Dogs are naturally inquisitive, energetic, and social beings. We love being entertained and entertaining ourselves because without an outlet for all our energy, we can get into trouble. There’s a little saying among dogs: idle paws are the hellhound’s playground.
One of your responsibilities as a dog owner is to have fun with us, because interaction plays a significant role in our development. This can be tough if you work long hours or have other obligations, we get it. But to keep us from going stir-crazy you need to give us something to do. Otherwise, well the world can start to look like one big chew-toy.
Benefits of Interactive Dog Toy
Toys Make Dogs Happy
Happiness is one of the best things these interactive toys can deliver.
Interactive toys can provide lots of fun and enjoyment for your pets. Above other things, you should consider getting the one that matches your pup’s tastes and preferences.
They Keeps Your Dog Occupied
Some breeds have more energy than others: while a greyhound can sleep 22 hours a day, a Jack Russel will turn your slippers into shredded flannel if left alone for a morning. But no matter what breed you parent, keeping them entertained and occupied is essential for healthy cohabitation.
A great toy that is mentally stimulating will keep your pet preoccupied for hours on end. Not only does this keep them from getting underfoot or destructive, it stimulates their appetite and helps them learn to get more consistent sleep.
Prevent Dementia in Older Dogs
Did you know that interactive toys can help in fighting off mental degradation in dogs? Dementia, cognitive decline, and other mental issues related to old age don’t only influence humans but also your furry friends too.
The best interactive dog toys even have puzzles that your canine can solve, forcing them to think carefully to complete it. This way, they can exercise their mind frequently, staying in tip top physical and mental shape.
They Help with Sensitive Stomachs and Healthy Weight Management
Plenty of us dogs have eyes that are waaaaay bigger than our stomachs. This can leave to one heck of a tummy ache, or even a pukey-puppy.
A great way to counteract this behaviour is a treat-mediation toy, one that forces the dog to solve a problem to get a few kibbles at a time, slowing their eating. An added benefit? Slow-eating can help maintain their weight.
They Motivate Your Dog To Exercise
Dogs need to stay fit too! For them to keep healthy, pets need to exercise and have fun. Like us humans, they need to move around frequently to be mentally and physically in shape.
Did you know that your dogs usually require hours of exercise to maintain their shape? Yes, even small dogs, like pugs, need at least two hours of workout to burn their fats off.
So from now on, just remember that a tired dog is a good and healthy dog. And through the best interactive dog toys, you’ll achieve just that!
Helps Prevent Anxiety
Like us humans, canines can also experience anxiety and depression, which can be caused by various reasons.
Keeping your dogs occupied with these interactive toys will help them get all the activities they need to be entertained and happy. By letting them have fun with these toys, you can prevent unfavorable conditions, like anxiety, from developing.
The Best Interactive Dog Toys
KONG Classic
The KONG Classic is considered a staple buy for dog-owners and trainers, and for a good reason. If your pet is a big-eater and enjoys puzzles, this toy will be ideal for them. It’s a versatile toy, as it can be a chewer, a fetch toy, or you can load it with your dog’s favorite treats so you can have a moment of peace.
The KONG Classic is made of durable material and is easy to clean. It also helps in curbing separation anxiety and is mentally stimulating as well.
OurPets IQ Treat Ball
The OurPets IQ Treat Ball provides a different challenge to your dog.
If there’s one thing dogs love, it’s a good ball to chase, even better if it’s filled with our favorite treat! It even has a feature that lets you adjust just how easily treats come out, so you can increase difficulty as your dog learns! Now that’s a great playtime toy.
If you feel like these basic treat-dispensing toys are too easy for your dog, try these treat-dispensing puzzle toys instead. These toys provide another layer of mental stimulation and extend your dog’s playtime. These take more than chewing and rolling, and are ideal for more intelligent breeds like Vizslas and Golden Retrievers.
TRIXIE Poker Box
If you have an intermediate player pup, the TRIXIE Poker Box is suitable for them. It consists of four boxes with different ways to get the treats that hide inside. It has flaps, knots, drawers, and ropes.
