It has been said that a tired dog is a happy dog. That may be true. However, it is certainly true that a tired dog has a happy owner. Dog toys and play serve a valuable function for you and your dog-besides wearing your dog out and keeping him out of trouble, toys can stimulate his mind. Dog toys that not only wear out their bodies but challenge their minds help keep your dog from getting bored. This will help keep your dog from getting into trouble. Do you have a bad dog? Chances are, your dog isn’t bad, just bored. Dogs need dog toys, not only to wear them out, but to stimulate their minds so they don’t get bored.
Dog Toys Can Make Your Mad Dog Sane
One thing you have to know about dogs is that they like to work. They like also like to play. Most of all, they like to be involved. They also need exercise every single day.
Dogs need structure and interaction. They are pack animals. Which makes the owner, by default, the pack. You must do more to care for your dog’s mental health than dump them in the back yard with some chew toys.
Somewhere out there are dog toys that are right for you and your dog. Below are a number of options for dog toys that will improve indoor playtime beyond the simple and rather repetitive games like fetch and tug of war.
Hide and Seek Dog Toys
Dog toys that consist of a cute yet hunt-able animal and a place for it to hide will amuse both you and your dog, and satisfy your dog’s hunting instincts. You stuff the toy in its toy hiding place, and your dog must root it out.
Does your dog destroy his dog toys? This may be the perfect toy for him. He can destroy it over and over without actually destroying it. These dog toys have built in squeakers, so you can get your dog excited before setting him on his mission.
These are great toys for smaller dogs (under forty pounds), especially terriers. Terriers, named for their digging, will love digging the toys out. These dog toys will also make your dog smarter by encouraging him to figure out how to get the dog toys out of their hiding place.
Hidden Egg Dog Toys
Dog toys that simulate animals with eggs in their stomachs will stimulate your dog’s desire to gut an animal-his toy, instead of your pillows or cushions. Your dog practices gutting his prey, and his prey can be gutted over and over.
Dog Toys That Award Your Dog Treats for Playing
Dogs are often quite content to sit and chew their toys. These toys won’t give your dog a sense of accomplishment, though. For that, consider dog toys with built in reward systems.
Toys with treats in them give your dog a challenging puzzle to solve, that presses their instinctual buttons and rewards them at the end with a dog treat. An example is a plastic cube with treats inside which the dog must find a way to get out of the cube. The cube is also adjustable, so as your dog figures out how to get the treats out, you can make it harder so he won’t get bored.
This type of dog toys includes a rubber ball that helps clean your dog’s teeth when he plays with it. Your dog bites the slits in the ball. These chew toys come in various sizes for different sizes of dog, but also come in different degrees of toughness so you can adjust for the destructiveness of your dog’s chewing ability. Here’s how it works: His teeth sink into the grooves. The grooves stimulate the gums and clean the teeth, and dispense treats or kibble for your dog.
Dog Toys That Help Your Dog Maintain An Active Mind
These toys all have one trait in common: they can reward your dog as the task is completed. This provides mentally stimulating play for your dog, which can help keep them from being bored, and a contented, tired dog is less likely to destroy everything you own by chewing it.
