How to Make Your Dogs Toys Last Longer
What happens when you give your dog a new toy? If you’ve got a tough and determined chewer on your hands I’ll bet the toy is destroyed within minutes.
Luckily there are a few ways to prevent that from happening. In this article we’ll go over how to make your dogs toys last longer, including tips for picking the right toys for tough chewers. and the importance of putting your dogs toys away when they’re not in use.
How to Make Your Dogs Toys Last Longer
I’ve had my dog for 3 years now, and if there’s one thing I can guarantee it’s that if a toy it’s made of plush it will be destroyed instantly. After picking up more stuffed animal body parts and stuffing than I’d like to admit I finally decided to switch strategies.
Oddly enough I do miss her little moments of blissful destruction; but I just don’t do buy toys anymore. Now I stick to durable toys (mostly made of rubber), and I keep them fun and interesting by playing with them myself and making them interactive.
By choosing the right toys and limiting your dogs access to them you can prevent them from being destroyed in minutes. Here’s some tips on making your dog toys last longer.
Be Realistic About The Dog Toys You’re Choosing
Some dogs will chew anything to shreds, while others are extremely gentle. If you’ve got a chewer on your hands avoid stuffed toys. I know they’re fun for dogs, and I know you can usually find some in the bargain bin for $2; but is it really worth it? Why buy a toy you know won’t last when you can just play a game of tug with a toy you already own.
I’ve yet to meet a plush that lasts more than 5 minutes against a determined dog. Chewers tend to destroy plastic toys almost as easily. Unfortunately most interactive treat toys you aren’t that durable either. We love our Kong Wobbler, but I won’t leave Laika alone with it because I know it won’t hold up to her chewing. After she’s done getting all her treats out of it I put it away.
Just because the package says it’s “tough” doesn’t guarantee it’s going to hold up to your dogs jaws. If your dog is a tough chewer stick to the brands that are known for being tough to destroy such as Kong, West Paw Zogoflex, and Benebone. Watch some videos, read some reviews, think of buying dog toys as an investment.
I Eat Tuff Toys via dogshaming.com
Give Your Dog Access to a Few Toys At a Time
If your dog isn’t left alone with his toys he doesn’t have the chance to destroy them. Now this isn’t to “punish” your dog in any way by taking away their toys, it’s to keep the toys you do have fun and exciting. If you leave all their toys out for them 24 hours a day the excitement from their toys fades.
My dog only has access to a few toys at a time, and I rotate them on a regular basis. I originally started limiting her access to toys because of her resource guarding, but it’s also great at keeping her toys from becoming boring. As soon as I open the closet she’s super excited about what toys I’m gonna pull out this week, even if they’re ones she’s technically had for years.
Do you like new things? Our dogs do, too. Just like us our dogs get bored with the same old stuff day after day. A recent study found that regardless of toy presented dogs exhibit boredom at roughly the same rate. How many times have you bought your dog a nice new toy just to have it end up ignored 10 minutes later? “Newness” doesn’t last long.
The research suggests that many dogs, if they had their way, would get new objects constantly (I’m sure the pet product industry is thrilled). The good news is that buying new toys is not the only way to keep toys “new.” Instead of leaving toys out all the time so that they lose their appeal, toys can be put out of sight. Old toys can be rotated back into sight as somewhat ‘new’.- Scientific American
When I rotate Laika’s toys she gets super excited — just as she would if it were a brand new toy. If you want to make your dog enjoy a toy even more pick it up and play with it. Dogs assign values to their toys and anything that becomes interactive is instantly way more fun and valuable.
By limiting your dog’s access to their toys you’re not only making them last longer — you’re making those toys “new” again. If your dog hasn’t seen that squeaky mouse in a couple of weeks they’ll be really excited when you bring it out again to play with.
Play More Interactive Games With Your Dog
We’ve all heard that a tired dog is a good dog, and there’s a lot of truth to that. Beyond pure physical activity there’s supporting evidence that dogs need and thrive on lots of interactive play. Play enhances the quality of your dogs life; it affects motivation, behavior, and communication. It’s a great way to bond with your dog, relieve stress, and teach your dog some good manners at the same time.
When you engage your dog with a a game of tug, nose work, or fetch it’s giving them a mental and physical workout. It doesn’t take that long either — if I play tug with Laika for 10 minutes she’s tired (and so am I). Afterwards she’s content and relaxed and she usually ends up taking a nap.
