Are you bringing a new puppy home? If so, you will need to buy them the best puppy chew toys.
Like human babies, puppies will go through a painful teething process, causing them to have sore, inflamed gums as their teeth erupt.
That’s when your little furball will start chewing your shoes, socks, table legs, and pretty much any object they can put into their mouth to soothe their painful gums.
So, it is crucial to provide them safe, age-appropriate puppy chew toys to chomp on to help relieve their oral irritation and keep them busy during their teething period.
Not only can redirecting their urge to gnaw on the best puppy chew toys help alleviate their discomfort, but they will also learn what they can or cannot eat, ultimately establishing good chewing behavior.
Here are our top 5 picks for dog chew toys for teething puppies.
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1. Kong Puppy Chew Toy
Vet, dog trainers, and dog behaviorists recommended puppy chew toy
Features:
- Stuffable chew toy
- Durable, natural rubber
- Double as a fetch toy
- Made in the US
The Kong Puppy Chew Toy is one of the best selling puppy chew toys in the USA, with soft rubber formula customized for a growing puppy’s baby teeth and gums.
It is durable yet soft enough to help with teething and can satisfy your fido’s instinctual needs to chew. You can make it more enticing for your pup by stuffing it with puppy kibble, peanut butter, or snacks. Or you can also put the stuffed Kong in the freezer for four to six hours before giving it to your little one to make it even more challenging for them and keep them entertained for hours.
This chew toy for puppies is gentler than the adult version, made of all-natural rubber, and has a unique shape to enable erratic bounces and create exciting games of fetch for your pup.
2. Benebone Bacon Flavored Wishbone
Real flavored puppy chew toy
Features:
- Patented curved wishbone
- Nylon and real bacon flavor
- Paw-friendly grip
- Long-lasting fun
- Made in the US
Does your dog go crazy for bacon? Check out the Benebone Flavored Wishbone.
It is a top-rated, durable chew that comes in a patented curved wishbone shape to make it easy for dogs to hold. Made of tough nylon material and infused with real ingredients and flavor throughout the entire bone to entice your furkid for hours of chewing fun.
It is made in the US and contains no chemicals or artificial flavors. However, it is important to note that although this bone chew is real flavored, it is not edible. So, make sure to throw it out after reasonable wear.
3. Nylabone Puppy Chew Teething Rings Chew Toy
Puppy chew toy for aggressive chewers
Features:
- Puppy-friendly nylon material
- Textured, chain link style
- Bacon flavored
- Made in the US
Is your puppy a heavy chewer? If so, you would probably want to consider the Nylabone Puppy Chew Teething Rings Chew Toy, made of high-quality material to withstand tough chewing.
It is a durable, chain link style toy designed to relieve teething discomfort, satisfy the natural urge to chew and encourage appropriate chewing. It comes with three different shaped rings with varying nubs and textures to keep your dog engaged and help clean their teeth and promote healthy oral care while they chew.
This textured chew toy also has an irresistible bacon flavor that dogs love and will surely be able to keep your pup busy for hours.
4. Mammoth Flossy Chews
Puppy-friendly 3-knot rope chew toy for tug or fetch
Features:
- Cotton-poly yarns
- Non-toxic dye
- Three sturdy knots
- Suitable for tug of war and catch
Another toy that you can buy for your pup to let them gnaw on during their active chewing stage is the Mammoth Flossy Chews.
It is a 15-inch rope toy designed for puppies weighing between 15-30 pounds. Made of premium-quality cotton-poly yarns and finished with three sturdy knots to prevent the fibers from coming off in your dog’s mouth. It can help floss your fido’s teeth and massage their irritated gums while they chew on it, and is an excellent toy for interactive playing, tossing, and tugging.
Additionally, you can soak this rope in the water and freeze it overnight for a cooling effect. What’s more, it is machine washable!
5. N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring
Edible puppy chew treats
Features:
- All-natural ingredients
- Calcium
- DHA Omega 3
- No wheat, corn, or soy added
- Chicken flavored
- Also available in pumpkin flavor
- Made in the US
Unlike all products on this list, the N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring is edible and digestible. And that also means it won’t be as durable as regular chew toys. However, it is still one of the most popular options among pet parents, and there’s a good reason for that.
It has a unique shape and pliable texture that can massage and alleviate your furkid’s teething discomfort while they enjoy this delicious chicken-flavored treat. It is formulated with calcium to help build strong teeth and bones, fortified with DHA Omega 3 to support healthy brain development.
This chew treat is easy for puppies to hold onto, made of all-natural ingredients, and contains no additives such as wheat, corn, or soy to help your four-legged friend grow healthy. One thing though, your dog can bite off huge chunks of it. So, make sure to supervise them when they chomp on this treat to prevent choking.
Why Should You Buy Chew Toys
One of the most apparent reasons you should buy chew toys for your puppy is to help relieve their teething discomfort. Puppies can get their baby teeth as early as two weeks old, and at around twelve weeks, their baby teeth will begin to fall out. Their adult teeth will then begin to erupt, and the whole teething process is painful and usually ends by six months of age.
