There are so many choices of toys to get for your dog. You probably got a variety of toys and brought them home, but when you showed them all to your dog, did he take immediately to the squeaky toy? There are a number of reasons for this. It could be the prey drive or natural instinct. It could be that it is a chew toy, or it could simply be the squeak the toy makes.
Natural Instinct
All dogs have something called a prey drive instinct. Some dogs might not show it as much as others, but they all have it. This is why when they see a chew toy or a squeaky toy move a little, they will pounce on it and tear it apart. This is why squeaky toys are such great dog toys. The squeak of the toy mimics the sound prey would make. This is why when some dogs get a hold of the squeaky toy, they won’t set it down till it has lost its squeak, ‘the prey is killed.’ This is why monitoring your dog’s play with these toys is essential.
Chewing
Many dogs love to chew, especially when they are teething. When buying toys for your dog, you need to know how aggressive they are when they chew. Bigger dogs like Golden Retrievers will have a tougher bite and want thicker toys, while smaller dogs don’t have such a hard bite. If your dog is more of an aggressive chewer, you will want to get toys that are less likely to have pieces break off.
The Squeak
Your dog’s love for his squeaky toy could simply be the squeak itself. You might find the sound loud and annoying, but your dog loves the sound. When they bite down and get that sound, they get an immediate reward, and dopamine is released in that part of the brain. Your dog will continue to chew on the toy to get more dopamine released.
How to engage in play
Most people will shake the toy in front of their dog to try to get them excited to play, and sometimes that might work, but most of the time, it doesn’t. You might wonder why your dog doesn’t seem interested in the toy. He’s not interested because it doesn’t stimulate his prey drive. Something you could try is slowly dragging the toy on the ground just out of your dog’s reach. This simulates to your dog something a squirrel would do, and they will try to chase it then. You can continue playing when they catch the toy by transitioning the game to tug-of-war. Don’t shake the toy aggressively but keep it moving. Some growling during this game is natural. You want to make sure to take breaks and teach your dog the command of ‘let go.’ You also want to let your dog win some of the time. You can also use this to teach your dog fetch. When your dog makes the connection that if they bring back the toy, they get to play more, it will help.
Monitor play
When your dog is playing with their squeaky toys, it is essential to monitor their play, especially if they are an aggressive chewer. Pisces of the toy can break off and be ingested by your dog, which can be very harmful. If they play with a plush squeaky toy, your dog could swallow some of the filling or even the squeaker itself. If your dog is more of an aggressive chewer, you shouldn’t let them play with soft toys unless you are right there to stop the play when it looks like pieces are falling off. If the plush toys have holes, they must either be patched up or thrown out. If your dog has a plastic toy, you should inspect the toy after and before every play session for sharp edges and loose pieces.
Squeaky toys are always a great choice of toy to get for your dog. It makes noise to keep them playing, and they have all kinds of different textures to entertain your dog. Some of the different squeaky toys are skinny pelt toys, rubber balls, and bones. Find the right toys for your dog to play with and be happy