When dogs get bored they come up with their own forms of entertainment which often leads to unwanted behaviors such as excessive or destructive chewing. There’s lots of indoor games you can play with your dog to keep them entertained, and the more activities your dog does throughout the day (even just a few short sessions of tug), the less likely they to engage in excessive chewing.
Save Money by Making Your Own Toys
If you want your dog to have a new toy now and then but don’t want to spend all that money make some of your own. The toughness and durability of these will vary greatly by project but they’re all pretty easy to make. Many are made from items you already have around lying around your home. If you’ve got some old t-shirts or an empty plastic container you’re good to go.
My favorites are the braided t-shirt rope toy ( add a tennis ball for more fun ), the easy restuffable DIY dog toy, and the interactive dog treat toy made from a plastic container. There’s something really nice and comforting knowing what materials are going into your dogs toys. And not to mention your dog will be thoroughly impressed by your craftiness.
How Do You Make Your Dogs Toys Last Longer?
What’s your secret to making your dogs toys last longer? Laika’s a tough chewer but she’s nothing compared to some of the dogs I’ve seen mentioned in dog toy reviews. What do you do with your really tough chewer? How do you make your dog toys last long? Do you have any recommendations on making toys last last longer than a day?
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I’m obsessed with buying toys for Wynston because he never destroys them. He cherishes every single one of his toys. Now when I rescued Khloee, things changed. I don’t think she purposely destroys them but she plays so rough that she will puncture holes in the toys. If Wynston finds a toy with a hole in it, he will remove all the stuffing….they totally tag team the toys!!!
That’s amazing about Wynston – I’ve heard of such dogs but I always assumed they were mythical creatures lol. Well once Khloee starts the procedure he probably says “oh well, it’s ruined anyways”
Well….you should see my living room, it’s covered in dog toys….my favorite toy? Other than all the squeaky filled ones I mean… It’s a rope! Yup, a tied up piece of rope – I chew it and chew it and chew it! It’s pretty indestructible too 🙂 No stuffing or anything, just chewy rope! Great write up – I’m gonna share this one!
Mattiedog, A Little Dog Making a Big Difference in This World
One of our favorite toys ever is a rope from Damiens Best Dog Toys – Laika is obsessed with it and she carries that and her blue ball around everywhere with her. She hasn’t destroyed it so it must be true love lol.
Shiner loves destroying plush toys too. I never buy them for her, but sometimes I will give her one of our million plush toys from the crane game my kids won when I’m going through their old stuff. It’s fun for a few minutes I guess.
It’s enjoyable watching them have so much fun tearing things apart now and then, I just decided instead of buying toys for this reason I’ll just make some of my own or recycle them. I’d love to see Shiner being naughty like that lol
Definitely! I figure if I’m going to throw out those old plush crane game toys anyways, may as well let the dog destroy them first. Also, I forgot to mention there’s an awesome soft toy that lasted Shiner for several months and I need to get her another one. They are called “Skineez” and they have no stuffing inside.
Holy crap; I haven’t written the post about it yet but Laika ate one of those like a noodle about 3 weeks ago. Luckily it came right back up; seriously…. She’s never done anything like that before and I was in complete shock. They are great toys; she had that thing for at least a year before that “incident” a few weeks ago.. And yes it was the squirrel, and when she threw it up it was still intact/regognizable… She’s got some problems.
Oh, the ever going struggle with toys *sigh*. Reya adores her toys but she’s too smart for her own good. The first thing she does with a toy is look for the weakness and tries pulling the threads with her teeth. I have never seen anything like it. Her favorite thing in the world thought is to very gingerly squeek her toys with her nose. It’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen. 🙂
Aw sounds so cute – Laika’s not nearly as gentle. Though she does on occasion scope out weaknesses where she can pull the threads.
Great advice! The Lady has spent so much money on toys that I destroy in minutes, even ones that say “non-destructable.” She has a weakness for stuffies because she loves to see my joy at squeaking and ripping so once in awhile she’ll bring them home when she can find some in the clearance bins. Then I’m supervised and they’re taken away! Love Dolly
It’s so hard to say no when I see a toy I know my dog will love, but in the back of my mind I know it’s not the right kind of toy. That blissful destruction is just a part of being a real dog lol.
