3 reasons why your dog loves squeaky toys

Does your dog love a squeaky toy? Ever wondered what it is about that high-pitched squeak that they enjoy so much? 

At Tug-E-Nuff, some of our best-selling toys are the ones that contain squeakers, like our Rabbit Skin Squeaky Chaser.

There’s just something about the noise that lots of dogs go absolutely crazy for - so we thought we’d take a closer look at the reasons why dogs love squeaky toys...

1. Squeaky toys tap into their hunting instinct

It can be hard to imagine that our obedient, domesticated dogs descended from wild wolves. Although your dog doesn’t generally behave like you’d expect a wolf would, they still have an evolutionary prey instinct within them. 

Experts agree that squeaky toys offer dogs a way to connect with their natural prey drive because it mimics the sound of a scared or injured animal, which immediately activates the urge to hunt. 

This helps explain why, if left unsupervised with a squeaky toy, some dogs won’t stop biting and playing with the toy until they ‘kill’ the squeaker, and the sound finally stops. 

It’s important to remember that all dogs have these instincts to some degree (although it is typically stronger in some breeds than others) and allowing your dog to explore their ‘wild’ side and satisfy their instinctive urges through playing tug with a squeaky toy is hugely enriching.

If your dog isn’t given a safe, healthy outlet for their urges, they can instead try to satisfy them in unwanted ways - such as by chewing furniture or chasing wildlife. 

2. Squeaky toys are instantly rewarding (and hugely motivating)

Playing with Tug-E-Nuff toys are proven to increase motivation. In fact, when we surveyed 2,815 dog owners, two thirds said their Tug-E-Nuff toy had boosted their dog’s motivation to play.

The secret to maxing out the motivation factor is to choose a toy that sparks your dogs interest - and for dogs who like squeakers, that means opting for a quality toy that has a puncture-resistant squeaker built-in. 

The squeak that sounds when your dog grabs the bite area of a squeaky tug toy like our Faux Fur Pocket Squeaker is instantly rewarding because it sends a message to your dog that their bite is effective and strong.

This then increases their motivation to keep playing and working hard for another satisfying game of squeaky tug! 

With a motivating, rewarding squeaky toy in your training toolkit, teaching everything from recall to a new trick becomes a walk in the park. 

3. Squeaky toys get your attention

There's nothing our dogs love more than interactive play with their favourite human! And a squeaky toy is a foolproof way to get your undivided attention! 

As social animals, dogs really enjoy playing WITH you. That's why all our toys are designed for interactive play - because that's where the magic happens. If your dog sits beside you squeaking on their favourite toy, there's one thing for sure... they want to play! 

Looking after Tug-E-Nuff squeaky dog toys 

If you have a Tug-E-Nuff tuggy that has an in-built squeaker, it’s best to avoid submerging the toy in water as this can stop the squeak that your dog loves so much. Instead, we recommend wiping your squeaky toy down with a damp cloth when it needs a clean. 

We always recommend that all Tug-E-Nuff toys are used for supervised, interactive play only (and not as chew toys). This is especially important with our squeaky toys as squeakers can be a choking hazard. We recommend checking your squeaker toys regularly for any damage and keeping them well out of reach when not in use.