This is Maggie asked to sit and stay beside her overflowing toy box, the one I promised to clean out over the holiday break. (You can see how well I did.) In spite of having two overfull bags of “toys kept away from Maggie to re-introduce at a later time,” the toy box in our living room has gotten out of hand.
I will clean it out soon, I will I will I will, but it got me thinking about what is new in dog toys and, heaven help me, what I should be looking for in new ones.
Primary on my list is safety, of course, but secondarily I want to buy her new toys from places that are as good to the planet as they are for our dogs. That got me hunting around on the internet for eco-friendly dog toys, where I discovered all kinds of wonderful things.
First, I like this post from Treehugger.com, with a list of six dog toy companies who make eco-friendly dog toys. The one I know best is West Paw, who has a toy that I use a lot called a Hurley Dog Bone. It’s made out of Zogoflex,which is said to be non-toxic to dogs and the environment, BPA and Phthalate free, and super sturdy. Maggie’s has lasted forever. West Paw also has several fabric toys that deserve to be checked out.
Here’s the Divine Miss M playing with a blue Hurley Dog Bone. I can’t remember when I bought it, but I’ve had it a long, long time, and it is none the worse for wear.
Another company mentioned by Tree Huggers is P.L.A.Y. They have stuffed toys made out of recycled plastic bottles and dye free fabrics, and can go in the washer and dryer. Bonus: They donate 2% of the purchase price to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Check out Tico the Toucan, or their Giant Sea Squid. (Does Maggie have to have these or can I just keep them for myself?)
One Green Planet also has a list of eco-friendly dog toys. Along with the Hurley dog bone above, they also mention one of my favorite dog toy companies, PlanetDog. I liked them so much I used to sell some of their toys on my website. They sell “OrbeeTuff balls” made from recycled materials, and are free of toxic chemicals. The balls are a bit small for some dogs, but check out their website, they have a lot of toys to offer and are committed to safe, eco-friendly toys made in the USA. Some of the toys on the One Green Planet list (of 10) I do wonder about… would I want to give Maggie recycled rubber tires? But do check them out, lots of interest there.
I can’t stop without mentioning one of my favorite companies, Kong. A group of us got a tour of their plant, and were impressed by their commitment to providing safe toys for dogs, and to treating their employees like family. I am not knowledgeable about exactly what goes into all of their toys–it’s on my list to learn more. However, they have been leaders in promoting positive reinforcement training for police and military dogs around the world, and they deserve a mention just for that. I’ll keep you posted.
And you? What are your favorite toys, especially ones that are safe for dogs as well as the environment? Maggie wants to know, because obviously, she doesn’t have enough toys.
This is Maggie with her current favorite by the way, which wasn’t visible in the box because it is pretty much never in it.
She especially loves to take it up onto “her chair,” sort of like a leopard taking its prey into a tree.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: We had a lovely night away last weekend to Mineral Point, a tiny town in Southwestern Wisconsin with more historic buildings than you can shake a stick at. It was quiet–many of the stores were closed–but that didn’t stop us from having a truly special time. Here’s from the town’s website:
Mineral Point is tucked in the rolling hills of Southwest Wisconsin. This area, known as “driftless” was left untouched by glaciers, leaving minerals that were easily accessible at the surface. These minerals provided quick rewards to early prospectors and adventurers who swarmed the hills and made crude temporary housing resembling badger holes – which explains Wisconsin’s nickname, The Badger State.
The town is crammed full of old stone buildings, many registered with the National Register of Historic Places. If you like architecture, old stone buildings, great food and a lovely escape, check it out.
We stayed at the Miner’s Cottage on Shake Rag Alley, ate truly great salmon at the Brewery Creek Brew Pub and loved that we FINALLY have some snow! Here’s a restored prairie and woodland site we passed by on the way home.
The town is full of surprises: Here’s an inset of a stone mason on one of the many stores housed in old, stone buildings.
We missed Maggie and Tootsie, but there were dogs . . .
I look forward to hearing about your favorite toys, especially given that we are in the belly of the beast of winter around here; so dark! More light will be lovely in February . . .
