Dog toys come in all shapes & sizes these days & many of them seem more designed to please the owner than the dog himself. Some great ones have come out over the last few years, like the tennis ball chucker, but what makes that great is its simplicity. Dogs don’t need complicated toys. No matter how much money I spend on COOL NEW toys, my dog has his two stand-bys that will always take first place in the toy contest: dirty socks & tennis balls.

He can chew through the tennis balls fairly quickly, so I don’t mind spending a little extra to buy balls specifically for dogs if they’re made of tougher material & use dyes that aren’t going to be harmful after many many hours of salivating all over them. But I’ve bought several packs of these “tough” balls & found they only extended the life of the ball by a few hours at best. I’d rather buy more regular tennis balls, in that case & I’ll probably save money too.

The other long time favorite? Dirty socks. It doesn’t matter that I’ve set aside special socks just for my dog. It doesn’t matter that I’ve tied knots in old grey woolies or even stuck a tennis ball in the bottom of a few of them. The Ugly Pug needs to conquer ALL socks in our household. The tennis ball sock combo was popular for a while, but if he catches a whiff of my gym socks, he must have them. There’s no fighting it (well, I suppose a hamper would fight it quite nicely).

I used to try & save special socks from being chewed & shaken within an inch of their lives, but at this point the trade-off of happy pug or non-gummy wet socks is worth it. He gets so excited & pounces on the socks, smiling away. How can you say “no” to that face?

by: Burke Jones

If you are beginning to feel like an endangered species surrounded by the chewed up remnants of your previous existence, fear not. First of all you are not alone. There are dog owners like you suffering the same fate and having the same problems getting their otherwise delightful pet to cease and desist from devouring hearth and home. Not only that, but people, experienced dog owner type people, have spent a great deal of time and energy on solving the problem.

Your first step in the direction of rehabilitation is the same as it is with any such process. You need to establish the exact nature of the problem. If your pet is a newly acquired puppy then rampant chewing goes with the territory. It is a natural response to teething. If your pet is past puppy-hood and showing no sign of quitting or, if your mature pet inexplicably begins chewing away at stuff, this is a sign of a more serious problem that needs attention.

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by: Adam G. Katz

As a professional dog trainer, people often ask me what dog toys I recommend they should buy and which ones I use for my own dogs.

Here’s the answer: Your dog doesn’t need more than two toys. Rotate them, so he doesn’t get bored. But remember: We’re talking about an animal that eats the same food, day in/day out. And while your dog needs mental stimulation in the form of play and obedience training, they will be perfectly happy with chewing on the same toys, for years.

(Much the same way young children can watch the same Barney movie 100 times without getting bored!)

So… what are the two best dog toys in my opinion?

- The Kong. Either in red or black. (Sometimes you need to play with your dog and this toy a bit, before your dog gets interested in it… but once they do… LOOK OUT. The benefit of this toy is that they can chew on it for months and months, in most cases. You can also stuff it with doggie treats, cream cheese, peanut butter or whatever.

- The rope toy. This is usually sold in either white or multi-strand colors. It is a thick piece of soft rope, tied in a knot on each end. Another great toy because—compared to the rawhide bone—this toy will last weeks or months.

About The Author
Adam G. Katz is author of the book, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider’s Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History!” and owner of the internet’s most popular dog training web site, Dogproblems.com. He is a world traveler and is constantly seeking out the most effective and humane dog training techniques used by other top dog training professionals. Sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at: http://www.dogproblems.com