How many toys does the average dog have?
This is always a tricky question to answer because just like us humans, no two dogs are the same. Some puppies absolutely adore toys and would quite happily surround themselves with hundreds of playthings if given half the chance. Others arent that big on toys and will be more than satisfied with just a few tried and true favorites.
If you’re concerned that your dog has more toys than average – well, simply, don’t worry. There’s no right or wrong answer to how many toys your puppy should have – it all comes down to your individual needs (and that of your puppy’s).
That said, a good rule of thumb is about 10-15 toys, which are swapped and changed around at regular intervals, giving your dog plenty of variety. You might find that as they get older, your dog needs fewer toys than when they were a puppy – but generally, you’ll get to know what is right for your dog.
When should you throw away dog chew toys?
When Should I Replace My Dog’s Nylabone? You should replace your dog’s non-edible Nylabone chew when the knuckle ends wear down or if it becomes too small to chew safely (if it is so small that your pup could swallow it, throw it out).
Choosing the Wrong Size Toy
Charos said that the swallowing and choking hazard that can occur with inappropriately sized toys is likely to happen more often with a large dog that is given a small ball, for example. “Big dogs can swallow small toys and balls whole,” Charos said.
“Even with a tennis ball there’s the risk of the ball getting stuck in the back of a dog’s mouth behind the teeth during extreme play, which can lead to suffocation due to the blocked airway,” dog trainer and author Victoria Schade adds. “Make sure balls used for high-drive games are sized so that they can’t become lodged in the dog’s mouth.”
Dog Toy Checklist: What’s Good and What to Avoid #54
Due to germ-filled nature of pet toys, she said that pet owners should plan to generally clean toys two to three times a week if the toy is used often or used to play while outside. “You’ll [also] want to inspect toys regularly, every day or two, and toss them if they don’t pass the visual test,” she added.