Last Updated: 13/11/2025
Best Toys for Your New Puppy: A Vet's Guide
Bringing home a new puppy? Our expert vet explains why toy rotation is key and breaks down the must-have toys for your pup's toybox, from comforting plush toys and durable chew toys to fun fetch and squeaky options.
Author: Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 11 minutes - short read
A new puppy is pure joy, but that joy can dim slightly when you find them chewing on your favourite shoes or the corner of the rug! Chewing is a normal, healthy part of puppyhood, especially during teething. The secret isn't stopping the chew, but redirecting it.
Providing a safe, interesting, and rotating selection of toys is the best way to keep them entertained, aid their development, and save your furniture. But with so many options, where do you start? This guide breaks down the essential types of toys every new puppy needs.
4 factors to consider when choosing toys for puppies
Toys are not just a "nice to have" for a new puppy; they are an essential part of development. They provide comfort, relieve the pain of teething, teach appropriate chewing habits, and burn off that boundless puppy energy.
However, a puppy explores the world with its mouth, so choosing the right toy is a critical decision for their safety and wellbeing. Here are four key factors to consider.
1. Safety and durability
This is the most important factor. A toy that breaks apart can quickly become a choking or ingestion hazard, leading to a veterinary emergency.
- Avoid choking hazards: Steer clear of toys with hard plastic eyes, noses, buttons, ribbons, or bells. These can be easily chewed off and swallowed. Opt for toys with embroidered or stitched features.
- Supervise play: No toy is truly indestructible. Always supervise your puppy with new toys to see how they interact with them. Remove any toy that starts to rip, break, crack, or tear. If at any stage you think your puppy may have ingested part of a toy contact your veterinarian for advice.
2. Size and shape
A toy that is perfect for a Labrador puppy could be dangerous for a Chihuahua puppy, and vice versa.
- Too small: Any toy that can fit entirely inside your puppy's mouth is a choking hazard. This is especially true for balls, which must be large enough that they cannot be accidentally swallowed or lodged in the back of the throat.
- Too large: A toy that is too big or heavy can be frustrating for a small puppy, who won't be able to carry or play with it properly.
3. Purpose and type
A puppy needs a small "library" of different toys that serve different purposes.
- Teething toys: From about 12 weeks to 6 months, puppies' gums will be sore. Teething toys made from durable, textured rubber or nylon are ideal for chewing. Some can even be frozen to provide cooling relief.
- Puzzle and interactive toys: These are brilliant for mental stimulation and preventing boredom (which often leads to destructive behaviour). Toys that dispense treats, like a puppy-specific Kong or a snuffle mat, engage their brain and teach them to work for a reward.
- Comfort toys: As discussed, a soft, plush toy can act as a "snuggle buddy" to help your puppy feel secure when settling in or sleeping.
- Active toys: Lightweight balls or soft fetch toys are perfect for burning energy and bonding with you. Avoid hard, heavy toys that could damage their developing teeth during a game of fetch.
4. Material and cleanability
Since this toy will spend a lot of time in your puppy's mouth, the material it's made from matters.
- Non-toxic materials: Look for toys made from high-quality, non-toxic, puppy-safe materials. Durable rubber and nylon are generally safe choices for chewers.
- Hygiene: Puppy toys can get covered in drool and dirt very quickly. Look for toys that are easy to clean. Rubber and nylon toys can often be washed in the dishwasher, while many soft toys can be put through the washing machine.
- When it comes to chew and teething toys, always choose toys specifically designed for puppies. These are typically made from a softer, more flexible rubber that is gentle on their developing teeth while still being durable enough to satisfy that intense urge to chew.
Comforting soft and plush toys
Bringing a new puppy home is exciting, but it's a stressful change for them. They have suddenly left the constant companionship of their mother and littermates for the first time.
Puppies are used to sleeping in a "puppy pile," surrounded by the warmth of their siblings. This sudden solitude is why the first few nights are often filled with restlessness or whining.
A simple soft, plush toy can be an invaluable tool. It’s more than just a plaything; it acts as a "snuggle buddy," providing security when they are alone.
Placing a soft toy in their bed or crate gives them a comforting substitute for their siblings. The plush texture can mimic the feeling of the litter, providing a sense of security that eases homesickness and helps them settle into their new sleeping space.
For particularly anxious puppies, you can also find toys that mimic a mother's heartbeat or contain a pet-safe, microwaveable insert for warmth.
A comfort toy is a wonderful first step in helping your puppy feel secure. When combined with a consistent daily routine and a cosy, designated "den" (like a crate), it helps your new arrival feel safe and settled.
Learn more about how to create a safe space for your puppy, in our step-by-step guide to Crate Training Your Puppy.
Interactive rope toys
Rope toys and tug toys are a fantastic outlet for a puppy's natural chewing and biting urges. A game of tug-of-war can be a deeply enjoyable way to play, burn energy, and build a strong bond with your new pup.
However, this game requires clear rules to keep it safe, fun, and constructive. It’s important that play is controlled and doesn't escalate into over-arousal or guarding behaviour.