Margaret says
The guide dog school I puppy-raise for allows 1)Nylabones, and 2) Kongs. So my toy basket is 1) Nylabones, and 2) Kongs.
Anything else is a “training toy” and only comes out as a reinforcer. Nina would sell her soul for a tennis ball–controlling access to tennis balls is my Secret Superpower as a trainer.
Barbara says
My dogs love Nylabones and squeaky toys. But not just any squeaky toy. I’ve bought some adorable ones that are untouched even when I’ve played with them in my most provocative way. You never know what will appeal. Casey’s favorite toy is a plush football from Fluff & Tuff. The plush is very soft, it has a great squeaky, but the best part is the inner liner that is a thick durable mesh. This toy is only about eight inches long. Casey (4 year old, 100 pound GSD with huge teeth) and I even play spirited games of tug with this toy. We’ve had it several months and other than being a bit spitty, the toy is still in perfect condition. He will jump up for it, go out for a pass, and kick it around. Great toy. When she gets to be “only dog” (in the house) 12 year old Mindy loves to have my husband throw this toy for her. She gets all prancy-dancy when she brings it back.
Beth says
Any toy for Boon begins it’s life as a potential tug toy, constantly being “given” to me for play. Then eventually it will be ripped, stuffing enthusiastically pulled out until the prize of the squeaker is found. That’s Boon’s favorite part. Then I must collect and discard all the small pieces, including the squeaker. We love our West Paw toys for their durability as well.
lak says
My dog loves cheap squeaky toys that she can disassemble in minutes with the stuffing left all over the living room. She loves the squeaks! But her chew toys are nylabone, elk antler, and her favorite every night: KONG stuffed with tablespoon of peanut butter. I used to put it in her crate when I first rescued her as enticement to go in the crate. It worked like a charm, and after sitting in the freezer for hours, this KONG kept her busy licking the frozen peanut butter. She no longer is crated, but the Kong is a nightly ritual, albeit much earlier in the long dark winter months. It is given to her after her final potty break outside, she literally gallops bak into the house and to her bed where it is waiting!
Robin says
I love Planet Dog! Part of their commitment to recycling is that they’ll take returned toys that are wearing out and regrind them into new ones. And despite being a soft texture, the dogs in daycare where I used to work would play tug of war and there’d still be hardly a mark. The artichoke is a favorite of almost every dog I’ve given it to.
Of course, my dog’s favorite toys were paper towel tubes and balled up paper, so we’d make her destroyable enrichment. Hard to get more eco-friendly than that!
Barbara says
My Welsh Springer Spaniel, Phoebe, loves to chew off protrusions, such as ears and similar “bumps”, so I spend a lot of time looking for earless toys, such as ducks, pheasants, etc. — without feathers, thank you. We live in Switzerland and have discovered Silly Bums from SwissPet which are small-to-medium sized, rustly, squeeky plush toys without eyes, ears or noses. They look sort of like moles but are charming in their own way and they’re perfect for my girl as she loves to catch and squeeze without further damaging them. (I frequently cut ears off new toys with ears before giving them to her to prevent damage.) Nylabones are difficult to find here but Kongs abound: among others, her favorites are a stretchy snake and tiger. And her best chew toys are calf bones, especially raw calf necks. They help keep her teeth tartar-free also, a definite plus for her Mum. I try to look for toys that are blue and/or yellow in colour as research has shown that dogs see these colours best. She’s not too interested in tennis type-balls, no matter the colour, but loves to chase a small fender/bumper as a reward when we work. What’s available in local shops isn’t particularly ecological but we have, of course, access to anything that amazon and its merchants sell. Some of the best, and safest, are imported from neighbouring Germany. And she loves her mostly blue dinosaur and her green hippopotamus.
Charlotte Kasner says
Kongs and Nina Ottosson toys without doubt. Safe, durable and, where necessary, easy to clean. The plastic versions of the later are better as wooden versions splinter and are unhygienic. Current favourite soft toy is the Kong turkey which survived 3 months of serious chewing and heavy tugging between dogs.
