Toys We Would Never Give Our Dogs

Dogs don’t just play with toys; they dissect them, fling them, and chew them. And while, yes, that’s part of the fun, it also means not every “toy” is safe for dogs and that are some things people tend to give dogs that we never, ever would. 

We’ve created a list of toys we simply won’t give our pups and are sharing why they will never make their way to our dogs’ toy box. 

Baseballs

Inside a baseball is a tightly wrapped mass of long fibers that can unravel when chewed. These fibers can become choking hazards or, worse, wrap around parts of the gastrointestinal system, causing a serious, urgent, and extremely expensive and dangerous medical situation

Stuffed Toys Not Made for Dogs

Those cute stuffed animals in the kids’ aisle? They are designed for children, not dogs, and that difference matters. The plastic eyes, noses, and small hard accents are all things a dog can easily chew off and swallow, causing choking or a dangerous intestinal blockage.

If your pup loves plush toys, stick to stuffed toys specifically made for dogs. They’re designed with reinforced seams, safer fillings, and no hard, easy-to-remove parts.

Tennis Balls 

This one surprises people the most. Tennis balls seem like classic dog toys, but inside many brands that are not made specifically for dogs are fibrous materials similar to the ones found in baseballs. These fibers can cause the same catastrophic issues if swallowed, from choking to intestinal damage requiring emergency surgery.

They’re also incredibly easy to shred. A determined dog can destroy a tennis ball in minutes, turning it into a choking hazard before you can blink.

Better, safer options exist, and your dog will love them just as much.

Rope Toys

Even with supervision, rope toys are some of the most dangerous play items for dogs. When strings come loose (and they always do) dogs can swallow them.

And swallowed string is one of the fastest ways to end up in emergency surgery. String can cause blockages, where the intestines bunch or tear around the thread. It is painful, urgent, and extremely expensive.

For us, rope toys are a hard no. Just not worth the risk.

Honorable Mention: Socks

No, socks are not dog toys. But…we see pet pawrents every day reveling in the joy of dogs stealing socks, hiding socks or playing with socks. 

While dogs are adorable with their playfulness, socks send up alarm bells for us due to the ease of swallowing them and causing a blockage and the chance of the thread perforating the digestive system. 

Safety First

We want our dogs to live joyful, playful, safe lives, and choosing safer toys is one of the easiest ways to protect them.