Just Dogs

Our top five toys of 2011

28 December 2011

We are often asked for advice from puppy owners and new visitors to our shop regarding our most popular dog toys. We thought it would be handy to produce a list of our top five best selling dog toys.  We hope you find this handy.   We always strive to ensure that we keep our range of toys practical, safe and fun and like to remind our customers that every dog is different with what will motivate them with regards to toys so there is not a one size fits all solution.  We are also yet to find a truly indestructible dog toy.  So when we refer to tough toys these are ones that have received greater favourable reviews in terms of their durability from our customers but it does not mean that they will last for every dog.

We would of course also love to hear what your dogs favourite toy is and why - this will help us create a new list for 2012!

1. Classic Kong Toy - This is our number one best selling toy.  Durable, multi-functional and adaptable.  When we have new puppy owners visiting the shop we often advise not to buy too many toys to start with (no matter how much you want to spoil your new pup!) until you establish what sort of toys motivate them.  We tend to suggest getting a Kong as a good starter as there are so many things you can do with it.  Made from super bouncy rubber it is a safe and durable choice.  It is very tough and for the most determined chewers there is even an "Extreme" option which is all the more durable. It is also a safe toy to leave your dog with whilst you are out and because it can be stuffed it can help to alleviate boredom.  Surveys show Kong is the most recommended dog toy by vets and trainers worldwide.  One of our favourite training websites DogStarDaily have produced a really fantastic article "50 things to do with a Kong" which really ilustrates how versatile the toy is.  The Kong website also has great suggestions for stuffing your Kong.

2. Migrator Plush Toys - these continue to be our best selling soft toys.  Not suitable for chewers but they do get good feedback for being more robust than many other soft toy varieties.  They are well stuffed and stitched and their noise is not as annoying for many customers as some of the more high pitched squeaks!  They come in a small and large size and in Mallard, Pheasant, Goose and Swan types.

3. Cyber Squeaky Balls - These are very popular in the shop.  Much more durable than a tennis ball and safer too (repeated grinding on tennis balls by very ball orientated dogs can file down teeth).  These are squidgy but relatively durable (although not best for power chewers).  These are our best selling balls in the shop (followed by the Kong Air Squeaker Tennis Balls).  These are also Daisy's favourite (one of our dogs).

4. Training Treat Ball - Another activity toy, this is also a very popular seller in the shop.  First designed to keep pigs stimulated and to recreate their foraging habits when searching for food their success resulted in treat balls for dogs and other animals being created! These are great to feed your dog from at breakfast or dinner time as dry kibble fits well into these balls.  By varying the size of the treat this can help to make it more or less of a challenge for your dog.  

5. JW Rubber Toys -  Okay so strictly speaking this is 3 toys but all of the same style.  The JW I-Squeak Ball, Dexter Elephant and Dino Cuz have become fast favourites in our shop.  Very tough but pliable these have garnered great reviews from customers and for a squeaky toy they are supringsingly robust.  Some of our kind customers have sent us great reviews and accompanied these with some fantastic photos which we have included.

Daisy buried underneath a Mountain of Migrators

Buk enjoying playing with his long lasting Dino Cuz

Clever girl Daisy!  Balancing her Cyber Squeak Ball and a bottle all at once!

Austin the Bernese Mountain Dog has great fun with his Dexter Elephant

Back to latest news