Patty says
Toys in a basket? I wish. I have yet to find a toy that lasts more than 20 minutes except a nylabone, which my girl snubs her nose at. Once the kong is empty, she wants nothing to do with it. Someday, do a blog on toys that are as tough as concrete! We are very careful since she perforated her intestine last summer with a piece of a jolly ball.
Lorraine says
London Whippet loves his ‘milky’, a rubber teat liner from a cow milking machine. The dairy farmers replace them every few weeks and normally throw the old ones out. They can be re used as soft, very durable dog toys that smell faintly like milk. Just find a friendly dairy farmer and ask for some!
London is also fond of an old plastic popcorn bottle with some treats inside, although there’s a lot of noise til he gets them out.
Trisha says
I loved these “toys”! I lost our last one years ago and haven’t found another, have to search it out. But it was Luke’s favorite.
Adrienne K. says
We have two large laundry baskets full of toys (many are hand me downs from our last dog) in the basement and one active basket in the den for Zasu. We rotate them to keep her interested. She loves to pick through her toys. She likes a good bully stick for chewing and has favorite stuffies. Her absolute favorite stuffie is a green and red turtle that has taken quite a beating. I love watching her throw it up in the air. And she is quick to bring it to me when I tell her to go get the turtle. It belonged to our late French Bulldog Daisy and Zasu has taken it as her own. I keep it alive by repairing it every now and then with heavy duty thread and a big needle. She has no interest in Kong toys or Nylabones.
Melissa Widzinski says
I second Fluff & Tuff! The highest quality soft toy I have found – the only brand that will withstand my Bandit’s destructive tendencies. He has actually had the football mentioned by another poster and a Christmas bear since last year and they are still whole! 🙂 The squeakers are also much more long-lasting than your typical toy.
https://www.fluffandtuff.com/quality
Charisse Andrews says
I have to have really tough toys so I get mostly the extra durable rip stop nylon toys, like the Wubba by Kong with squeakers, and they hold up really well. Cloth toys last all of a minute. I find inexpensive but durable toys at Home Goods also if you are fortunate enough to have one.
Margo Harris says
The West Paw toys were the only toys that my dog Charlie couldn’t destroy! He would eventually get sharp little bits off the Nylabones, which made me nervous, so I stopped giving him those.
I love the photos of Maggie!
rita penner says
So many toys have come through this house with quite a number of dogs over the years. One toy that’s been a favourite and somehow has not been destroyed by the last 3 dogs, is a sausage. There are two of them. One dog only liked the one that had the squeaker, but otherwise they are identical. That dog, I’m sure, thought it was her baby. They have the pretend tied up sausage end which surely should be removed by my current dog who doesn’t like things that stick out, but no. This sausage lives on. I have no idea anymore where it came from.
Sue Brown says
We had trouble finding good safe tug toys for our dogs, so we decided to make our own from environmentally friendly materials and with no dyes. Our dogs, our visiting dogs and our student dogs all love them! https://thelightofdog.com/dog-toys/dog-tug-toys/
Deborah Mason says
Our two Lab mix boys are very tough on potential toys. We stick mostly to Kong, Nylabone, Benebone & West Paw items. We also get some cheap spiky “jelly” plastic balls for Chuck-It fetch games. We have to supervise those spiky balls, as the younger dog likes to chew off the little spikes. We do try to keep all fabric type toys from them as they immediately put both front feet on them & start shredding them. On rare special occasions we throw little stuffed squirrels that were intended to be pulled from a plush log. They bring them back to us for a few kibbles – one of our dinner routines. Also special – strips of old sweatshirt stuffed into a Holey Roller ball. They get to “destroy” it and we can put it back together for another session.
Lorie Coenen says
I’ve spent years trying to figure out if my dog loves the squeak or hates the squeak. Is it fun to make noise or is he trying to destroy it? If one squeaks I immediately have his attention but what are his intentions? He seems sad if the squeaker breaks but does he just want another to destroy. (The squeaker not the toy) I spend a small fortune on dog toys but he loves to play and all things considered it’s cheap entertainment to watch him and play. Murphy is a 12 year old border collie that still acts like a puppy when playing.
