Natural Dog Toys

Does your dog go through toys like your kids go through tennis shoes? It seems like you just bought a new one last week, and already it’s torn to shreds or buried somewhere in the back yard where it could take months or years to find. And dog toys are not cheap, especially the kind made from natural or organic materials. So why bother to buy those healthy, but expensive, dog toys when they’re likely to only last a week or two?

That is a fair question. But if there is room in your budget, you might want to reconsider the real cost of those cheap toys. After all, how does your dog play with his toys? Chances are, he doesn’t quietly sit in front of them and admire them. He doesn’t collect them and place them lovingly in a glass-fronted cabinet to save for future generations. He won’t carefully open their package, fold the wrapping and store the container in case he needs it later.

No, your dog mostly uses his mouth to play with his toys. He’s kind of like a toddler that way. All of his toys go into his mouth at some point. If he’s a retriever type of dog, he’ll carry them around for weeks or months, drooling all the way. If he’s a terrier type of dog he will chew on it and shake it around and basically work on it until it’s ripped to shreds. And of course, part of it gets eaten along the way.

So when you consider that the toys you are buying for your dog spend most of their lives in your dog’s mouth, doesn’t it make sense to make sure that they are not made of toxic materials? After all, would you let your toddler chew on poisonous toys? Of course not. Then why would you let your dog do it?

At first it does seem like it would be better for your budget to buy cheap dog toys. But that is short term thinking. Once you start having to pay vet bills because the cheap toys make your dog sick, you will wish you spent a few extra dollars for those dog toys made of natural materials, instead having to pay a few hundred dollars to the vet.

The trick is to know whether your dog is a chewer or a retriever, and then buy the right kind of toy in an organic or natural material. For a retriever, organic cotton Frisbees or soft toys will be safe for him to carry around in his mouth for months. For a chewer, buy organic cotton or hemp knotted rope toys. Your dog will love chewing and tugging on it, and it will last a long time. Knowing which toys to buy will make both your dog and your wallet happy.