Haley savors her plush toys for awhile, then one day…boom! There are stuffing guts all over the floor, lol! I might start rotating her toys instead of having a toy basket full of toys. Great idea!
Mauja and Atka are really silly when it comes to stuffies. Either they destroy them instantly, or they cherish them for months. I will continue to buy stuffies as long as the cherishing continues 😉 Rotating toys is also a great way to ‘keep toys new’. I like to bury toys at the bottom of their toy bin. It’s THE BEST DAY EVER for them when they find that treasured toy 😉
It’s amazing how just a few days away from a toy makes is so new, it’s such an easy little trick to keep things interesting around here. I wish Laika cherished some of her toys more, seeing your dogs carrying around their treasured plushes would be so cute.
My Puggle, Theo, is a little guy, but he’s tough. He destroys all plushies in no time. I try to make them last a little longer by redirecting him when he finds the weak spot, but it never truly works. . I want to train Theo to be gentle like Mr. B from Two Pitties in the City. Nelly’s favorite toy is a small strand from the DIY t-shirt toy. She chews on it and carries it around. Sophie prefers hard toys to chew on.
If you figure out a way to teach him to be more gentle promise me you’ll let me know. I’ve tried redirection as well, but we’ve been quite unsuccessful so far.
These are great tips….We use many of them now with Charlie! This really is the reason that we started our blog though, it just isn’t ok when you spend your heard earned money on something that is destroyed in seconds!
I buy stuffies at rummage sales — and I buy the kind that are meant for kids or babies. I throw them in the washing machine and dryer first. Then — under supervision — I let the dogs tear the toy shreds, which is easier to deal with when you know the toy only cost $1. I collect the stuffing and put it back in and they pull it out. I think that’s the fun part. And then I’ll take all the stuffing away and let them play with the flat “pelt” that’s left. They love that, too. I throw the toy away when the bits get too small.
–Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats.
That’s a good idea – I haven’t reused any of our real dog toys like that but I should give it a shot. Anything to make them last longer and repurpose them is a win.
Great post!! Phoenix is really good with all toys and she loves them where as Zoe will destroy pretty much anything except the super tough kong things. I will also admit to sewing one of Phoenix’s favorite toys back together after Zoe managed to get a hold of it. LOL
Lol I could imagine Phoenix’s face when she realized Zoe had gotten ahold of her favorite and torn it up. “This is why we can’t have nice things”
Great article! I love that you encourage interactive play. In my experience, interactive play serves many purposes: it helps with exercise, honing skills, and improving the relationship between you and your pet. It is crazy how many more toys dogs go through than cats do!
I adore stuffies and love to give Nike the cutest ones I can find, but for the most part, her life’s mission is to destroy them as quickly as possible. I mean, in just a matter of minutes. Same with tennis balls. Punctured and deflated in mere moments. The best toys for her are old t-shirts that my husband knots up and then she tries to unknot it, like solving a puzzle. She doesn’t destroy it and it’ll last forever. AND, my husband’s closet has become an on-site toy shop, lol.
A few of our Sibes will destroy one in a nano-second, while a couple will nurture one! Great tips – we do rotate out toys here and they love every one because it must feel like a “new” one!
Great post – the same advice applies to cats and cat toys although in our household it’s usually the finer feather toys that ‘bite the dust’ first.
No plush at my house either, unless one happens to come in a subscription box, and then we use it for supervised tug as long as it lasts. I rotate toys as well – the tough toys (plastic, rubber, chew bones and antlers) are kept in a big toy basket on the stairs, and I’ll usually put four or five things out in the evenings. Ruby’s tug toys are kept in the coat closet and we play tug every night after dinner. The better tug toys can last six months or more this way.
Great post! I always have to choose very carefully what toys I buy for my huskies. They love to chew!!! I also always watch them with their toys before they get into that “must tear apart” phase!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Those are excellent tips. Our Golden never destroyed a toy but the Chessies…whole other story!
We rotate them around, but certain toys, Bailie has the need to destroy, others last forever.
My 10 month old goober LOVES destroying toys, especially lovely rope toys after she gets bored with tug. I often take those toys away when she starts to get into “Destroy” mode, and have her do a couple of tricks which I reward with treats so she doesn’t feel like I’m depriving her.