Ellen says
Miles is amazingly gentle with his plush toys; I have a few that go back to the day he came home, 8 years ago.
He mostly seems to chew on them when I’ve started a game and he’s ‘won’ but he’ll also carry them around the house. His favorite toys are the stuffed animals made from corduroy with a big whale. He’s not a fan of squeakers (they used to scare him) so the main entertainment comes from running his teeth across textured fabric.
A recent hit has been a large plush donkey that has big corduroy, rough canvas, nubby cords, and crinkly plastic filled ears. It would be decimated by a more aggressive chewer, but it’s great for him.
Lily says
My 200+ pound English mastiff is a powerful chewer with a big mouth. He gets the gets the extra hard, extra large black Kong for inside the house, and the extra large Nylabone for inside the house (not sure how eco-friendly Nylabones are). For outside play he gets the extra large “horse balls” called Jolly Balls (no idea if they’re considered eco-friendly). He uses the hard plastic ball on snow and the softer plastic ball with a handle on grass (the handle keeps it from rolling away uncontrollably). I suppose the best example of an outdoor toy fit for a dog like mine is a knuckle bone from my local butcher from pastured (grass fed) cattle. I’d love to know what other toys people have found for giant-breeds who are powerful chewers. Thanks!
Sue says
Benjamin is a typical rescue sighthound and not overly interested in toys, however, we love our West Paws Toppl (the one you fill with food…). What Benjamin does love is wool things, i.e. my slippers made of lambs wool, my wool blanket, my Harris tweed cushion… so in an attempt to keep him away from my stuff, I’ve knitted him a ball-thingy out of wool rests – I wouldn’t say he loves it, but he has (briefly) played with it a few times or chewed on it. And at other times it can be used as a cushion for his weary head…
Wendy says
Ruffwear is pretty awesome too!
Trisha says
Oh thanks, that’s a new one for me. I’ll check it out.
Trisha says
Lucky Benjamin!
Annette says
My household is currently ruled by three small chihuahua mixes. The largest dog is 10 pounds and they have an over-flowing toy basket.
The most consistent favorites are the small sized orange-and-blue ChuckIt balls, a set of very hard plastic Nylabone puppy chews rings, and small, flat “stuffies” with the crinkle inside rather than stuffing.
We actually have two of the Nylabone puppy chews and I might add a third one because they all love gnawing on them.
Trisha says
All of us out there want to know if Miles has any siblings. We could all use dogs who are so gentle with their toys!
Trisha says
I LOVE this question. I have always wondered too–what are dogs trying to do to the squeaker? My only guess is that it’s a predatory reaction. Maggie too, and all my BC’s, focused obsessively on the squeaker. Once it was out (and I’d take it away, such a perfect thing for a dog to choke on), they focus on ripping the soft parts. Maggie is a little easier on such things, she’ll mouth softly sometimes, carry it around, shake it in her mouth. Other times, it’s rip and tear. Absolutely no idea what her criteria are. But don’t we all wish we had stock in one of the big dog toy companies?
Sharon Dungey says
Hate to say my ten month old working border collie’s favourite toy is dry horse dung which he races round holding in his mouth then tossing in the air & chasing & catching. A really cheap toy!!!
Lucy says
http://www.ethicalpet.com/product/play-strong-rubber-s-bone12/
My rottie has made short work of most toys out there but her rubber bone has lasted a few years . It has a core so you can stuff it; it’s soft enough to engage her (if it’s too hard, it’s not worth the effort). I also like that it has a lifetime warranty, so I kept my receipt. ..
Her other favorite is her Jolly ball, but that is only for outside.
Kaari says
Our previous Staghound Keira only used her stuffies as Augmentative Communication Devices; whenever she had to go outside to go potty she’d select a stuffy and start squeaking it and flinging it around the room. (She was an absolute sweetie but not too bright. I don’t think she was actually trying to communicate, maybe just got restless when she had to “go” and expressed it by grabbing a toy, but it became a very reliable indicator.) Our two new Staghounds like stuffies, dental chews, and occasionally balls…but so far the big winner was the two times Potter got her happy little teeth on one of our Mad Bomber hats (lined with real rabbit fur). Her face just lit up and you could see she was pretty sure she had just slayed a real bunny. Neither eco-friendly nor durable…but pretty darn funny!
