A Guide to Finding the Perfect New Dog Toy

Dogs can be tricky to shop for when it comes to playtime; they may be more interested in the box than the toy, if you’re not careful! But it doesn’t have to be this way—let’s take a moment to figure out which kind of toy your dog will love most.

Your dog might have to fight with the kids for control of these super cute noise-making plushies. Because they contain no stuffing inside, they’re particularly suitable for entertaining aggressive chewers who make quick work of destroying typical stuffed animals.

This large ball giggles when you shake it, so if your dog isn’t afraid of noise, they’ll love it. (If you hate noise, however, it may be better to move on.)

Ropes make for great interactive toys if you’ve got children (or even playfully competitive adults) in the house who want to play tug-of-war with your dog. This set of 11 durable rope toys includes different sizes, shapes and thickness levels as well as a bonus giraffe-shaped plaything that helps dogs floss.

Lightweight balls are a smart and economical option if you’ve got a dog with seemingly endless energy reserves to burn. The joy you’ll see once they start to play fetch is likely to be instant, and they’re cheap enough to replace when they inevitably get lost or pummeled beyond their reasonable durability.

A versatile toy that can be used to play fetch or just happily gnaw on, Kong taps into a dog’s instinctual needs and can help make their alone time less stressful on everyone.