Best Toys for Small Dogs

I have two small dogs (Chihuahuas) and I must keep them busy when I am away from the house. You want to ensure that you don’t have to put your dogs up in a crate to keep them from appearing on www.dogshaming.com (one of the funniest sites on the internet). You want to provide some of the best toys for small dogs.

These dogs get into trouble because you have not tired them out enough. You need to ensure that you are walking your dogs until they are exhausted. An exhausted dog sleeps instead of destroying your home. On average, a dog sleeps 12-14 hours per day. Being cute is really tiring, don’t you know! The walk also allows your dogs to take care of business outside so that they won’t do it inside.

If you have done these things, you will also want to provide your dogs with something that will keep them entertained while you are away. If you get them some quality toys that they like, they will spend time playing with them.

Chewing Toys for Small Dogs

Is your pup a chewer? Then you will want some high quality chewing toys available to that your dogs will leave your shoes alone. What do you look for in a good chewing toy? You want something that is high quality and durable so that it will last awhile. For small dogs, you will want a small chew toy. I know it is funny to give a very large bone to a toy-sized dog, but if the dog can’t chew on it, she will go back to your shoes!

You can’t go wrong with a Nylabone or a Kong. Nylabone makes chewing toys in several shapes, sizes, and flavors. They will have something that you can use to solve your problem. They make chew toys for dogs of different sizes and chewing styles from puppy teething rings to heavy chewing dogs. There are also different flavors including the ever popular chicken, bacon, and peanut butter.

Kong is another company known for its chew toys, especially the classic Kong where you can fill the toy with treats or peanut butter to keep your dog occupied for hours. They also provide a wide variety of other toys that will engage any dog for hours including plush toys. Whatever your dog likes, Kong is bound to have it.

Small Dog Tossing Toys

Balls are not the best for small dogs because they cannot get them in their mouths to play with them or chew on them. Rope toys here are better for small dogs in my opinion. My chihuahuas ignore balls, even small balls that are not dog toys. They simply have no interest in them. For dogs who like to run and play a rousing game of fetch, a rope toy is just the thing!

There are rope toys that have balls and other chewing toys embedded in them. If you are on a budget, you can easily make your own rope tossing toy by purchasing some heavy-duty cotton line or rope and tying your own knots. You can even drill through a tennis ball and insert it on your rope toy. One word of caution: Don’t use nylon line to make your tossing or rope toy. Use only cotton. The nylon could hurt your dog if she chews off a piece and swallows it!

Small Dog Puzzle Toys

Many small dogs, such as terriers, are quick and smart. These pups need the stimulation found in puzzle toys where they can solve the puzzle to earn a treat. I had a dog who was very smart and very good at solving puzzles. I bought a puzzle that had eight, count them! eight treats hidden in its puzzle chambers. I thought to myself that this would surely keep my dog occupied, but it took him less than 30 minutes to figure the whole thing out and have his treats.

If you have an Einstein dog, you might want to consider having multiple puzzles and rotate them frequently to keep your friend occupied. You can find some ideas on my earlier post on the Five Best Interactive DogToys. There are some good options available there.

Best Toys for Cuddle Muffins

Some puppies want nothing more than to sit on your best sofa and sleep. Because I know that I cannot keep my dogs off of my furniture so I keep several throws on the furniture. Chihuahuas are a terrier breed and so are good at digging and burrowing to find small rodents to kill. Accordingly, I can always find my guys burrowed under the throws on the sofa so that they stay warm and safe. They also love their squeaker toys! Squeaker toys are a classic dog toy with one or many squeakers. One of my dogs is very careful of his toys and always protects his squeaker. The other one just destroys everything.

There are also debates whether one or many squeakers is best. I’m of the opinion that the dog will decide whether she prefers a lot of squeakers or not. My best opinion is to have a squeaker toy with no stuffing. For dogs who literally rip the stuffing out of their toys, you want to give them a toy with no stuffing. Ingesting the stuffing can cause them harm.