How to match a toy to the way your dog chews
Match the toy to what your dog does with it, not to their size alone. Average chewers do fine with standard natural rubber, like the SodaPup Can Toy. Strong chewers need tougher rubber, like the black SodaPup Magnum Can Toy, and chew time you're around for. Balls need to be too big to slip to the back of your dog's throat, so size up when in doubt. Tug and rope toys, like the SodaPup USA-K9 Grenade, are for playing together and get put away after the game.
And every toy, however tough, gets retired once pieces start coming off. No toy is chew-proof. The goal is picking one that fits how your dog plays, and knowing when it's done.
Is my dog an average chewer or a strong chewer?
Look at the toys your dog already has. They're better evidence than breed or size.
- Average chewer: carries toys around, gnaws for a while, then wanders off. Rubber toys come back with some tooth marks but stay in one piece for a long time.
- Strong chewer: settles in with a toy and works at it until something gives. Rubber toys come back with deep gouges or missing chunks, and plush toys don't make it through the afternoon.
If you're not sure, treat your dog as a strong chewer for the first few sessions and watch what happens. It's easier to step down to a softer toy than to find out the hard way.
Which toy suits an average chewer?
The Can Toy is a simple, sturdy food puzzle. It's a hollow natural rubber can with an opening at one end. Fill it with kibble, soft treats, or a little peanut butter (a brand without xylitol), and your dog gets to work for it. Freeze it with wet food inside and most dogs take a good while longer to empty it.
SodaPup makes it in the USA from their standard natural rubber, which is meant for average chewers.
- Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large
- Large: about 4.2" x 2.5", holds about 4 fl oz, suits dogs around 30 to 50 lb
- Hand wash with warm, soapy water (a bottle brush helps reach inside)
Choose a size your dog can't fit entirely in their mouth. If your dog is between sizes, size up. Check it now and then, and replace it once pieces start coming off.
What should I give a strong chewer?
The Magnum Can Toy is the same can shape and treat opening, made from SodaPup's black Magnum rubber, which has an added compound for tear strength. It's the one to try if the standard Can Toy came back covered in tooth marks. It's made in the USA by SodaPup.
- Sizes: Medium, Large, and Extra Large, all black
- Large: about 4.2" x 2.5", 8.6 oz, holds about 4 fl oz, for dogs around 30 to 50 lb
- For strong chewers between sizes, size up
An honest note, because it's the one that matters most: no rubber toy lasts forever against a determined chewer, and some still gnaw small pieces off. Give the Magnum during supervised time, check it often, and replace it once it's losing chunks. Tougher rubber buys you time. It doesn't buy you permission to walk away.
What size ball is safe for my dog?
Size really matters with balls. A ball should be too big to slip to the back of your dog's throat, and when you're in doubt, size up.
The SodaPup Squeak Ball keeps its squeaker sealed inside a thick rubber shell with no seam to pick at. It floats, squeaks wet or dry, and is made in the USA by SodaPup from their PUP-X synthetic rubber. The Medium is about 2.8 inches across, a little smaller than a tennis ball, so it's for small and medium dogs. Big dogs need the Large, which comes in glow in the dark for fetch at dusk.
The WUNDERball is lumpy on purpose, so it bounces in directions your dog can't predict. It's solid natural rubber, it floats, and it washes clean. WACKYstore, a small company based in Pennsylvania, makes each one by hand in North America. It's sized by weight, and for big or strong-jawed dogs, size up.
| Ball and size | For dogs |
|---|---|
| Squeak Ball, Medium (about 2.8 in across) | Small and medium dogs |
| Squeak Ball, Large (glow in the dark) | Large dogs |
| WUNDERball, Small | Up to 15 lb |
| WUNDERball, Medium | Up to 40 lb |
| WUNDERball, Large (about tennis-ball size) | Up to 80 lb |
| WUNDERball, XL | Over 80 lb |
Two cautions. The WUNDERball is a fetch ball, not a chew toy: determined chewers can work pieces off it, so keep chewing supervised. And it's made from natural latex, so skip it if your dog or anyone handling it has a latex allergy.
Is it okay to leave a tug or rope toy with my dog?
No. Rope toys aren't meant to be left with a dog unattended. They're for playing with you, and they go back on the shelf when the game is over.
The USA-K9 Grenade is a good example of how to use one well. The grenade-shaped natural rubber body has a rope running through it for tug-of-war and a hollow center you can fill with treats. That makes it a handy training reward: bring it out for the good stuff, then put it away. It's made in the USA by SodaPup, in red.
- Medium: about 3.6" x 2.35", 4.2 oz, for dogs up to about 35 lb
- Large: for dogs around 30 to 60 lb
- If your dog is between sizes, size up
Check the rope and rubber before each use, and replace it if the rope frays or the rubber tears.
How do I know when to throw a toy away?
Look it over before you hand it back, the same way you'd check a leash clip before a walk. Each of these has a clear point where it's done:
- Can Toy and Magnum Can Toy: once pieces start coming off
- Squeak Ball: once the shell is chewed through, because the squeaker becomes a loose small part
- WUNDERball: once it's losing chunks
- USA-K9 Grenade: once the rope frays or the rubber tears
A worn toy your dog loves is still a worn toy.
How do these toys compare?
| Toy | Made for | Sizes | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can Toy | Average chewers, treat puzzle | S, M, L, XL | Replace once pieces come off |
| Magnum Can Toy | Strong chewers, treat puzzle | M, L, XL | Supervised time; replace once it's losing chunks |
| Squeak Ball | Fetch, including in water | M, L | Retire once the shell is chewed through |
| USA-K9 Grenade | Tug and training rewards | M, L | Supervised play only; replace if the rope frays |
| WUNDERball | Fetch with unpredictable bounces | S, M, L, XL | Not a chew toy; contains natural latex |
Which toy should you start with?
Figure out what kind of chewer you have, then choose the toy for that dog, not the one you'd hope they'd be. Size up on anything round, keep the rope toys for playtime, and check everything before you hand it over.
All five are in Dog Toys, and each product page says what kind of chewer it's built for and what to watch for.