Teething toys can also help keep your little furry friend occupied and allow you to teach them what they can or cannot chew, thereby keeping them from destroying your shoes, furniture, and upholstery.
Not only that, but chew toys can also provide mental stimulation for your pup and help satisfy their instinctual needs, ultimately preventing boredom, separation anxiety, and other problem behavior, such as destructive chewing, digging, and incessant barking.
Best Toys for Teething Puppies Buyer’s Guide
When buying the best chew toys for your puppy, there are a few things you need to take into consideration and avoid. Here are some of them.
What to Look for
1. Pick an appropriately sized toy for your dog
A small toy made for toy size breeds like Chihuahuas can be easily swallowed or become a choking hazard for Great Dane puppies. And toys made for St Bernard puppies may be too large and unusable for Yorkie puppies. So, make sure to select an appropriately sized toy for your four-legged friend.
2. Find toys that have the right balance between softness and toughness
It is also crucial to choose a soft enough toy to keep your puppy interested and ensure it is gentle on their delicate teeth and gums. However, you would also want to make sure it is durable enough to prevent your pup from breaking the toy apart and swallow it or become lodged in their throat.
3. Try different textures and shapes
Some puppies may prefer to chew on soft rubber chew toys like the Kong Puppy Chew Toy, while some may prefer teething toys with a slightly firmer surface. Also, dogs can get bored and quickly turn their attention to your furniture if there’s only one toy they can gnaw on. So it’s always a good idea to buy several chew toys with different textures and rotate them to keep your pup entertained.
4. Consider flavored toys
You would also want to choose a chew toy that your pup likes or those with a delicious flavor that dogs love, like the Benebone Bacon Flavored Wishbone and Nylabone Puppy Chew Teething Rings Chew Toy. Otherwise, your fido is not going to chew on it.
What to Avoid
1. BPA
As you may have already known, BPA is a dangerous chemical that can threaten a dog’s health, which can cause reproductive, immunity, and neurological problems. Some of the cheapest toys on the market still contain this toxic chemical, and you would want to avoid them at all costs.
2. Squeaky toys
Avoid toys stuffed with squeakers as the squeaking sound might trigger your furkid’s prey drive, causing them to have an irresistibly strong urge to destroy and rip the toy open to “kill” the squeak. What’s even worse is they may choke on or eat the squeakers.
3. Toys with sharp corners or moving parts
You would also want to avoid buying chew toys with sharp corners, as these toys can potentially cut your dog’s mouth and damage their sensitive gums. And toys with moving parts are not suitable for teething puppies. The reason is that they can be easily broken into pieces and become a choking hazard.
4. Children’s toys
While children’s toys are certainly cheaper and can help you save a few bucks, you don’t want to buy them for your pup as they are made of different materials and are unsafe for continuous chewing by puppies.
Tips to Keep Your Chomper Interested in their Chew Toys
Now, you understand how helpful chew toys can be and know what to look for and avoid when buying one, but none of that matters if your pup is not going to chew on it, which is why it is vital to keep their interest in their toys high.
Not sure how?
Here are some of the tips.
1. Try interactive toys
There are many interactive chew toys on the market that are stuffable with treats. The Kong Puppy Chew Toy is an excellent example of this, which can put your little furry friend’s mind to some challenge and keep them engaged.
2. Rotate the toys
Your pup can quickly get bored if they have access to all toys all the time, so try to keep a rotating schedule. You can do this by only letting your dog play one chew toy at a time for a few days and put it away for the rest of the week, making them feel like they are playing with a brand new toy when you bring it back out again.
3. Pop the toys in the freezer
You can also try putting the chew toy in the freezer for a few hours before giving it to your furkid. And they will surely choose a cold toy over your belongings as it can help reduce swelling and inflammation in their gums and numb the discomfort and teething pain.
Puppy Teething Toys FAQ
When should I offer my puppy chew toys?
You can start giving your fido chew toys when you notice the symptoms of teething. And you will know when you see them uncontrollably chew on everything in the house, drooling, pawing at the mouth, or leaving blood spots behind on things that they bite on.
Can I give my puppy rawhide chews?
Sure, rawhide is famous and has certain benefits, but it’s best to avoid offering it to your puppy, especially when they are still under six months of age. The reason being is that rawhide may be too hard for them to chew. Not to mention, it can cause choking and digestive irritation, plus it is possible to become contaminated by bacteria such as Salmonella and E.coli, which can be dangerous for the whole family.
Can I leave my puppy unsupervised with their teething toys?
The best chew toy for puppies should be durable enough to prevent your pooch from tearing it apart and keep them safe. However, it is still a good idea to supervise them when they play as the toy will wear out at some point and can pose a choking hazard to your dog if they manage to bite chunks off it.
How do I make homemade puppy teething toys, and are they safe for my pup?
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to teach you step-by-step on how to make one as there are too many homemade puppy teething toys you can easily find online and create, for instance, the T-shirt-wrapped water bottle and tennis ball treat puzzle. Some are safe for dogs to chew, while some are not like the PVC pipe treat puzzle. So, make sure to keep everything we’ve mentioned in the buyer’s guide in mind before you decide which one to make.
