The 10 Best Dog Toys and Chews

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**UPDATE 4/17/16: Fletcher has gotten A LOT bigger {he’s now almost 80 pounds}, and some of these toys no longer work for him. I have made edits throughout the post to indicated any changes. I am clearly no expert on dogs or dog toys, so this is just a list of what had worked for us when Fletcher was still a puppy. You need to use common sense and discretion with your own dog. Do not ever leave your dog unattended with a toy, particularly a new toy, and be sure to take a toy away from him/her if he/she is starting to destroy it or get pieces off.

I also did another post on another 10 Toys & Chews that we love!**

If you read this blog regularly, you know that we welcomed a new addition into our family in early December.

This guy.

His name is Fletcher, and he’s the bomb. He is such a great dog {at home, around us. When he gets around other people or other dogs, he loses his mind and goes completely berserk. We’re working on it.}. We’ve been very lucky, especially since he’s a lab, that he hasn’t really eaten a whole lot of things that he shouldn’t. 

That’s not to say he doesn’t run around with the occasional Ugg slipper in his mouth, but he really doesn’t chew on them. The only thing he really eats that he’s not supposed to is paper: sooner or later, we’re going to have a legit “my dog ate my homework” situation, I’d bet my life on it.

But we also make sure that he has a pretty constant supply of chew toys on hand at all times. And let me tell you, my man can CHEW. He can house a rawhide in no time, and destroys squeaky toys like they’re snacks. 

So while I am in no way at all an expert on dogs, I wanted to share with you what I think are the ten best dog toys and chews out there. These are all the toys that Fletcher loves — and more importantly, doesn’t destroy before I can throw the wrapper in the trash.

10. Hagen Dogit Knotted Rope Bone

**UPDATE: Now that he’s gotten bigger, he still loves rope bones, but he goes through them WAY faster than he used to.**

Fletcher loves this bone, but I will say that this is one we always need to watch him with {granted, you really should always supervise dogs with any toys}, because every so often, he’ll go at it pretty hard and start tearing off pieces of rope. But for the most part, he just likes to chew on it and it’s lasted the entire time we’ve had him. Other rope toys {like this one} lasted about two weeks before he was ripping it to shreds. It’s mint flavored, so it’s supposed to make his breath better. The jury’s still out on that part, but he loves it.

9. JW Pet Company Megalast Gummi Bear

 

I think the boys and I love this toy as much as Fletcher does. It’s the cutest little thing ever, and it’s another one that we’ve had since Day 1. He rips most squeaky toys apart in no time, but this sucker is crazy strong. And it has a really funny squeak, which the boys think is hilarious. In addition to chewing it, this is a great toy to play fetch {or “fletch”, as Mason calls it} with, because it bounces all over the place.

8. Tennis Balls

 

This is kind of a boring one, but Fletcher seriously cannot get enough of tennis balls. He is crazy good at catching things and playing fetch, so we play with tennis balls at least once a day with him. One of his favorite things to do is carry around one in his mouth, and at the same time, bat another one around with his paw. The boys say he’s playing soccer, and just about keel over laughing every time he does it.

7. Wholesome Hide Super Thick Retriever Roll

 

Now, I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding rawhide, because a lot of rawhide chews and bones are made with nasty chemicals and many of the rolls are just tiny little chunks surrounded by a larger sheet, which can be a choking hazard. But these rolls from Wholesome Hide are naturally processed {and made in the USA!} and are one solid sheet that’s rolled up — no choking hazard! Plus, this super thick roll, while on the expensive side for rawhide rolls, is so thick that it lasts way, WAY longer than standard rawhides.

6. Pressed Rawhide Bones

 

These pressed rawhide bones also last way longer than a traditional rawhide bone. Because the rawhide is compressed so tightly, it’s much harder for Fletcher to chew through one of these. The larger ones can last up to a couple of weeks for him. They also don’t get as slimy and nasty as regular rawhides do. One thing to note: some of the ones we’ve gotten can have some smaller pieces inside, so once your dog gets through the outer layer, be sure to keep an eye out for choking hazards.

5. Antler Chews

 

Fletcher loves himself some antlers. I took one with me when I first picked him up from the breeder, so it was one of the first things he ever played with/chewed on. We have gone through several of them, but they last a really long time. I will say, he will get bored with them from time to time and ignore them for a week or so, but then he’ll rediscover them and chew for hours. 

4. Mojo Treat Ball

This mojo ball is another toy that we’ve had since Day 1. We have a small one for now, but now that he’s getting bigger, I think we may need to upgrade to a larger one soon because it’s making me nervous that he’s going to actually swallow it. It bounces all crazy when you throw it, so it’s fun to play with that way. I also fill it up with peanut butter {the small size only takes about a tablespoon or so to fill it} and stick it in the freezer for a few hours, and he loves working on that.

3. Beef Rib Bones

 

**UPDATE: I no longer give him these, because his jaws have gotten a lot stronger and he has cracked through a few of them.**

Fletcher goes completely nuts when I give him one of these beef ribs. They don’t splinter at all, unlike some other bones we’ve tried, and they are covered with all sorts of yummy stuff {meat? tendons? I don’t know, I don’t like to think about what exactly he’s chewing on because it skeeves me out a bit} that he goes crazy over.

2. Jester Ball

We just got a large one of these jester balls in our very first BarkBox last month, and it is one of his favorite toys ever. It’s crinkly, and makes the best squeak ever. He will play with this thing forever, and even though it’s fabric, he hasn’t done much damage to it at all. I will definitely be ordering more of these when and if he ever manages to destroy this one.

And finally, my number one, favorite, greatest dog chew ever invented:

1. Himalayan Dog Chews

**UPDATE: I don’t know what’s going on with these, but I have been super disappointed with the last few packs of these that I’ve gotten. They have started breaking apart and splintering as he’s chewing. The quality has gone downhill SO much recently {which you can tell by reading the recent Amazon reviews}, and I no longer purchase them. It makes me very sad.

I had seen these Himalayan dog chews at a local pet store, but they were crazy expensive {like $30 for one crazy expensive} so I never even considered them. Then I saw the owners of the company on Shark Tank, so I decided to see if I could get them anywhere else for less — yay, Amazon! I ordered one to try it out, and will be ordering these from now until the end of time. This bad boy lasted for almost a month — and that was with him chewing on it at least once a day! The coolest thing ever about these treats is that they’re made from a superhard cheese, which is actually a human food in the Himalayas. When they get down to an inch or two long, you pop it in the microwave for about a minute and they puff up into a crunchy treat. No waste! This is by far and away my favorite, most recommended dog chew I’ve ever bought.

So there you have it: my top 10 dog chews and toys. What toys and chews do your dogs love? Do you have any favorites that I missed on this list? If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out this one as well!

Beef, Bacon & Peanut Butter Dog Treats 

 

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