Tugg, Play, Love – What Your Dog Looks for in their Toy Box

It’s such a joy to experience all the unconditional love my dogs give me when I get home from work. Even though I made sure they had a stuffed bone with one of my favorite recipes to entertain them while I’m away, they are excited to see me and ready for play.

Playtime with my dogs is one of my favorite pastimes. I watch them head over to their toy box to shift through, smell and carefully select a toy to play with. It’s fascinating to watch them decide on what toy they want to play with each day. My older lab prefers tiny soft toys to carry around in her mouth and snuggle with. My active girl enjoys balls and tug toys so I can play with her. And my dainty tiny Maltese who is around 1 year old, enjoys hard plastic toys for chewing.

Playtime is crucial for your dog’s mental and physical wellbeing and it is best to have a variety of different dog toy in their toy box. Dog toys are designed with dog sizes and ages in mind. Toys are made with a wide range of fabrics and materials offering various durability options to ensure your dog will have hours of fun playtime while receiving the benefit of that specific toy; such as a chew toy. Fill your dog’s toy box with a variety of options including soft toys made of indestructible fabrics, balls, hard rubber toys, puzzles, and treat dispensing toys. Each type of different toys offer a specific benefit and joy for your pooch.

Outside playtime is a great way to introduce fetch, rope, tug, toss, and ball shaped type of toys. These toy styles are perfect for several dogs to play together or for you and your dog to play with out in the yard or at the park. For inside type of play, I prefer softer toys for snuggling, chewing, and tossing. There is nothing cuter than a dog carrying around a soft, plush teddy bear. Please note that soft toys are not suggested for dogs during the heavy destructive teething stage (ages 7 months to 13 months). For this stage of puppyhood, I recommend dog toys designed specifically for chewing and teething such as hard rubber or even plastics that often incorporate rope. Redirect your chewer towards one of these toy options to ensure they stay away from your furniture or shoes.

With all toys, please monitor your dogs chewing. It is not recommended to allow your dog to destroy the toy and shred it to pieces or ingest the rope, stuffing or fabrics. There are a variety of ‘indestructible’ toys for all breeds to ensure your dog does not ingest squeakers or stuffing. My rule of thumb is to take away any toy if you find your dog destroying it by shredding it. Avoid buying any more toys of that type if your dog continues to destroy them immediately, as they are missing out on crucial play time.

My favorite type of toy is an interactive, treat dispensing or puzzle toy. These toys entertain your pup, stimulate their minds, reward your dog, and provide an opportunity to actually play along with your dog. Your dog will learn to bat these toys around so that small pieces of kibble or treats fall out. Treat dispensing toys come in a variety of shapes, materials and sizes. This is also a great way to feed a dog that needs a lot of stimulation.

Each dog is different and at Patsy’s you’ll find the help you need to select the perfect dog toy that will match their personality and keep their mind stimulated and entertained for hours.

Cats need toys too! You can bring out the playful kitty with our variety of cat toys. We offer cat toys that can help your cat’s instinctual needs of hunting and problem solving while maintaining an active life. Soft toys allow your cat to pounce, prey and stalk them, such as little stuffed toy mice. I prefer cat toys with interactive sounds that encourage your cat’s alertness. Cats have an instinctive “rabbit kicking” type of play that is an obvious choice for larger soft toys. Interactive toys fend off boredom and can cause hilarious behaviors by your cat. Treat dispensing toys are a great way to offer treats to your cat or to feed an overweight cat. My favorite cat toy is a wand of feathers or a laser light toy. If you really want to upgrade your cat toy you can chose a toy with added irresistible catnip – a sure pleaser. We offer the strongest catnip available grown without pesticides.

Come see our vast offerings in Patsy’s toy box!