Dog toys: How to choose the best and safest

For dogs and other pets, toys are not a luxury, but a necessity.And as a safe dog toy will be the most important element for consideration before buying.

Toys are important to your dog's well-being. Toys help fight boredom when you have to leave your dog at home, and provide comfort when they're feeling nervous. Toys can even help prevent your dog from developing certain problem behaviors.

Although cats can be pretty picky about toys, dogs are often more than willing to play with any object they can get their paws on. That means you'll need to be particularly careful when monitoring your dog's playtime to prevent any "unscheduled" activities.

Ensure safety

Many factors contribute to the safety or danger of a toy, and a number of them depend upon your dog's size, activity level and preferences. Another thing to consider is the environment where your dog spends their time. Although we can't guarantee the safety of any specific toy, we can offer the following guidelines.

The things that are usually most attractive to dogs are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Dog-proof your home by removing string, ribbon, rubber bands, children's toys, pantyhose and other inedible items that could be swallowed.

Be sure to buy toys of appropriate size for your furry friends. Toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in your dog's throat.

Supervise your dog's play with squeaky toys: your dog may feel that they must find and destroy the source of the squeaking, which means they could ingest it if left unwatched.

Avoid or alter any toys that aren't "dog-proof" by removing ribbons, strings, eyes or other parts that could be chewed off and ingested. Abandon toys when they start to break into pieces or are tearing. Check labels on stuffed toys to see that they are labeled as safe for children under three years of age and that they don't contain any dangerous fillings. Problem fillings include nutshells and polystyrene beads, but even "safe" stuffings aren't truly digestible. Remember that soft toys are not indestructible, but some are sturdier than others. Soft toys should be machine washable.