Best Dog Toys for Aggressive Chewers

In this guide, we’re going to introduce you to the best dog toys for aggressive chewers. If you’re tired of your best pair of slippers being reduced to tiny pieces of foam, then you’re in the right place.

There are many causes behind this unwanted behavior, and ways to prevent it – including using tough dog toys. We’ll give you our opinion on some of the best dog toys to help you with an aggressive chewer. As well as some tips on how to choose the best one for your pooch.

Choosing the Right Dog Toy for Your Aggressive Chewer

Our dogs LOVE toys, and what they love the most about them – is absolutely destroying them. Especially if your best friend is an aggressive chewer.

Whilst we don’t like it when they chew up things like our shoes or other items we deem they shouldn’t – it is entirely natural.

Not only is it a way for them to play and explore, but a way to keep their teeth nice and healthy. Of course, they could be doing it because they’re anxious or lonely, dogs that are stressed can sometimes chew furniture.

That being said, there is no escaping the frustration of discovering your favorite pair of slippers, remote control, or some other object chewed up past recognition.

I have a shoe graveyard from my puppy’s teething phase. And it still happens from time to time when I don’t keep good chew toys for him on hand.

Aggressive chewers simply have a knack for shredding whatever plaything you put in front of them – be it plush, plastic, or rope. Even if it’s not one of their toys.

The downside to this chewing problem is, there are some serious risks for your dog if they accidentally ingest something harmful in the process.

Unfortunately, no dog toy is completely shred proof. However, some are way more durable than others.

The key to finding the best dog toys for aggressive chewers is to discover the cause behind their uncontrollable need to well… chew.

Why Do Dogs Chew Things?

The reason dogs chew objects is actually fairly simple. Unlike humans, they don’t have hands. So they explore the world with their mouths, similar to how a newborn human baby would minus the mouth full of predatory teeth.

This behavior is also reminiscent of their wild counterpart the wolf, they chew and crunch wild animal carcasses. In other words, it is an instinctual behavior.

This is why we now see a wide range of chew toys for sale.

Whilst chewing is an entirely natural behavior for a dog, sometimes they can chew too much, and end up destroying the place. There can be multiple reasons why dogs become destructive and chew and I have listed a few of them below.

Boredom

Dogs who are not exercised regularly or provided with enough mental stimulation may become bored. This can have a negative impact on their behavior. Dogs who are bored may display a number of undesirable behaviors such as

• Overexcitability
• Constant barking
• Dog aggression
• Human aggression
• Whining/crying
• Chasing their tails
• And of course aggressive CHEWING.

Toys not Tidied Away

When toys are left around the home and are always accessible by your dog, sometimes they no longer view these toys as a form of enjoyment or play. So they tend not to use them and instead chew things they shouldn’t.

Stress, Anxiety, & Other Fear-Related Issues

If your dog is stressed or anxious they may display symptoms very similar to those they display when they are bored.

• Aggression
• Barking
• Behavior problems
• Chewing

The key to solving these issues is, of course, correcting their behavior, in a large majority of cases, it is simply caused by the dog not receiving enough mental stimulation, and that’s where dog toys can help.

Their Breed

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes; there is no standard-issue rule.

Some breeds have strong and powerful jaws; chewing is simply in their nature.

Some particular breeds do typically warrant heavier-duty chew toys. These include, but are not limited to:

• Breeds classified as Terriers; the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Bull Terrier.
• Other strong jaw breeds such as the Rottweiler.
• Mastiff types

How to Pick the Right Chew Toy for Your Dog

There are a few things to look out for when buying a new dog chew toy and we have listed them below.

Materials to Look for and Avoid

While no material is truly indestructible, some materials are more durable than others.

Depending on how strong your dogs jaws are, there are several materials which can be hit or miss, such as kevlar or firehose.

It’s important to remember that not all materials used in dog chew toys are created equal, and some can actually do more harm than good for your precious pup.

Here are some things to look out for, and also some things to avoid…

Ideal Materials For Tough Dog Toys

Rubber is often the preferred choice of dog chew toys due to its durable, flexible nature.

Rubber dog toys are incredibly robust and will often last longer than a lot of the alternative products in the chew toy market.

