I have three dogs and all enjoy their toys in different ways.

First we have Denzil, a very timid collie cross, he's not into anything noisy and likes to just lay in front of the fire with his squeazy-flump. This means to anyone else his teddy. I buy him a couple at a time from the market, you can pick one up for as little as 5 pence, he will carry it about in his mouth and just squeaze it in his jaws, he never rips it or chews it , he just ... well squeazes and licks it. Unfortunatly the other two keep watch over the squeazy-flump and if it's ever unattended it gets kidnapped and subjected to having its stuffing pulled out. That's why i have a back up supply.

So teddies as toys?

I dont recommend soft toys a lot epecialy for young pups, the eyes are easily chewed off and swallowed and the stuffing should they choose to rip it out can choke, plus it leaves a hellish mess on the carpet.
But if your dog isnt into destruction then you can give one a try as long as he's supervised.

Next we have Dutch and his sidekick Sully.

Dutch is a dobermann and Sully is a staffie cross, they're best pals and where there is one the other is close by.
These two like more entertaining toys, role in the squeaky toy.

Squeaky toys are the bain of my life, all through the house all i can hear is sqeak, sqeak, sqeak, sqeak.

These toys are the most popular and most widely available in most pet shops, they are pretty cheap and come in every shape imaginable. We've had burger shapes, chickens, beer bottle, newspaper, a string of sausages. It's endless what you can buy.

The squeaky toys are made from soft plastic and are hollow with of course the squeaker at one end, simple to use, when the dog squeazes the toy in his mouth it squeaks.

The problem with squeaky toys apart from the fact they squeak is that they can get your dog in a frenzy of excitment and this can cause some knocked over lamps, cups and glasses swept off the table by wagging tails, running endlessly about squeaking the damn thing.

Dont worry the situation can be fixed with a pen, just push the pen into the squeaker hole and bingo, the squeaker is pushed in and will grant you blissful quiet. This can causes more problems though. Once the toy doesn't sqeak it looses its excitment and quickly becomes nothing but a chew toy. Because they are hollow and thin the plasic is easily chewed into little peices and swallowed. Do take the toy off the dog if it is showing any signs of this.

So i can only handle so much of the squeaker, what else is on offer.

One of my favourites is the rope toy. Made of well... rope, obviously, these toys are ideal for teathing puppies and any dog really. The rope and very tight and very firm usually pulled into a 'o' shape or an '8' shape. Other shapes may just be the rope tied in a knot or have a tennis ball attached to one end. My dog's play tug 'o war with their rope toys and chase each other about to see who gan get it next. The ropes are fairly durable depending on how determined your dog is to destroy it. They can handle a good chewing but not in the weak bit. Dutch found the weak bit pretty quickly. He chews the knots that hold the rope together and then pulls all the thin strands out, as soon as the knot it out the rope turns into what looks like a mop head. All the starnds go everywhere, it can be a pain.

Another toy is just the bog standared rubber chew toy. It comes usually in the shape of a bone, a hoop or a ball. Cheap and durable.
There isnt much excitement with this toy and my dogs dont really bother with it, Dutch will have a chew now and again but i havent seen the others near it since i got it really.

The ball!

Yes all dogs seem to like balls. When you choose a ball make sure it's quite big, you dont want your dog to swallow it, no cat balls, far too small even for a smaller dog. A tennis ball is a good start. They are light and cheap to buy. Get a good supply as they will get burst and lost.
Denzil likes his tennis balls, he used to hold them with his front paws and 'scalp' them. Using is front teeth he just nibbled all the yellow fuzz off and left it in a pile next to him.
Remember to bin them as soon as they show any signs of wear, splits and holes.

Treat balls are another favourite especialy if you have to go to work and leave your dog alone. Treat balls are hollow and usually plastic or rubber. They have a small hole in one end and are sometimes weighted so they aways role to the hole side up. You fill these balls with dry treats or dry dog food and the dog will role the ball about to get the food to drop out the hole. A great boredom breaker.

So what's left?

Well it's not messy, it doesnt squeak and it keeps my dogs occupied for hours.
It's the good old fashioned bone.
You can get bones from all pet shops and they come in many different shapes and flavours. I either get a couple of large hollow ones or/and some filled ones. The filled ones have some sort of meat inside that the dog can lick out.
If you get the hollow ones you can opt to fill it yourself, peanut butter and meat paste are your best bet.

Bones last ages, months and your dog will love it. It very natural behaviour for him because thats what he did when he lived as a wolf.

Toys are important.

Your dog should always have access to a chewable toy. He may opt to chew something else if he doesnt, he's not fussy and doorframes, shoes and even sofa's are all within easy grasp.

Keep him interested with his toys by switching them about, keep some hidden in a cupboard and swap them round now and again. As a special treat buy him a brand new one every so often and bin one of his old ones that is showing signs of wear.

Supervise your dog if he has a toy that can be dangerous.

Never give your dog a shoe to play with. To you it is just an old shoe that was going in the bin anyway. To your dog it is a shoe, exactly the same as all the other shoes in the bedroom.

Never throw your dog a ball if your near a road, you may not throw it in the direction of the road but your dog in his exitment may drop it or role it towards the road.