How to choose the right toys for your pet

Playing and chewing is a natural canine behavior. However, some dogs might play more whilst the others might chew more. Regardless, dog toys are an essential item and these toys can in fact help to develop many different dog instincts.

There are multiple dog toy options out there in the market but choosing what is best for your dog can be overwhelming. Some of us (like me) can end up with buying everything cute that is out there (at one point my dogs had more toys than I did when I was a kid). But in reality my dogs didn’t like all of it and that is when I realized the toy preference depends on her personal style of playing and chewing. Hence, here I am writing a toy guide to make your life easy and of course to ensure you don’t spend unnecessarily like me.

1. Balls (a must have toy for your dog. Ball can be from basic tennis balls to glow-in-the-dark balls. Most of the time the balls contain a squeaker. Some are basic bouncer balls that are meant for retrieving. A must remember when buying the ball is that choose one that is large enough for your dog to carry without accidentally swallowing it, but also small enough to comfortably hold in the mouth. The basic tennis-ball size works fine in most of the cases.
2. Discs and other retrieving toys (Playing fetch is a favorite activity of almost all the dogs hence a disc is a fun toy to have to play with your dog)
3. Plush toys (They will carry them around like babies or tear them apart like prey. In my case one of my dogs carry it around like it is her comfort toy and the other always tears the toy in two)
4. Squeakies (non-plush): (these toys are oftentimes made with vinyl, rubber, or plastic and helps in the chewing and the durability differs based on the chewing habit of your dog)
5. Rope toys (these are fun when you have two dogs at home. Oftentimes used as used for fetch, tug-of-war, or simply chewing)
6. Floating toys (these are great for swimmer dogs. Usually made out of a foam, rubber or plastic material, floating balls, rings, and other toys are easy for your dog to find and grab in the water)

There is ample Pet Shops in Sri Lanka if you are a pet owner in this small island. Pet Barn is my go to place to pick the toys for my pets. On another important note remember that any toy you pick poses a risk if they swallow parts of it (or even the whole toy). On the other hand sharp or frayed objects can cause injuries as well.  Buy them toys but also be careful!