Jenny Haskins says
I prefer home-made toys. You can do wonders with cotton sash cord.
I used to give the dogs old PET bottles but now they’re all old they don’t particularly care for them.
Bought toys are ALL for throwing one way and another. Except for the sheep, kangaroos, cows, foxes and ducks which are for ‘demonstration of my dogs’ wide ranging abilities.”
Rachel says
I love PlanetDog! I was said to see their puppy orbee bone was discontinued. It was a favorite of my dog when he was teething and a favorite of mine to suggest to clients. I also love their fleece lined hemp harnesses, collars, and leashes. I hope they continue to make those!
Sue says
I love, love, love PlanetDog! Their toys have lasted forever at my house, even with aggressive chewers.
Sydney says
i live with Rotties – my girl now is a high drive scent sport dog – loves to play ball, to work, to tug…. some of our favorites are West Paw and PLanet Dog toys as well as the large black Kongs, several Nina O. toys . My girl also loves the U.S.-based, non-toxic and resilient Ruffdawg toys.
Diane says
My Aussie loves balls made from 100%wool. He retrieves them and also gnaws on them. I like them because they are quiet in the house and soft, in the event my toss is off course! RCPetsToys.com but I found them on Amazon. All stuffed toys are off limits after he brought up a 6” long stuffing/hairball about the size of a wiener after destroying a stuffed toy lamb. The other toy he likes is a Nina Otteson puzzle. He will play with Kong’s animals that are stuffed with knotted ropes.
Wooly Wonkz is the name. I buy the large size which is slightly bigger than a tennis ball.
Diane says
Thanks for the many suggestions. My dog’s birthday is coming up and he can be bent on toy destruction…. bless his heart. Hopefully some of these suggested sourced toys may last for a bit.
Kat says
Ranger and Finna had two big canning kettles of toys. D’Artagnan has only shown interest in one toy. From time to time he likes to play with the large ball with ropes at each end. It lives in the yard and he only gets to play with it out there since his favorite way to start a game with it is to pick it up and fling it–usually at my head. https://www.flickr.com/photos/33350160@N02/49275947223/in/dateposted-friend/
I keep trying to interest him in some of the other toys but none have sparked his interest. Of course this is a handful of days short of two months of him living with us something I need to remind myself of from time to time. He moved in like he’s always lived with us so it’s always a bit of a surprise to realize we don’t know him as well as we will when he’s been here as long as it feels like he has (did that sentence make any sense?).
Finna was a destroyer of soft toys. She would remove any tags and then carefully make a hole until the squeaker could be surgically removed. Then all the stuffing would be removed then she was done. Even the toughest toys only lasted five minutes but she was so delighted while she was destroying them. We used to put her breakfast in a kong type toy shaped like a bear and then put that in an empty paper milk carton so she could have fun destroying something. Two of her toys she never destroyed, a plush grinch and a rubber angry bird. We used to joke it was professional courtesy that kept those to around.
Ranger was always very gentle with his toys and his hedgehog, 12 years old, is still around safely preserved.
Kelli Gerrity says
We own a holistic pet shop and finding safe, toys, not made in China has been a huge challenge. Unfortunately, P.LA.Y, Ruff Tuff, Kong, etc., most of the toys mentioned we would not carry in our store. We have found quite a few options, but not enough.
Barbara Schneider says
Hello, my name is Barb Schneider , a friend of mine raves about your products.
We are a new sanctuary that rescues dogs from kill shelters down south and around our country.we rely heavily on volunteers to help these dogs find better homes and happier lives. After looking at your products I am hoping that you would donate some of your products to our dogs to get them started on their new journey. Thank you so very much for your time. Barb Grammy Rose Rescue and Dog Sanctuary P.O. Box 677 Acton Maine O4001-0677
Trisha says
Barbara, which booklet would be most helpful, perhaps Love Has No Age Limit (adopting a dog that’s not a pup)?