In the market for something to keep your pup entertained? We’ve collected a number of cool dog toys to help your dog fend off boredom and curb destructive behaviors. Check out our list below (and see here for cool dog gadgets).
What makes this a cool dog toy is that it emulates the smell and texture of a real stick without any of the splintering and mess. It lasts a lot longer, too. My dogs love these and tend to prefer them over similar Nylabone-style offerings.
They last a good long time and come in four different sizes to suit breeds of any size. Speaking of Nylabone, they make a similar toy made with real wood, if you want to consider that, as well.
While not a dog toy in the traditional sense, we still think this deserves mention because of the concept. This is a soft, stuffed toy meant to provide companionship to anxious dogs, particularly puppies, as they acclimate to new surroundings or get used to you not being there all the time. It works in two ways: First, there is a heart-shaped module that pulses to emulate the heartbeat of another dog. It lasts for up to two weeks operating 24 hours a day. The second thing is a disposable heat pack, which lasts 24 hours and is replaceable. There are four designs to choose from.
We included a Zogoflex toy from West Paw on our indestructible dog toys post because not only are they durable, but the company will replace or refund each toy they sell one time if it doesn’t live up to your expectations. This particular option, the Bumi, is meant as a tug-of-war toy for gentle-to-moderate chewers. It’s super flexible and even a bit bouncy and floats in water. Thanks to the wiggly nature of it, when one of my dogs picks it up, the others are quickly enticed to join in. Available in two sizes and in green, blue, or orange.
Every dog loves a frisbee, and while you can always go for the standard plastic ones, this offering from West Paw is better suited to dogs. It flies like any other flying disc, but it’s much softer on their teeth. It’s again made of Zogoflex, so it’s still quite durable and far less prone to cracking and splintering as a typical plastic disc might be. They make a slightly more durable version in ring form, as well.
An absolute favorite of my pack of pups, the Kong Wubba is a great all-around dog toy. It works for fetch and tug and it bounces and squeaks. My dogs seem to love throwing these to themselves, too. Even after they’ve managed to rip apart the insides (which admittedly doesn’t take very long), they still have fun dragging the nylon exterior around. There are some variations on the classic Wubba, including Ballistic Friends, Snugga and Weave.
Durable dog toy rating: Low to medium, depending on your dog
We featured this toy on our best dog treat dispenser post, but we think it deserves to be mentioned here, too. It’s a simple, straightforward toy with high replay value. In addition dispensing treats, it’s oddly shaped so it bounces in crazy directions when tossed. It’s also made of durable rubber and despite a few minor cracks, the one my dogs play with has lasted a good long time. Comes in yellow, blue, or red.
Listen, if you don’t think Gumby is cool, I can’t help you. This is a simple plush dog toy with a squeaker inside. Gumby stands nine inches tall and is ready to be toted around the house by your gentle chewing pup.
It’s true that dogs will chase any thrown, roughly spherical object, but this toy ups the ante by adding a whistler to it. The whistling should draw the attention of other dogs to get in on the fun, too. There are other advantages to these compared to the average tennis ball. They bounce higher and further and the outside is far easier to clean. Naturally, they can be used with the ChuckIt! Launcher which we included on our interactive dog toys post.
Another classic Multipet offering, this cool dog toy combines the standard plush with something more akin to a rope toy. It measures 30 inches long and works as well for tall dogs as it will for games of tug with smaller dogs. Definitely not made to put up with much abuse, but cute and novel in the meantime. In addition to the pig, you can get a duck, a cow or a frog.
In addition to being a rather stalwart, flavored chew toy, you can augment this with additional treats and flavors. Based on the flavored Benebone foundation (my dogs are fond of the wishbone version), it comes in three sizes in either bacon, peanut or chicken flavors. In the center is a spot to put another treat of your choosing. Peanut butter could work, as will bully sticks. It’s a simple feature that will keep your dog interested in this toy for awhile.
Here’s another nifty ball toy, but not because of any additional features. The sole purpose of this one is to be indestructible. If your dog does manage to destroy it (which, let’s be honest, they probably will find a way), the company offers a lifetime replacement guarantee. These are roughly the size of a baseball and made to bounce.
Similar to the ZippyPaws version on our interactive dog toys post, this is actually several toys combined into one activity. Depending on the size you buy, you get either three or six squirrels (or bees, birds, or hedghogs) to hide in the accompanying tree. Your dog fishes them out of the tree to chew, squeak, and chase. Since these are not bound to last forever, you can buy replacement animals here. This is a fun way to exercise their prey instincts and provide a subtle challenge.
Even though they barely make it through a full day, my dogs love plush toys. My blue nose pit will dismantle any plush toy within the hour if his brothers let him, but these toys from goDog to slow him down just a little bit. goDog’s Chew Guard technology makes the standard plush toy more resilient than most without resorting to rubber or plastic materials. There are six different dinos to choose from across three different sizes. In addition, you can get dragons, gators, and amphibians, among others.
Admittedly, this one is for novelty. If you’re a seltzer lover and you’re never far from a can of La Croix, make sure your dog has one of their own, too. Aside from the design, this is your average squeaky plush dog toy. There are a number of beverage options, including Red Bulldog and Barkweiser. You could also try this similar offering from Dog Diggin Designs.
Similar to the goDog plushes, West Paw have this cool dog toy offering in plush form. These are reinforced with their HardyTex material and feature Zogoflex chew zones to extend their life. Each of the different characters addresses a different dog size so you can choose the right one for your pup. We’ve featured Sanders here, which is for medium to large dogs. The others are: Jefferson (medium to large), Lincoln (medium to large), Rosebud (small to medium), Fergus (small), and Custer (small to medium).
