*Crash* *crunch* *chomp*........the sounds you hear moments before you realize your puppy has gotten into the bag of groceries you haven't put away yet or the sounds you hear right before your puppy comes spiraling out of the laundry room with your favorite shirt or a pair of socks hanging for their mouth.
If you haven't had a puppy before this might sound new, but to those who have had a pup, we all know the terrifying sounds we hear when it comes to a puppy destroying our favorite items or valuable objects.
So how do we combat these random bursts of energy and crazy puppy behavior?
TOYS!
One of the reasons your pup is getting into things, is because he or she is probably bored and is looking for something fun to do.
Before you pick up your next pooch, make sure to stock up on all of the fun toys to entertain that little, sweet bundle of love!
We recommend a lot of different toys to new puppy owners, but we find that these specific toys are loved by our puppies and dogs the most. These toys will help preoccupy the energetic pup and also help soothe a teething puppy! It's a win, win!
1. Bully sticks are amazing for puppies! They are easily digestible, will not splinter, clean your pups teeth, lasts for hours, rawhide free, and only contain 1 ingredient, beef muscle. I won't go into detail which muscle is commonly used, but i'm sure google can help you out there.
My only word of caution is to purchase a bully stick holder for small puppies, for when the bully stick gets small.
Here are our favorites:
Nature gnaws - https://a.co/d/cyq0xD5
Bonivet Bully Stick Holder - https://a.co/d/2sEMN8j
2. Kong toys! Kong toys are probably the most recognized toy among the dog community. Kong toys are not only amazing for teething puppies because of their rubber material, but they are also a great game for older puppies who need to something to do on a Saturday night! Stuff Kong toys with Yak Cheese, organic peanut butter (only contains peanuts), or your favorite dog treats and watch them go to town chewing and licking away!
3. The snuffle mat is another great option to keep your puppy busy, but they also help mental stimulation, relieve stress, and help encourage slower eating habits! Snuffle mats are mats that are typically made of fabric and have multiple compartments and hiding flaps for you to hide either dog food or treats. Your pup will snuffle through the mat looking for a tasty treat and enjoy every second of it!
We use this snuffle mat in our program: https://a.co/d/2hmHQVL
4. Chuck it balls are fantastic for the fetch master. We have had some puppies who love to play fetch and others that aren't so fond of it. For the puppies that love it, chuck it balls are the superior ball in our humble opinion. They are soft and small enough for our four legged friends to play with. We prefer the glow in the dark version so that we can find the balls in the yard at night after a long day of outside playtime.
You can find the glow in the dark balls here:
5. Last, but certainly not least, the good old fashioned cardboard box. We have come to find, that just like human children, our fur children also prefer the box instead of the toy! Our puppies and older dogs LOVE to sink their teeth into cardboard boxes and shred them to pieces. We only like to give plain brown boxes without the tape. None of those bleached boxes or boxes with ink and writing all over them.
There you have it, our Top 5 Favorite Dog toys! All of these range in price from $45 to completely free to fit any budget you are working with.
Now, go get your fur baby a new toy to play with, they will love you FUREVER!
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