Safe, satisfying chew toys and teething relief for puppies designed to soothe sore gums, redirect destructive chewing, and keep your pup happily occupied during the teething phase.
Puppy Teething & Chew Toys for Their Everything-Goes-in-the-Mouth Days
The slipper by the front door. The corner of a couch cushion. Your hand as you sit down to play with them. A puppy discovering the world will happily put anything in their mouths!
Having a suitable chew toy in reach means having something to offer your puppy who seems to be constantly exploring with their mouth. Tilting Heads’ Teething collection for dogs includes options for textured chewing, rope fun and more, including treat and squeaker toys for different types of interactive play.
The starting point for choosing a chew toy is finding something appropriate for their current age and mouth size, as well as their chewing power. Something too chewy for an adult dog’s strong teeth can actually be damaging to a puppy’s developing teeth.
What Types of Play Do They Enjoy?
Some dogs like to carry a chew toy in their mouths and explore with their paws, and others want you to be included in every game. Some prefer a quiet nudge to their paws to get your attention while others need a squeaker to sound alarm bells.
Use their likes and dislikes as a starting point for choosing the most appropriate toy, and then look at the listed sizes and materials for the specific product.
For Dogs Who Like to Explore Textures and Squeakers
The ChewBuzz Toy offers a combination of a textured rubber exterior and an inbuilt squeaker to help keep their mouth busy during supervised chewing and fetch play.
Consider this for dogs who seem to always want to investigate with their mouths, and ensure the size and firmness are suitable rather than choosing based on appearance.
For Dogs Who Enjoy a Little Challenge With Their Chewing
If you have a dog who likes to work for their food, the Chewzilla Ball can turn a walk into a rewarding game. This chew toy features a treat-dispensing action that requires a little investigation to get the food out, and an easy-to-clean design that lets you refill with their usual kibble or healthy treats.
The opening for filling is large enough to let you see what’s inside, and you should always supervise playtime to ensure the toy continues to be appropriate for your puppy.
For Dogs Who Want You to Be Part of the Play
The GnawMonkey Rope Toy gives you both something to hold during interactive play sessions. The rope construction and monkey design mean a variety of ways to play, with different points to bite, chew or tug at.
Play sessions should still be gentle, with consideration for their age, and always ensure rope toys are removed when they start to fray.
Choosing a Chew Toy: Size and Firmness Are Important Too
A chew toy needs to fit comfortably in their mouth without being something they can easily swallow whole. Measure their mouth size against the listed dimensions for the toy, and remember that puppies grow quickly so it won’t be suitable forever.
Firmness is important too, as something very hard could actually damage their teeth, so avoid buying the toughest possible option just because it has the word ‘puppy’ on it. Choose something that is age-appropriate and not too hard, or speak to your vet about what would be suitable for their developing teeth.
Finally, think about how they play with the toy. Mouthing gently or gnawing at the edges are both fine but ripping off large chunks is not, and none of these toys should be used as indestructible toys or continued play when they start to come apart.
What If They Choose Your Slipper Instead?
Ensure that there is always a chew toy in any room where your puppy spends time, and when they try to use your slipper as a chew toy replace the offer with a chew toy. Reward them when they choose the toy instead of your personal belongings, and encourage them to explore by moving the toy, playing a little game or offering something new to investigate. Always be offering them something appropriate to chew, and consider rotating toys rather than leaving the whole collection out at once. They might also appreciate a familiar toy being returned when they’ve had a play session.
A Chew Toy and a Play Toy Can Have Different Jobs
A soft little character toy can be used to carry around and gently mouth, while a chew toy with a rougher texture is for proper gnawing and chewing. Rope toys can be used for interactive games, and treat-dispensing toys can reward them for investigating new things.
This means you can have a variety of toys for different types of play, and while it’s great to include different types of toys in your puppy’s life, not every toy in our teething collection is right for every puppy. Choose based on their individual needs, and always supervise the first few play sessions.
For example, Chewzilla Maxx is a tug toy that also has a chew function but is for stronger jaws. Ensure the choice is based on their size and chewing ability rather than choosing it as a standard puppy toy.
Keep Their Favourite Toys for Another Round
Always follow the care instructions for any toy, especially if you’ve used it for food-dispensing purposes. Remember to inspect seams, rope ends, textured areas and any openings before returning it to their toy collection.
Remove any toys with frayed ends or exposed stuffing, and keep an eye on play sessions to ensure they’re still being used in the right way.
Find Their Kind of Play at Tilting Heads
Our Teething collection has a wide variety of options to keep puppies interested and engaged, from chew toys with squeakers to investigate to those that can help reward them for good behaviour. Use their play preferences as a starting point, and then build a small collection that they come back to again and again.
For Their Likes
Textured chew & squeaker toy: ChewBuzz
Treat dispensing: Chewzilla Ball
Rope interactive play: GnawMonkey
Stronger chewers and tuggers: Chewzilla Maxx
