The 17 Best Toys For Puppies

Congratulations on your new puppy! If you’re like a lot of new puppy parents, you’re on the lookout for the best toys for puppies. From rope toys to teething toys, it’s important to learn what is the safest type of toy for your new furry family member.

The following puppy toys represent a fun mix of doggie puzzles and puppy chew toys that are good for dental health. As you may know, playtime is essential because it provides training and exercise opportunities for your energetic puppy. No matter their age, every dog needs mental and physical stimulation daily.

Puppy toys also help you bond with your puppy. Bonding is fun and can help you have a strong relationship with your dog as they grow up. So how do you choose the best puppy toys for your furry little ball of energy?

To make it easy, we’ve divided them into four different categories for you.

• Best chew toys for puppies
• Best plush toys for puppies
• Best training toys for puppies
• Best interactive toys for puppies

Which ones will be your puppy’s new favorite?

Best Chew Toys for Puppies

Why Do Puppies Chew?

In case you’re wondering, there are two reasons puppies tend to chew.

Instinct – Because puppies learn about the world through chewing, which accounts for why they aren’t very picky about what they put in their mouths, either. Plastic bottles, chair legs, and really anything within reach is fair game.

Gum Relief – When your puppy reaches about four months old, they’ll start teething. While they’ll lose their baby teeth, their adult teeth will start pushing through the gums. As a result, they’ll want to soothe their gum pain. With this in mind, you’ll probably want to find puppy chew toys that can help relieve teething discomfort.

The following are the best chew toys for puppies.

1. Mini Orka Bone

Designed for small dogs with delicate teefs, this toy massages those tender puppy gums. Not only is it chewy and good for dental health, but it also bounces and floats. Plus, this sturdy chew toy stands up to strong jaws and aggressive chewers so you can count on it lasting while maintaining your pup’s clean teeth.

2. Orka Petite Chew Pair

Orka Petite Chew Pair is perfect for teething puppies. The different textures of this dog chew are meant to soothe the sore gums around your dog’s teeth. Made of durable material, these chew toys are long-lasting. They have attached streamers too, which are fun! Imagine your puppy chewing on these for hours of entertainment.

3. Dogwood Puppy Small 2 Pack

Dogwood Puppy Small 2-Pack is a must for any puppy. A safer alternative to sticks, they’re made of a specially designed material that mimics the taste, texture, and appearance of sticks but with less choking hazards. Plus, they’re made in the USA with high-quality materials. In this 2-pack, one chew is made of softer material perfect for young teeth, while the other one is a bit harder for durability.

4. Mini Dental Chew Pack

The Mini Dental Chew Pack looks like cute puppy toys, and they are, but they’re also dental chews. You can even freeze the mini cool chew to soothe tender gums. Plus, the rope chew section helps reduce tartar buildup.

5. Dogwood Chew Toys

These puppy chew toys are made with real wood and durable material that mimic the tree branches dogs love to chew on but without the splinter risk of real tree branches. It comes in four sizes for different size puppy mouths. There’s also a Chick-a-Bone, a chew toy with chicken flavor that looks like a real bone but is made of pet-safe materials.

6. Deerhorn Chew Toys

Deerhorn combines textures and taste for your puppy’s enjoyment. Made in the USA, it’s lead and phthalate-free so you know your pup is getting a quality puppy chew toy. Deerhorns come in four sizes from petite to large. They are made of naturally shed antlers and carry the natural taste and smell dogs love, without the choking risks posed by real antlers.

Best Plush Toys for Puppies

7. Hide A Squirrel

Every dog loves chasing squirrels. With the Hide A Squirrel, your puppy can join in the fun without leaving your living room. You can teach your puppy to pull them out and put them back into the “tree” for hours of entertainment. There’s even a puzzle component to this puppy toy. The squirrels have hidden squeakers and the attached tree trunk makes it tougher to figure out how to pull out the squirrels.

8. Invincibles Minis

Introducing, Invincibles Minis Chicky. As durable as he is cute, Chicky is a mini version of the popular Outward Hound Invincibles, so-called because they keep squeaking even when punctured. Dogs love them. Bonus: there is no stuffing so you don’t have to clean up a mess!

9. Cuddle Tugs

A dual interactive tug-of-war toy combined with a cuddly snuggle pal for your puppy. Let your puppy romp and tug, squeak and flop, or simply cuddle up and snooze.

10. Stuffing Free Monkey

Stuffing Free Lil’ Squeak Mini Monkey by Petstages has tons of fun without the mess! It keeps squeaking when punctured, so your small puppy can have hours of safe, squeaky fun!

11. Hedgehogz

With soft faux fur and minimal seams, the Hedgehogz stuffed dog toy is an adorable fluffy character your pup will love to cuddle.

Best Puppy Training Toys

12. Puppy Smart Treat Puzzle Toy

A great way to introduce your puppy to problem-solving puzzle games, Puppy Smart is a level 1 treat-dispensing game to keep your puppy busy, happy, and mentally engaged. Moreover, you can use these toys as a positive reinforcement reward when practicing basic trying commands. Curious how smart your puppy is? Try our Dog IQ test here.

13. Fun Feeder Slo-Bowl Puppy Bowl

Got an eater who inhales dinner like they’re in the Indy 500? The Fun Feeder Slo-Bowl Mini will slow them down. After all, speedy eaters are at risk for upset tummies and other digestion problems. Instead of eating like a wild animal, the maze design separates the kibble making it harder to gobble up as fast. The result is, your puppy eats up to 10x as slow!

Tip: Add a smudge of peanut butter to the bowl to give your pup an extra-tasty reward!

14. Snoop Treat-Dispensing Toy

Snoop is translucent and squishy with a deep crevice that conceals dog treats. Puppies will pounce, nudge, nose, and nibble to release the hidden reward. It’s a great way to keep your puppy engaged.

Best Interactive Puppy Toys

15. Tail Teaser Flirt Pole Puppy Toy

The Tail Teaser Wand is a fun new toy that will encourage your puppy’s natural tendencies to pounce and tug. Since the fluffy faux tails also squeak and rattle, you’ll engage your pup on multiple levels. Plus, you can use it inside or out.

16. Squeaker Ballz

No puppy’s toy collection is complete without Squeaker Ballz. These tennis balls combine unbeatable bounce with the squeak sounds puppies love. Plus, they come in four sizes from XS to XL to grow with your puppy.

17. Ice Agerz Puppy Toys

These cuddly plush pals feature a rattle shaker inside that releases a lavender scent to help relieve anxiety and stress. Great for keeping puppies calm through play.

BEFORE YOU PICK A TOY

If you’re wondering which toy to buy next to spoil your bundle of fur, make it personal.

Generally, what’s your puppy’s age and size? You wouldn’t give your 15-week old Shih Tzu a toy designed for a retriever-sized dog because their mouth sizes are so different. Additionally, every dog toy manufacturer and sellers like Kong and Outward Hound offers safety guidelines for their puppy toys, which will give age and size recommendations.

Likewise, you’ll want to supervise your puppy’s play and toss any toy that looks like it’s coming apart or otherwise at risk of being a choking hazard.

Altogether, there are many wonderful puppy toys available. Hopefully, you see that the best puppy toy for your pooch is one that encourages playtime. You can choose from dog puzzle games to slow down fast eaters, to chew toys that relieve teething gum discomfort. There really is a toy out there for every kind of dog from puppyhood to their golden years.