Want a simple but cute plush squak toy? ZippyPaws offers this line of food-based toys that are just fun and adorable. Choose from Chinese take out, croissant, french fries, hamburger, ice cream, pineapple, steak, sushi, watermelon and, of course, taco. Each toy has two squeakers in it.
Does your dog love tennis balls, but you want something a little more interesting? Try this line from Kong, which combines a tennis ball finish with various dog toy shapes. In addition to this dumbell, you can get a bone, donut, or a football in small, medium, or large. As the letting on the toy suggests, there are squeakers inside to make it a little more interesting.
While plush toys do provide at least several minutes of entertainment, that usually comes at a cost of having to pick up the filling from around your house. These snake toys from Outward Hound replace the stuffing with squakers in each segment of the snake’s body. There are a variety of lengths to choose from, which give you a different number of squeakers depending on the size. The squeakers themselves are made to keep making noise even if they’re punctured, so the longevity on these is longer than the average dog toy.
Billed as the “tuffest soft dog toy on the market”, this cool dog toy is meant to used in fierce tug of war battles with your dog. It floats in water and is machine washable, which is ideal, because this is likely to get dirty. Even if you let them chew it, this is a fairly robust toy that should last awhile.
Designed to be a water-going flying disc, this Ruffwear toy is made for playing bodies of water. The foam inside is somewhat durable and will endure for awhile through games of fetch, but probably not for long in a dedicated chewing session. There are two colors to choose from, both of them meant to be highly visible. Ruffwear also offer the Hover Craft, if you want an option with no hole in the middle. You can also get a version from ChuckIt! which is cheaper, but not quite as robust.
This option is a good one for smaller dogs (or even cats). Made out of a cotton, denim-like material, the texture on these toys will clean your dog’s teeth while they play. There are squeakers inside each of the five toys included in this set. A simple but cute choice.
If you ask me, this is the ultimate in tug of war toys for your dog. While the standard rope toys have only knots or maybe a tennis ball for grip, this one goes all out, providing a durable rubber handle for you. My husky and blue nose could each pull a car if I let them, so I need a firm grip when playing tug with either of them. This provides that and has two ends so I can engage both of them at the same time (to the peril of my balance). This is available in three different sizes to match your dog.
JW Pet make a number of cool dog toys, and this is no exception. The unique bowling pin shape means that it’s easy to pick up, but still bounces unpredictably when dropped. It’s available in three different sizes and made of tough rubber so it’s relatively durable. You could buy a whole set and go dog bowling.
The Zogoflex Echo line from West Pet combines the durability of materials with a hollow construction. This makes them not only light, but gives them a more interesting bite, springing back in response to being chewed. This is the stick offering, meant for tossing and tug of war. It bounces in crazy directions when thrown, as well. The line currently consists of this, the Zwig, and the Rando, but the company recently sent me a sample of the newest design, the Skamp, which should hit shelves soon. My dogs absolutely love it and I think yours will, too.
Sometimes all it takes to make a cool dog toy is to combine two classics. This toy puts a large plastic ball on a tough rope so it can be used for fetch, tag and more. It floats in a water and doesn’t deflate, even if punctured. Choose from blue, purple, red, or light blue in three different sizes.
This offering from JW Pet combines a durable rubber ball with noisemaking dogs love. The sound is provided by the recycled bottles that line the inside of the ball. The ball itself has no seams, so it should last quite a while. There are three sizes to choose from.
For a bit of a twist on a dog toy, consider this option. When squeezed, these toys play the sound of the animal, which is sure to entice your dog to play with it. These are better for smaller or gentler dogs, since big power chewers are likely to bite right through the mechanism. In addition to this parrot, there is a rooster, a chicken, a cow, a pig, a sheep, a monkey and more.
Standard round or tennis balls are fine for fetch, but I think the football design offers some advantages. For one thing, I find them more fun to throw. For another, my dogs can’t quite get a handle on it as well, which makes for hilarious bloopers when they try to catch it mid-air or bobble it and it bounces away from them. This is a seven inch ball made of food-safe rubber than can put up with a good deal of abuse. It’s my husky’s favorite toy. Nerf also make a version with tire tread texture, while ChuckIt! has their own version, too.
This fun toy combines a number of durable, double-stitched fabric strips into one knotted ball. Dogs love digging through them, and it also makes for a fun fetch and tug toy. While I wouldn’t necessarily call it durable on the whole, each of the strands can take a good deal of abuse, so even as it unravels, you can extend the fun in a number of ways. Available in a medium and large size.
Aimed at puppies and small breeds, this is essentially a dog teething toy. It’s still made out of durable rubber, so you can get some mileage out of this toy for a wide variety of dogs as long as they’re not too aggressive with their chewing. The unique helix design makes it difficult for them to get a secure hold on it, so you can challenge them while you play together. Available in small and large sizes.
The unique shape of this toy means it’s a great all-arounder. It can be tossed like a Frisbee, chucked end-over-end, or occupy two dogs in a game of tug. Being constructed primarily of foam, it floats and is highly visible. It comes in two sizes and makes an excellent fetch toy.
Here’s a simple toy that offers a feature most of the others don’t: The ability to re-stock it with custom-made treat discs. This is a durable rubber toy that on its own will stand up to a fair bit of chewing, but when you add in the Everlasting dog treats (one is included), it becomes more akin to a classic Kong. Comes in small, medium, or large and should keep your dog occupied.
These plush plus rope toys are a classic go-to option. These toys up the ante by featuring officially-licensed Marvel characters. At the time of this writing, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Groot, and Rocket are all available. Better for smaller dogs or non-aggressive chewers.