Conveniently, it even has a non-slip grip to keep the toy in a designated place. This one’s perfect if you don’t want your pup wandering around. Or if you don’t want to go climbing under the kitchen table to retrieve it!
Nina Ottoson Dog Puzzle Toy
For non-aggressive chewers, the Nina Ottoson Dog Puzzle Toy works the best at feeding and keeping them stimulated.
This puzzle toy has knobs to slide that surprises your pup with treats inside. They have varying difficulties of toys up to advanced levels. If you have a big breed though, this toy poses a risk that they might chew some pieces clean off it!
If you don’t want your pet to get used to having treats using their toys when they’re bored, try hide-and-seek toys. This one requires no treats and is both great for when you’re playing with them, or when they’re home alone.
Usually, these toys have separate components—one “home” toy and some cute plushies to fit inside it. You can either let them fish the toys from inside or let them find the plushies all over your house. It’s like giving your dogs a mission—retrieve all the cute plushies before you get home.
Whether you play with them or let them enjoy all on their own, it’s all good fun!
Outward Hound Hide-A-squirrel
The Outward Hound Hide-A-squirrel is one of your hide-and-seek top picks! It has a big trunk to fit its little squirrel plushies inside. Plus, the large size is suitable for both small and large dogs. Small puppies can even climb inside the trunk.
Each squirrel also has a tail for some tug-of-war with your dog. These squeaky little friends can sneak around their tree trunk, or you can help them hide all over your house.
If your pooch gets easily bored, tinkering around toys and looking for treats and their plushy friends, this could be your best bet. An interactive toy that stimulates them both mentally and physically. After all, a little tug-of-war is what they love the most! This toy will keep your dog engaged and entertained while you’re out.
Aussie Dog Home Alone Toy
The Aussie Dog Home Alone Toy is a mounted toy with a strong rope, a stretchy band, and a sturdy rubber ball in the middle that serves as a rattle when you put dry dog food inside.
The mechanism of this great interactive dog toy revolves around the game of tug-of-war’ with a dog but minus the human. And it comes in different sizes from mini to large.
Since your dog will be home alone, this will be a fun way to exhaust all of their energy!
If you’re going to be leaving for hours to days, responsive toys are the best pick for your dogs. These toys work great for those with bad separation anxiety. Plus, responsive talking toys are especially fitting for dogs with eyesight issues. These toys will feel like a companion to them whenever they feel alone.
Pet Qwerks Blinky Babble Ball
The Pet Qwerks Blinky Babble Ball comes with motion-activated lights and eighteen different sounds. It’s quite sensitive and immediately lights up and talks when your dog touches it. These responses keep your pet engaged and help with separation anxiety.
Be wary, though. It never really turns off unless you find it and turn the power off. Otherwise it’s in sleep mode and if your pupper finds it at 3am, watch out
Spot Ethical Pets Sensory Ball
How about a toy that stimulates your dog’s five senses? That’s the Spot Ethical Pets Sensory Ball. This toy has bright colors, a bell and a squeaker sound, a beefy smell and flavor, and different textures all around. This multi-purpose ball will surely keep your pooch stimulated all day.
If you want your dog to be as tech-savvy as you, try some high-tech toys too! These interactive toys are much pricier than the others, but they’re convenient, especially if you want them to play alone for a longer time.
iFetch Mini Dog Ball Launcher
The iFetch Mini Dog Ball Launcher is just like what it sounds. It’s a device that does all the fetching by simply feeding a ball into its hole. You can also adjust its launching distance from 10, 20, or even 30 feet.
Plus, here’s the good thing—you can also train your dogs to place their ball into the device themselves. This way, they can have endless fetching even if they’re home alone.
Toys are one of your dog’s necessities. It’s not only for fun—it’s also essential for their development. Plus, it’s actually an excellent way to teach your dog to relax and prevent any damaging or attention-seeking behavior.
In any case, canines are a great deal like youngsters, and they, too, get bored with their hobbies quickly. When this happens, your toy’s power as a psychological and physical outlet is lost. So it’s essential to choose the best interactive toys that’ll best fit your best friend’s needs