The price of plush or teddy dog toys
Some dogs love to chew on stuffed plush toys. Most of these types of toys cost between $9 and $13.
Be sure to take the toy away if it’s torn open and stuffing is coming out, as it becomes a choking hazard for your dog.
Young puppies or dogs that suffer from anxiety can also benefit from a large plush toy to snuggle up to. These are called behavioral toys and cost around $20-$25.
Some toys even let you put a hot water bottle inside to keep your pet warm in cold weather.
Why You Should Trust Us
I love to buy my dogs toys. So, you might say that I’ve been conducting research on canine toys for most of my life.
Additionally, dogs have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve had dachshunds, wire hair fox terriers, a Dalmatian, an Australian Shepherd and a Welsh Terrier.
I have also fostered three dogs and volunteer on the weekends at a no-kill rescue.
Because I’ve been around a large number of dogs, I understand that each canine plays differently with his toys. Some are gentle with their play things. While other dog-zillas find immense joy in shredding their toys apart.
I have probably learned the most about how dogs play with their toys from the rescues I have interacted with at the shelter. I tend to own smaller dogs. The dogs at the rescues are larger and stronger – such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and German Shepherds. These breeds have strong jaws and the ability to destroy a toy.
In addition, I have also written numerous articles and blogs about dogs over the years. I take pride in carefully researching my writing. This is because I want pet owners to be able to make informed decisions about the products they give to their beloved dogs.
How much do dog toys cost a year?
1 However, even if you get your pet for free, it is the ongoing cost of caring for it that represents the real expense. … Annual Expenses.
| Annual Expenses for Dogs and Cats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vitamins | $58 | $54 |
| Food Treats | $76 | $58 |
| Toys | $48 | $31 |
| Average Yearly Cost | $1,381 | $908 |
Trying Expensive vs Homemade Dog Toys
After consulting our staffers and their dogs, we’ve added two great toys that are durable enough to withstand hours of playtime.
Giving your dog a new toy is an exercise in natural selection. No matter how cute or pricey it is, there’s some chance that your pup will ignore the new plaything or rapidly tear it to shreds, either way leaving it for dead. Here we present the survivors: the toys that our pups have verified to be good for hours, or even years, of play that’s engaging, ferocious, and cute.
Since dogs have their own preferences—and enjoy variety—take this list as a starting point. If you’re preparing for a new dog or assembling a gift, we suggest presenting the canines in your life with a few to put to the test for themselves.
Bone (pit bull, 40 pounds, 6 years) loves to retrieve and chew tennis balls, but tears into them within minutes. The Chuckit Ultra Ball in medium is the same size as a standard tennis ball but made entirely of rubber. It’s much more difficult to chew through, so she’s able to chomp on it for a while (with supervision); the balls have lasted for up to a year. Plus, the Ultra Ball is bouncier on turf than most tennis balls, which makes for more stimulating games of fetch. The bright orange hue makes it easy to spot—even in tall grass. And the Ultra Ball floats in water, so she can fetch it from a lake, too.
Some days Sutton (Chihuahua mix, 8 pounds, 1 year) has so much puppy energy left over from dog-park play that she just runs around the apartment, digs out all of her toys from the toy bin, and squeaks anything she can find for hours on end. I may be the worst pet parent ever, but all that squeaking can get annoying. So I was happy to discover Hear Doggy ultrasonic squeaker toys, because they use squeakers tuned to an ultrasonic frequency between 24 and 28 KHz that’s silent to people but still makes a fun noise for dogs. To people it sounds like the squeaker died and theres just a little trapped air being pushed out, but apparently to a dog it still sounds like their favorite toy. Sutton gets just as excited when squeaking this thing as she does her traditional squeakers—fun times for her and a lifesaver for my ears.
The food-dispensing OurPets IQ Treat ball has been a favorite in our home for years and keeps our dog Pinky (pit mix, 60 pounds, 9 years) mentally and physically active as well as entertained for a half hour or more at a time. To get kibble or treats out, she has to roll the ball or pick it up in her mouth and throw it. We can easily adjust the opening of the interior compartment to dispense less readily if shes up for the challenge (or go in the other direction if she’s not). She loves this toy so much, she prefers eating her meals from it rather than from her bowl. This ball is also one of the longest-lasting dog toys weve owned; it gets a beating but has stood up to more than four years of near-daily use.
Soon after we adopted Ada (beagle mix, 16 pounds, 1 year), we learned we had a serious gnawer on our hands. Of all the elaborate toys we’ve impulse-bought to deter her from eating our belongings, the inexpensive Nylabone Dura Chew is one of the few that have withstood her teeth for more than a week. While the toy looks scraped-up at the edges these days, none of the plastic is actually coming off, as happens with most stuff she puts in her mouth (RIP to all the animal-shaped toys). The Nylabone’s slim shape tucks easily into her travel carrier when we head out to visit family, and it keeps the peace while we’re there. The classic design makes for some pretty adorable moments, too. It comes in a couple of flavors, but of the two we’ve bought, the original flavor is the one in heavy rotation. Don’t overthink it.
My Lab/whippet mixed pup Nora (45 pounds, 8 years) rarely cares for any kind of traditional dog toy. She’s intimidated by toys that squeak, and toys that hit the floor with a loud thud. She doesn’t play fetch unless other dogs are around. However, she does take to treats meant for chewing. After trying bully sticks (hurt her gums), antlers (made a terrible sound against her teeth), and others, I came across the Himalayan Dog Chew: a softer chew made from yak and cow milk. It’s still tough enough that it lasts her a few days of on and off chewing but soft enough that I’m not worried it’ll hurt her mouth. Once the chew reaches the last nubbin—which you don’t want your dog to swallow whole—you can briefly pop it into the microwave to soften it into a cheesy treat.
The Sprong feels soft and bounces and squeaks, and it’s one of the only toys that have consistently kept the attention of my dogs (Ziggy and Lily, Chihuahua mixes, 11 and 12 pounds, 2 and 7 years, respectively). Other toys get shredded or elicit only a mild wag after a few weeks, but because the Sprong has no enticing stuffing to rip out and bounces in an irregular manner, it keeps the little pups on their toes. My toddler also steals the Sprong—all doggie toys are toddler toys. But big dogs, beware: The Sprong’s individual nubs are Chihuahua resistant (our pups have had the same Sprong for five years now), but they may not stand up to the stronger jaws of larger dogs.
I was dubious that we really needed yet another plush toy, but after Gus (Chihuahua-poodle mix, 18 pounds, 18 months) loved playing with the Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel at a friends place, I had to get one. He typically has trouble paying attention to squeaky toys for more than a few minutes at a time, but the more challenging setup of three squeaky squirrels in a tree-trunk-shaped pouch will keep him going for hours. He fishes squirrels out, then runs around like crazy with whichever one is left in his mouth last. I can send the next one sailing the moment hes back with the first, making it easy to tire him out. He also loves to chew on and shake the tree stump. The pieces are relatively tough too: After three months of near-daily playing, I have yet to do any mending to sew up holes (your mileage may vary—it’s still a plush toy).