Benefits of chew toys
Puppies use their mouths to explore the world and this means that anything fun and new they come across will go in there – including your hands and feet. Those super-sharp puppy teeth can lead to some painful nips and bites, so using a toy as a substitute will distract them and point them in the right direction when it comes to chewing.
If your puppy starts to chew on your hand, respond with a firm “no!” and then offer them a chew toy as soon as possible. This will distract your puppy from chewing your hands and other things they aren’t allowed to chew – like your shoes and furniture!
Puppy teething and chewing
If your puppy is starting to chew, it can be a sign that they’re teething. A puppy’s adult teeth typically start growing in when they are 4-5 months old and this teething period can last until they are 7 months old. To relieve some discomfort, puppies will gnaw and chew on all sorts of household objects so if you want to keep your shoes safe, now is a good time to look for a chew toy especially designed for teething puppies.
The best chew toys for puppies
Rubber toys
As your puppy’s teeth and gums are still developing, they need toys made of a softer material than is used on adult dog toys. But as you may know from experience, their teeth are still very sharp, so the best teething toys for puppies are ones that are durable enough so that your puppy cannot bite small pieces off and ingest them.
For these reasons, toys made of thick, durable rubber make safe chew toys for your puppy. They come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes which will not only keep your puppy entertained for longer, but the different textures available will also help clean your puppy’s teeth as they chew.
Recommended Teething and Chew Toys
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Food-dispensing toys
If your puppy has not warmed up to their toys and would still rather chew on your clothes, surprise and delight them with toys full of hidden treats. Hollow toys like a puppy Kong toy, or teething sticks are designed for you to stuff treats inside or smother with peanut butter to make them irresistible to your puppy. Not only will these satisfy their desire to chew on something, these also provide great mental stimulation for your puppy as they attempt to get the treats out.
Recommended Treat Toys
Freezable toys
Puppy teething toys that you can freeze are great for puppies as the cold temperature soothes your puppy’s aching gums. You can soak rope toys, or fill plastic toys with water before freezing them and giving them to your puppy to help with any gum inflammation they are experiencing. If you have any questions or concerns about your puppy’s teething process, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Greencross Vets who can do a professional checkup and offer advice.
Tasty toys
Flavoured toys like Tasty Bones will entice your puppy to chew on them instead of your furniture. These toys are designed to be long-lasting to satisfy even the most incessant chewers. While it is safe for your puppy to ingest small amounts of these toys, once they become small enough to swallow, it’s time to replace them for a new one. While you may see cartoon depictions of dogs chewing bones, cooked real bones are very brittle and can splinter in your puppy’s mouth or stomach so avoid giving these to your puppy to chew.
Recommended Tasty Bone Toys
Overall, our advice on how to choose the best chew toys for puppies is to give them a wide selection that you can regularly rotate so they never grow bored of a toy. Visit your local Petbarn store where you can check out our wide range of chew toys for puppies and receive personalised advice from our friendly team members.
