The importance of dog toys and factors to consider when buying them

Posted by waggers on January 14th, 2014

Most of the dog products such as dog collars, dog leads, a dog bowl and even some dog coats have in the recent decades come to be accepted as part of the basic items that a dog needs in order to live a comfortable life. In fact some of them, such as the dog bowl, are practically impossible to miss in any home where a dog is kept. However, there are other dog products that are not given half as much attention but which are, in truth, just as important as the first lot. One such group of products consists of the dog toys.

Dog toys serve many important functions. The most significant of these include the following;

- Relieving separation anxiety; separation anxiety is a common problem particularly among new dogs that are yet to get used to their new surroundings and the loneliness that comes with it. This problem is even more serious if the dog came from a place where it lived in the company of other dogs. The dog toys are a great distraction and thus help in relieving this anxiety.

- Providing exercise; regular exercise is just as important for dogs as it is for humans. Because you cannot take your dog out to the park every day, the dog toys can help it get the exercise it needs.

- Behaviour control; the dog toys keeps the dog preoccupied leaving very little time for it to engage in any destructive activities. A dog that has toys to play with all the time is never very bothersome and, in fact, some of the dog toys can be used in a similar manner to train the dogs and instil discipline or help it drop some of the negative behaviours.

- Relieving boredom; yes, dogs too get bored. Enough said here.

It is worth pointing out here that not all dog toys are the same, and while some toys may be great for one dog, they may not be half as good for another dog. The key to buying the right dog toys is to understand your dog, particularly the kind of activities that it enjoys the most and such like things. In specific, you should consider the following factors when buying any toys for your dog;

- Popular pass time activity; if your dog is the more agile type that likes to run around and maybe chew on things, then you will want to buy a toy that your dog can play with in a similar fashion. Otherwise, the dog will probably have very little interest if any, in playing with that particular toy.

- Where does the dog spend most of its time; there are outdoor toys, indoor toys and some crossbreeds of both of these two groups. The right toy is the one that the dog can use to play with wherever it usually spends most of its time. For instance, if it’s mostly outdoors and even lives outside then the outdoor toys would definitely be the most ideal for that dog.

About the Author:

Tracey Cannon is the Marketing Manager at Waggers based in Cumbria, England states that many of Waggers dog products are produced exclusively for Waggers ensuring the ultimate comfort and care for your dog. Waggers offer an exciting range of dog beds, dog products, including dog ramp, dog beds, dog collars and leads and leather dog collar etc. in addition to a selection of dog training products.