Puppy's Life

Run & Play

Get your paws on these new puppy toys

Good news for those pups and their two-legged pals who love to play: Toys do more than entertain, they also help forge lifelong bonds of friendship, while simultaneously helping a puppy to grow into a strong, healthy and happy companion.

“Puppies bond through games more than anything else,” says Tamar Geller, author of The Loved Dog. “They learn the skills they need to be a pack member — how to be gentle when playing with their teeth, how to wrestle without hurting anyone—through games. Since this is their natural way of learning, using toys and games is the best way to have your puppy bond with you.”

Fortunately, it's easier than ever to find toys that will please you and your pooch. We've searched high and low to fetch you some of the best new puppy toys on the market. Of course, whichever toy you choose, the most important choice will be your decision to play with your pup.

• Go fish! New from Nylabone is the PuppyFish™, a toy created just for teething puppies. And even though you might find a bacon-flavored fish a little funny, we have a feeling it will be just the thing for puppies looking for something yummy to gnaw.



• Recently JAKKS and the American Kennel Club teamed up to produce a line of new puppy toys. Will your pup be able to resist playing tug-of-war with AKC's Puppy Plush Ropey Balls with Dental Rope? How about chomping down on a AKC Puppy Series Plush Pig Teether with Rattle? Each toy has been designed to entertain your puppy and you for hours!



• Sometimes you can get a great new toy by making a twist on an old classic. That's what Kong did when it combined the perennial favorite fetch toy—a tennis ball—with the always-popular squeak toy. The Air Kong Squeaker is a tennis ball with a squeaker inside. While it may not meet court regulations at Wimbledon, it will be a smash hit in your pup's playbook.



• Have a huge heart for a small dog? The 1000 lb. Barbell Tiny Dog Toy with squeakers at each end will make even the smallest pup feel like a massive mastiff.