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5 best dog toys as voted by dog trainers
This year at Crufts dog show we were lucky to be joined by some awesome dog trainers from all over the UK. Since they were with us at the show helping visitors with questions and guiding them to their perfect toy picks, we asked them if they’d help our online fans too!
Check out dog trainer’s favourite dog toys and let them guide you to power up your play, training and bonding time too.
Top toy pick for recall: The Big Twizzler
Becky - Dog Trainer at East Coast Dog Training in East Lothian
Becky’s a dog trainer who specialises in helping dogs develop focus and engagement with their humans out in the real world where there are distractions a plenty! Recall is a skill she’s taught to hundreds of humans and dogs - and her top toy recommendation for training recall is The Big Twizzler.
She says “It’s great for getting your dog chasing it around and running back much quicker to you for a rewarding game of tug.”
The Big Twizzler is tightly braided using soft robust faux fur and fleece. It’s insanely satisfying for dogs to grip onto for a tenacious game of tug - and its super long bungee handle is designed to absorb shock, making play more fun for both handler and dog.
Top pick for strong dogs: Pocket Powerball Bungee
Chelsea - Dog Trainer at Canis Concept in Aberystwyth (and our resident play expert)
You might recognise Chelsea as the fantastic dog trainer behind our Power of Play Course. Chelsea’s been a valuable member of team Tug-E-Nuff for years but she’s also an experienced trainer who competes and supports owners with everything from puppy training to hoopers, canicross and scentwork.
Chelsea is a phenomenal dog trainer and is frequently putting our toys to the test with her Belgian Malinois, Tide. In this clip, you can see Chelsea and Tide proving that our Pocket Powerball Bungee is not only motivating it’s also most importantly Malinois proof!
Chelsea says “Malinois are known for their powerful grip and having a tough bite so I need toys that can match my dog’s power. My go to is the Pocket Powerball Bungee for out and about or training on the go. I can hide it and pull it out when I need it and it’s brilliant for teaching heelwork.”
Top toy pick for reactive dogs: Wondabaa Powerball Bungee
Nikki - Dog Trainer at Nikki Birkett Dog Training in Yorkshire
Nikki specialises in supporting dogs who have big feelings - also known as reactive dogs or nervous dogs. She’s passionate about helping owners and dogs to build the very best relationships, as she believes this is the most powerful route to success.
For dogs who struggle with other dogs or distractions outdoors, Nikki recommends the Wondabaa Powerball Bungee as a super engaging and fun toy to grab your dog’s attention and make playing with you the most exciting part of their world.
Nikki says “It’s got something for every dog! It’s got a ball, an extra fluffy bite area and the bungee handle for playing tug.”
Our long chaser toys are great for amping up excitement and keeping your dog engaged around distractions. Our shorter pocket toys are great for keeping in your pocket and using to turn up the fun anywhere.
Top toy pick for gundogs: Pocket Fauxtastic
Laura - Dog Trainer at Dixie Tricks in Northampton
Laura is an awesome dog trainer who’s all about having fun! She’s got four Labradors and a Springer Spaniel so she knows a little something about gundogs!
She says “Getting gundogs to retrieve and give things back is really important. Using two identical toys to teach the toy switch is a nice pressure free way to teach your dog to bring something to you and release it back to you.”
You can build upon that to get to the point of 40 yard retrieve and lots of impressive gundog skills - or you can simply sit in your living room and play together having fun!
Top toy pick for puppies: Faux Fur Bungee Chaser with Squeaker
Sarah - Dog Trainer at Woof hub in Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Sarah’s an experienced dog trainer and her top toy pick for puppies is our faux fur bungee chaser with squeaker. It’s lightweight, soft on the mouth, and has a super exciting squeak which is great for engaging puppies in animated play.
The long bungee handle is especially good for creating exciting chase games and keeping sharp puppy teeth far away from your hands when excitement levels peak!
Find the best dog toy for your dog
Still not sure what to choose? Our super clever toy quest quiz will help you sniff out your dog’s new favourite Tug-E-Nuff toy in minutes.
It’s been preprogrammed with lots of dog pro knowledge, so all you need to do is answer a handful of quick and easy questions and we’ll lead you straight to the toys your dog would choose.
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