What are the best types of chew toys for puppies?

Most people go head over heels when they see a puppy.

Puppies are cute, playful, and very inquisitive.

People are drawn to their charm.

However, anyone who has ever raised a puppy knows that they’re a lot of work. Of course there’s training and making sure they stay out of trouble. But, one of the things that puppy owners really have to be mindful of is chewing.

Puppies chew on whatever they can get their mouths on. Typically, they don’t see a difference between the nice, new toy you buy them and your expensive shoes.

Puppies teethe just like human children and sometimes they chew to soothe the pain. Other times they chew out of boredom or because they’re learning to discover their world.

While it can be extremely frustrating when they damage your items, it’s important for training purposes not to lose your temper when disciplining your little pup.

We’re going to go over a few tips on training your dog for acceptable ways to chew. Then we’ll cover the best types of chew toys for puppies.

Acceptable Ways of Chewing

Below are some tips to help redirect your puppy’s naughty chewing towards some more acceptable ways of chewing.

Image by: Dan S

Crate Your Puppy While Away

Don’t let your puppy have the run of the house while you’re not home. Crate or contain your puppy while you’re away, and provide them with a number of toys to play with.

Keep Your Eyes on Your Puppy

When you’re home, keep your eyes on your puppy and always be attentive.

If you aren’t watching your puppy and suddenly it’s quiet, then chances are they’re getting into trouble. If you are home and need to focus your attention elsewhere. Then, find ways to contain your puppy to a small safe space with fresh water and plenty of toys or rawhides to chew on.

Hide Your Puppy’s Toys as a Game

Make a game out of their toys. Hide your puppy’s toys throughout the home, and have them find the hidden toys.

Whenever they find a toy and whenever they chew on a toy without prompting make sure you give them praise. This will reinforce the idea that they should chew on their own toys as opposed to the furniture or the television remote.

Put Away Your Things

Be diligent in picking up and putting away your things. This is something you might have to learn the hard way.

Eventually, you’ll realize the best way to avoid your dog chewing on your items is to put them away and out of reach.

Purchase a Bitter Spray for Dogs

There are many sprays on the market to prevent chewing. Not all formulas may work the same for all dogs. I recommend taking your dog to your local pet store and trying a few out.

When my German Shepherd was a puppy, he chewed on everything, including the baseboard and doors. I ended up sampling the different bitter sprays and found one he didn’t like.

The one I selected, or rather he selected, was Grannick’s Bitter Apple for Dogs. You just spray the areas you don’t want your puppy to chew and it works as a deterrent.

All tuckered out! Image by: Tricia

The Best Types of Chew Toys Puppies

Now that you know how to prevent your puppy from chewing on your items, let’s take a look at what kinds of toys your puppy should be chewing on.

When teething, the best kinds of toys are rubber, nylon, and rope. Plush toys are fine for their enjoyment, but they might not help alleviate the pain in their gums.

Kong and Hard Rubber Toys

Any Kong products or hard rubber toys are excellent for puppies. They’re durable and promote proper chewing.

The Kong brand makes the Puppy Kong and Kong Puppy Binkie. Kong makes these out of a softer rubber than the adult version. This makes them gentler for teething puppies. 

You can purchase both Puppy Kong and Kong Puppy Binkie at Amazon.

The nice thing about Kongs is that you can fill them with cheese, peanut butter, treats, or Kong Stuff’n. This will keep your puppy occupied for quite some time.

Caution:If you decide to fill your dog’s Kong toy then we recommend you always monitor them while they’re playing with it. Also, always be sure to buy and provide them with the proper sized toy.

There have been a very small number of incidents where dogs have gotten their tongues stuck in the hole of the toy and they swell up. Unmonitored the dog ends up choking on the toy and dying.

While this is relatively rare it is something to be aware of.

Nylabone and Nylon Toys

Nylabones are a great choice for puppies, especially when they’re teething because they are indestructible and can provide hours of chewing pleasure for your pup.

Nylabone makes their Puppy Teething Keys at Amazon with softer materials designed specifically for teething puppies.

Their products have raised bristles to help clean teeth and prevent tartar buildup. The different textures help massage gums and teeth for better oral health.

Image by: Jim Winstead

Knotted Rope Toys

When choosing a knotted rope, you want to make sure it’s of a high quality. Be sure to avoid ropes with loose strings that your puppy can easily chew off and swallow. This could cause blockages in their intestines, so be sure to supervise them when chewing.

Also, playing tug of war will be tempting with the rope, but it’s important to keep this to a minimum or don’t tug too hard. Tugging hard could affect the way their adult teeth come in.

Mammoth Flossy Chews Cotton Blend 3-Knot Rope is a great, durable rope and can be found on Amazon for a very reasonable price. They come in many different sizes. Buy one for your pup now and one for them to grow into.

Frozen Washcloth

One more way to ease your pup’s pain when they’re teething is by wetting a washcloth and freezing it.

Once frozen, let them chew on it for some comfort. The cold cloth will help soothe their sore gums. Be sure to supervise as they chew so they don’t swallow any pieces.

Note on Teething Puppies

Puppies discover their world through chewing and sometimes that means they chew things they shouldn’t.

With some patience, you can train your puppy to learn to chew on their toys rather than on your personal belongings.

By providing them with lots of attention, eliminating the temptation of other objects, and offering a wide variety of toys and treats, your puppy will quickly learn what items are acceptable to chew on.

Be sure to offer positive reinforcement when they’re chewing on the right items. This will let them know they’re doing something good, and they’ll want to continue doing it.

Just remember, puppies sometimes forget and you may have to remind them a few times before they get the hang of it. Try to be patient; they’re still learning.

Goodluck!

-Heather

Featured Image by: OakleyOriginals