirrel”.  The dog would jump up all excited, and as soon as you opened the door, off he would dash.  Even if there was no squirrel.  He never did catch one.

      Thanks, Ellen

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