That said, you need to be sure that any rubber chew toy you provide to your pet friend is soft, malleable, and has smooth edges.

Remain cautious – If the chew toy has sharp edges, it could quite easily cause injury to your dog’s mouth.

Materials to Avoid for Tough Dog Toys

Generally speaking, for power-chewing pooches, you may want to give these dog chew toy materials amiss:

• Plush or Fleece Toys. While adorable, an indestructible plush dog toy just does not exist. Not to mention, they can be torn through like butter by most aggressive chewers. This can actually be very harmful to your pup when they eat the insides. When this happens, it may cause digestive issues and discomfort – potentially leading to even more severe medical issues.

• Latex or Vinyl toys. They just aren’t durable enough for tough dogs. Toys like this can create sharp edges that can cause extreme discomfort and lead to injuries to your dog’s mouth, which may potentially lead to an infection.

Best Types of Dog Toys for Aggressive Chewers & Ones to Avoid

There are a lot of options on the market, and it can be overwhelming trying to choose the dog chew toy that’s right for you.

For aggressive chewing dogs; there is one type of chew toy you’ll want to avoid at all costs – the dreaded squeaker toy.

I know what you’re thinking…and I’m not going to preach to you about the annoyance of a consistent squeak. For dog lovers, this is the least of their problems.

While the squeaking type of dog chew toys are tons of fun for dogs, the risks are just too high for the tough chewers among them.

Once a dog has torn through squeaky dog toy’s exterior shell, they will focus on one thing, and one thing only – to find the noise-making device inside.

Clearly, this can be a significant issue.

There’s little a pet owner can do to avoid the dog eating the squeaking toy’s device unless they monitor their pet around the clock – something that is not really realistic.

It’s generally advised that squeaky chew toys should never be given to dogs for solo play, but are more suited to interactive use, under direct supervision.

This may seem overkill – I mean, dogs are pretty tough, right?

But is it worth taking the chance?

Here are a few chew toy favourites, that never fail to please both the pet owner and their precious pup:

• The Classic Bone Chew Toy. These are great for dogs who love gnawing on things for long periods. However, they aren’t great for a game of catch or tug-o-war.
• Heavy-Duty Tug Toys. This type is good for games of tug-o-war and catch alike.
• Dog Toys That Hide Treats. Great for brainy dogs as they provide tons of mental stimulation. They give your pooch an outlet for their chewing and problem-solving instincts – with yummy treats as a reward at the end.

Getting the Right Size Chew Toy for Your Dog

It’s highly important to keep the size of the toy in mind for your aggressive chewer.

Generally speaking, to stand up to your dog’s teeth and jaws – the larger the toy, the better. Just be sure it’s still small enough for your pup to play with and gnaw on.

That said, you don’t want the toy to be too small for your dog either.

If the chew toy is too small, it poses a choking hazard. Your dog can easily choke on toys that are too small.

You want to avoid dog toys that are too small at all costs, making sure that they are large enough so as not to be swallowed!

Recap

So Who’s the Winner?

Each of the options reviewed does have its own place, time, and purpose – and came with risks. However, there can only be one champion.

Out of all the products we reviewed, the best dog toy for aggressive chewers would have to be the Nylabone DuraChew BIG Chew Chicken Flavor Bone Dog Toy, X-Large, 8-in. As it is the best bang for the buck.

While the others were pretty durable on their own, this one definitely blew us away in terms of its robust nature.

This Nylabone DuraChew dog toy is extremely robust and showed no signs of wear and tear – even after weeks of use.

It is very affordable, and could be used for multiple purposes; whether that’s as an aid for gnawing pups, or being used in a game of fetch.

It was also shaped like a bone and chicken flavored, making it even more enticing. But for dog owners who fear their pooch may be allergic to chicken; fear not. It’s allergen-friendly, as it doesn’t use real chicken to flavor.

In the end, however, it all comes down to your intended use and the dog breed in question.

If you’ve had an experience with any of the products we’ve reviewed in this post, or would like to suggest a chew toy that didn’t make our list, please feel free to share your thoughts with us. We love to hear from you!

And if you’ve enjoyed the article, or know someone who you feel would benefit from giving it a read, please do share it with them.