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Exercise, Play, and Toys

Exercise and Play

A Fluffy young puppy happily runs inside an enclosed play space filled with toys and play structures.

Safe and Sound - Environmental Safety

  • Puppies should only be allowed off leash in enclosed spaces. Otherwise, consider using a long-line or retractable (flexi-type) leash in a wide-open area.
  • Do not visit areas with unfamiliar off-leash dogs around (off-leash hiking areas, etc.)
  • GDB puppies are not allowed in dog parks.
  • Play on non-slip flooring (carpet, grass, etc.) to reduce the risk of injury.

PAWsitive Play Time - Appropriate Types of Play

  • Discourage prolonged frenzied play such as wrestling, roughhousing, chasing, or racing through the house.
  • Tug is a great game to play! To prevent injury, do not swing or lift the puppy off the ground.
  • Running after thrown toys is great too! Hold the pup stationary while you throw to minimize risk of puppies tumbling or straining a muscle trying to catch a toy mid-air.
  • Do not jog, bike, or skateboard with puppies. Jogging can injure young puppy joints.

Taking it Easy - Prevent Fatigue and Overheating

  • Take frequent breaks. A break is likely overdue if the puppy becomes mouthy, vocal, or excessively excited.
  • Build stamina slowly! If a pup is not accustomed to heavy exercise (and a friend comes over for a sleepover!) be sure to gradually build up play time.
  • Ensure puppies always have access to fresh clean drinking water.

Going for the Gold - Fitness Prep for Recall

  • Guide dogs are athletes! In preparation for recall and formal guide training, we highly encourage puppies to gradually work up to about 30 minutes at a brisk walk.

Toy Policy

A huge pile of colorful dog toys. A huge pile of colorful dog toys.

Toys each day keep puppies at play! Toys are an important part of a puppy's development. They offer opportunities for mental stimulation, enrichment, problem solving, and an outlet for natural puppy chewing. Having easy access to a variety of different types of toys help puppies make good choices and reduce destructive chewing and other attention-seeking behavior.

Choosing Safe Toys

Materials
Look for toys made of natural rubber, high-quality nylon, non-toxic, food-grade plastic or silicone, or fabric.

  • Avoid toys with BPA, PVC, formaldehyde, or other toxic chemicals.
  • We do not recommend toys with small hard pieces like buttons or glass eyes; they are a hazard to puppies.
  • No household items (socks, towels, shoes, children’s toys, etc.) as puppy play toys.
  • No edible chews made from animal products – rawhide, bully sticks, pig ears, raw bones, and other popular chews can cause diarrhea or a blockage requiring surgery.

Size
Err on the side of too big! Puppies grow quickly.

  • Choose toys that cannot be easily swallowed (wider than the dog’s jaw).
  • Hard toys cannot have small holes or rings that might inadvertently get stuck on a dog’s jaw.

Maintenance

  • Check toys regularly for wear & tear or signs of ripping/shredding.
  • Wash toys regularly – a ride though the dishwasher or laundry machine can make boring old toys fun again!

Access

  • Introduce all new toys while the pup is supervised to ensure they enjoy the toy safely.
  • Dogs may earn unsupervised access to toys after demonstrating consistent safe behavior with the toy following Maximizing Puppy Wellbeing and Safety.
  • If you observe or suspect the puppy is ripping, shredding, or eating pieces of a toy, they should not have access to chew that toy. It may need to be a toy saved for interactive play or discarded if it’s worn and torn.
  • Pick up food-containing toys after they’ve been finished or abandoned. Consider it like a meal and keep people and pets out of the puppy’s space while they’re enjoying their food puzzle. Removing the food-containing toy after play keeps the toys feeling new and exciting for the puppy too!

Ideas to Get You Started

Note: Many of the following suggested toys are pictured in the Toy Gallery below. 

Durable Chew Toys 

  • Kong brand toys (red for young puppies; we recommend the tougher black version as they mature)
  • Ruff Enough Toys from their “Guaranteed for Life Collection”
  • Benebone Products (size MEDIUM or LARGE)

Popular food-smeared or food-stuffed toys

  • Kong Wobbler or similar puzzle feeders
  • Gnawt-a-Cone™ from Ruffwear
  • West Paw Design toys
  • Outward Hound puzzle toys

Interactive Toys

  • Tug toys (e.g., Ruffwear, JW pet, Tuffy, etc.)
  • ChuckIt! Ultra Large Rubber Balls are 3" in diameter and a good size for most guide dog puppies, even when fully grown!
    • Note: to avoid abrasion to the teeth, balls with fabric, like tennis balls, are not recommended

Independent Yard Play

  • Jollyball with a rope through middle, sold as Romp-n-Roll.
  • Gallons sized or larger plastic bottles: Thoroughly rinsed, lids, labels and tops removed (sturdy food-safe bottles only)

Great options for young puppies!

  • Kong Wubba (regular or fleece “Snugga”)
  • Multipet Lamb Chop®
  • CycleDog Duraplush toys

Toy Gallery

A wobbly treat dispensing dog toy that is shaped like an inverted lightbulb.

Starmark Bob-a-Lot

A large dog toy made of a plastic ball with a braided rope running through it.

Jolly Pets Romp-n-Roll Jolly Ball

A bottom-heavy wobbling dog toy that dispenses treats through a small hole when tipped in a certain direction.

Kong Wobbler

Orange knobby food dispensing dog toy.

West Paw Tux

A blue cup-shaped food-dispensing dog toy.

West Paw Toppl

A hard rubber ball dog toy.

Chuckit Ball

A red Kong dog toy.

Kong Classic

A black Kong dog toy.

Kong Extreme

Two cube-shaped dog toys, one pink and one yellow.

RuffDawg Dawg Cube

A bright red dog chew toy shaped like a straight rod with smooth ridges and rounded ends.

RuffDawg Dawg Buster

A dumbbell shaped bright green dog chew toy.

RuffDawg Big Dawg

Red oblong dog chew toy with bulbous ends.

West Paw Hurley

A purple dog chew toy that is shaped similar to an octopus - two round shapes atop one another covered in durable fabric, and knotted at their base with strips of fabric extending below.

Kong Wubba

A pink dog chew toy that is shaped similar to an octopus - two round shapes atop one another covered in fleece and knotted at their base with strips of fabric extending below.

Kong Wubba

A dog chew toy made of three colorful interlocking rings.

Nerf Tuff Tug

A red and black dog tug toy with straps at both ends and a rectangle made of durable fabric in the middle.

Bull Fit Tug

A puzzle feeder with three tiers of different surfaces and crevice shapes that swivel to open.

Outward Hound Puzzle Feeder

A plush dog toy of the Lamb Chop cartoon character.

Multipet Lamb Chop Plush Toy

A fuzzy plush green dog toy shaped like a bone.

Cycle Dog Plush Toy

A large blue and green dog plush toy with googly eyes.

Cycle Dog Plush Toy

A durable fuzzy green plush toy in the shape of a pineapple with googly eyes.

Cycle Dog Plush Toy

A dog chew toy roughly in the shape of a figure 8.

Benebone Chew Toy

A stick-shaped dog chew toy.

Benebone Chew Toy

A fish-shaped dog chew toy.

Benebone Chew Toy

A wishbone-shaped dog chew toy.

Benebone Chew Toy

TerraCycle offers a Benebone recycling program! Visit their Benebone page to learn more.

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