Toys

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One of my favorite toys is the large, hard plastic ball my dogs will chase and herd all over. They get a wonderful workout and have an absolutely incredible time.

These come in a number of sizes. I purchase the 10″ or even 14″ balls for my dogs. You’ll see one of my customer’s puppies at 2.5 months having a blast with one in the video below.

I’ve linked to one option on Amazon, but there are multiple manufacturers of similar balls.

OLDER/ADULT

Older dogs will love the Bounzer which can be thrown, retrieved and carried all over.

OLDER/ADULT

German Shepherd Dogs love to chase and these nice rings come in pairs, allowing you to teach them to retrieve. Toss one, hold the other until they bring the first one back and drop it, then toss the second. Dogs are much more inclined to release a toy if they understand that you’re not taking it away from them. These rings are easy on their mouths and teeth but that also means they can be easily chewed up. Make sure you put them away when the play is over.

OLDER/ADULT

Like the Bounzer, this heavy duty toss and tug toy can be retrieved and carried all over. The handle makes it extra fun for dogs. This is a heavier, larger toy that will be more appealing to older dogs.

See one of my customer’s eight month old German Shepherd Dog having a blast with it!

NOTE: This toy lasted five months with nearly constant active adult dog play. 

OLDER/ADULT

Definitely order two of these and use the trade off technique to teach your dog to retrieve. These flyers are slightly more robust than the rolling retrieval rings and equally fun. They are soft on mouths and teeth.

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There are infinite numbers of dog balls out there but this one by Nerf has been a robust favorite. It’s on the larger side, so younger puppies might push and chase. It will take one perhaps 3-4 months of age to pick it up. It has a heavy chomp to make it squeak so only an older pup will manage that. All of them like the irregular surface of the ball.

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The unusual noise this ball makes is appealing to all ages. Larger dogs are able to get their teeth in the indentations and pick up the ball.  Puppies will push and chase it. This toy has been German Shepherd Dog tested. One of my customer’s 4 month old puppy is having a blast with the toy below. Their dog is now 8 months old and still loves this toy (and hasn’t broken it yet!).

adults

These rugged toys are great for the beach, lakes… any water play. The bright yellow color makes them very visible and they’re easy for a dog to grab and carry while swimming or running.

There are small versions of these toys that would suit a puppy but these tend to be used for games your adult dog loves.

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Again from Outward Hound, a sturdy large squeaker snake that dogs love to carry and squeak. The size of this toy make it more appropriate for slightly older puppies (perhaps 3-4 months) and up. It’s length and simple shape makes it a fun tug toy.

This toy is so robust and appealing to dogs that one customer used it to train come outside. Their pup was so happy to run and play outdoors that getting their attention was a problem. However, they loved this toy so taking it outside… turning and running back towards the house squeaking it… got the pup to come running. Then they’d let the dog catch up, say ‘git it!’ and play tug for a good amount of time. This gradually transitioned into a very rapid come response.

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Finding a form of exercise play for your pup that they can do on their own is wonderful. This tug rope is sturdy, the spring makes tugging interesting and it’s very easy to put up. If you’ve got trees, it’s trivial. If you don’t, you may need to get creative to find a spot to toss the rope over and secure it.

PRO TIP: If your pup gets bored of the rope, you can add other items on like the Jolly Ball. The toss and tug ball slips over the rope if you undo the bottom clasp.

This is certainly sized for an adult dog, but put that rope down lower and a puppy will happily attack it!

older/adult

This heavy duty squeaky bone is a favorite and withstands adult German Shepherd Dog play. Dogs enjoy the nubs and ridges on the bone and love chomping and squeaking it. It is larger and a much heavier chew is required to squeak it so it is more appealing to larger, older dogs.

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Outward Hound makes sturdy toys and these are perfect for growing puppies. Older dogs could tear these up so keep an eye on them.

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Another great soft toy, no stuffing and it makes lots of great sounds.

puppies

The noise these appealing little latex piggies make is very entrancing for puppies.

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This toy is appropriate for slighly older (perhaps 3-4 months of age) puppies and up. They love the different textures and chewing on the varying toy surface.

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Yet another sturdy squeaker toy from Outward Hound! 

puppies

This soft sided busy investigative toy is fun for inquisitive puppies who will search out every last bit of kibble hidden within. Watch one of my customer’s two month old puppy enjoy the toy below.

Older dogs will tear this up, so watch for the transition.

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The Outward Hound interactive treat puzzles by Nina Ottosson are the sturdiest you’ll find. You will see other puzzles but they’re made of plastic vs the sturdy composite material used in these. You still have to watch your dog (who would love to take one of the pegs and chew it) but given oversight, this toy is the first level puzzle and teaches your pup to explore and discover. So far my customers say these have survived the enthusiastic investigations of the pups!

Appropriate for slightly older puppies (perhaps 3-4 months) and up but try it earlier! Your pup may catch on to the game very quickly.

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The third level of difficulty in Nina Ottosson’s interactive treat puzzles adds a center spinning disk that your dog has to learn to paw and turn to retrieve the enclosed treats in addition to the sliding pegs and covers around the exterior. Dogs must be actively monitored with this toy just like the easier versions.

Also appropriate for slightly older puppies (perhaps 4 months) and up.

puppies

These are huge fun for puppies thru perhaps 4 months when they’ll start wanting to really tear them apart. The stuffed toys are designed to come apart but can be put back together for your pup to have another go. They have heavy duty velcro attachments on the removeable parts that require some doing to pull off. Some have pockets where treats can be hidden as well. So they’re an interactive toy that specifically targets a dog’s prey instincts. The material they’re made from is extra rugged (but still won’t survive the ministrations of an older German Shepherd Dog). The company occasionally offers special designs such as the ‘COVID Virus’ toy shown with one of my customer’s pups below.

puppy

Puppies adjusting to their new home, crate training or those that are simply a bit more sensitive find comfort snuggling up to this stuffed toy. This is best used for young puppies. Older ones will tear the toy up.

puppy

This toy is frankly just sweet and loved by puppies. It’s too delicate for older dogs, so watch for that time when they’ve grown to a more robust size. You may want to put it away at that point.