The rules of play
The goal is to teach your puppy that tug is a cooperative game you both play, which you, the human, control.
- You start and end the game: The game should be initiated by you, not the puppy. This establishes the rope as your resource that you are choosing to share.
- Keep it gentle: Always let the puppy do most of the "work." Avoid yanking or pulling vigorously, especially upwards. Lifting a puppy off the ground by a toy can cause serious injury to their neck, spine, and developing teeth. Gentle side-to-side tugging is much safer.
- Teeth on skin ends the game: The game must stop immediately if your puppy's teeth (even accidentally) make contact with your skin or clothing. A simple "oops!" or "too bad!" and dropping the toy to walk away for 30 seconds is enough. This teaches your puppy a vital lesson in bite inhibition: "when my teeth touch a human, the fun stops."
How to finish the game: teaching 'drop it'
A controlled game must have a clear ending. Teaching a reliable "drop it" or "leave" command is essential for this. It reinforces that you are in control of the play and teaches your puppy that giving up a toy is a positive, rewarding action, not a punishment.
Clicker training is an excellent way to capture this behaviour.
- Stop the game: While in the middle of a gentle tug, suddenly stop pulling and hold the toy perfectly still. This makes the toy "boring."
- Offer a trade: Present a high-value treat right near your puppy's nose.
- Click and reward: The moment your puppy releases the rope toy to take the treat, click your clicker and give them the treat and praise.
- Add the cue: Once your puppy is reliably dropping the toy for the trade, start saying your verbal cue (like "drop it") just before you present the treat.
- Practice: With repetition, your puppy will learn to release the toy on the verbal cue alone.
For more information, read through our articles:
Durable chew and teething toys
When puppies begin teething - usually starting around 12 weeks of age - they develop an intense, undeniable urge to chew. This is a normal, natural behaviour driven by the discomfort of new teeth pushing through their gums.
Durable rubber chew toys are a fantastic choice, for this, and some, like the classic Puppy Kong, serve a dual purpose. These toys are designed to be stuffed with tasty, puppy-safe treats, such as their own kibble, a small amount of puppy wet food, or a little xylitol-free peanut butter. This turns a simple chew toy into an engaging puzzle and can help to keep your puppy occupied for a significant period.
For an extra layer of teething relief, many teething toys can be put in the freezer. The cold provides a wonderful numbing effect on a puppy's sore, inflamed gums.
You can freeze a stuffed Kong or purchase toys specifically designed for freezing. Even a simple, damp face washer, twisted and frozen, can be a great (and supervised) chew for a teething pup. This cooling sensation can be incredibly soothing during those periods of intense discomfort.
For more information, read through our articles:
Active fetch toys
Playing fetch is a classic for a reason. It is one of the best ways to build a strong, cooperative bond with your puppy while also burning off their seemingly endless supply of energy. This focused activity taps into their natural instincts to chase and retrieve, providing both physical exercise and mental stimulation.
To keep the game fun and safe, it's important to pick toys that are easy for your puppy to see, catch, and carry.
- Dog-specific balls: Choose balls that are an appropriate size for your puppy's mouth - large enough that they can't be swallowed, but small and light enough to be carried comfortably.
- Puppy-friendly frisbees: Look for frisbees made from soft rubber or durable fabric, as hard plastic can be jarring and may even damage their developing teeth.
It can be tempting to grab a random stick from the park, but this is a significant and avoidable risk. Veterinarians treat severe injuries from sticks far too often. The dangers include:
- Splinters: Sticks can easily shatter, lodging sharp splinters in your puppy's gums, tongue, or the roof of their mouth. This can lead to pain, infection, and abscesses.
- Impaling injuries: The most devastating risk is impalement. A dog running at full speed can accidentally run onto a stick that has landed upright in the ground, causing catastrophic and life-threatening damage to their mouth, throat, or chest.
- Blockages: If a puppy chews and swallows pieces of wood, it can lead to an internal blockage.
Safe stick alternatives
Thankfully, you can still satisfy your puppy's love for carrying a "stick" safely. Look for durable rubber or nylon toy sticks. These are specifically designed for dogs, available in many different sizes and bright colours (making them easy to find), and provide all the fun of a real stick with none of the danger.
Sensory squeaky toys
Most puppies love squeaky toys. That high-pitched sound is highly stimulating to their sensitive hearing, immediately capturing their attention.
More importantly, the squeak mimics the sound of small prey. This triggers a puppy's natural hunting instinct, making the toy incredibly exciting and rewarding to "catch." This satisfying feedback encourages them to keep playing.
Squeakers are added to many toys to enhance this appeal.
Safety note: Always supervise your puppy with squeaky toys. Many dogs will try to find and remove the inner squeaker, which is a choking or ingestion hazard. Remove any toy that is torn or broken.
FAQs
Finding the right mix of toys is a wonderful part of bonding with your new puppy. By offering a variety of textures - from soft plush toys for comfort to durable rubber for chewing - you're setting them up for happy, healthy play.
Always remember to supervise playtime, especially with new toys, and clear away any that start to break apart. A well-stocked, rotating toybox is the key to a content pup and a (mostly) chew-free home!
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