WHY ARE DOG TOYS SO IMPORTANT

It is that little flutter of love, that irresistible face that sees us crack a smile, makes us look at our dogs not just as pets, but as a treasured family member. So, when it comes to caring for your four-legged friends you want to do the very best you can for them.

Given that looking after a dog is not instinctively inherited or easily communicated like it is a child, you are often confronted with the daunting task of choosing the right food, medication and toys for your dog without ever being able to ask, “Do you like it?”. So how do you really determine what is best?

You need to start at the beginning, particularly when it comes to choosing the right toys for your dog. When choosing a dog toy, you need to go back and understand the fundamental question, “Why do dogs need to play with toys?”.

Domestic dogs have been working along side humans for thousands of years, originally bred specifically for hunting and farming protection. I often hear people say “We never had half these toys back in my day and my dogs were fine”, and whilst that might be true, the job description and lifestyle of the modern day pampered pooch has changed significantly over the last century. From active hunter or farm dog to a fluffy companion, a cute couch potato and provider of love and comfort.

To stop us from all having to quit our jobs to hunt the land with our doggy companion, modern-day dog toys have emerged in their thousands to help entertain and train our furry friends.

Dog toys serve a vital purpose in a dog’s mental development and can provide great physical exercise. They also help strengthen the human-animal bond, as well as being a powerful tool for behaviour modification.

While admittedly your dog is never really thinking why they pull their favourite dog toy out of the pile, there are behaviours that drive them during playtime that we can use toys to stimulate. Let us take a look at some of the types of toys you can buy and why they work.