The 10 Best Dog Toys of 2022

Best Overall: West Paw Zogoflex Qwizl Dog Puzzle Treat Toy

4.7

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The twisty Qwizl can be played with in many ways. Dogs that liked movement had fun just pushing it around and would fetch it, then gnaw on it, when thrown. Teething puppies chewed on it and rolled it across the floor. The toy is very durable for aggressive chewers and also floats, if you like to take toys to the beach or the pool.

But the best part is that the Zogoflex Qwizl is built for long-lasting treats. There’s an opening that runs down the center with little openings along the middle and edges. It’s the perfect size for bully sticks, dental chews, carrots, or biscuits. For dogs that weren’t typically interested in this type of toy by itself, they were smitten and engaged when it was stuffed with treats.

One of the best ways we found to keep dogs happy and entertained was by smearing peanut butter in the nooks and poking in some treats or kibble, then freezing the whole thing to make it last even longer. If anything is left behind, the Qwizl is easy to clean in the dishwasher.

Best Plush: Kong Cozie Marvin the Moose Plush Dog Toy

4.9

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Some dogs love plush toys so much they will carry them around, cuddle them, and sleep with them. Others view them as a challenge, working diligently to rip out the stuffing and the squeaker. Kong Cozies are amazingly durable and fun for dedicated stuffed animal lovers. They are built relatively tough, are very soft, and have a hardworking squeaker.

All our dog testers loved this plush toy and worked diligently to find the squeaker. A few even carried it around like a pacifier, while a couple of puppies curled up and fell asleep with it. If you have a dog who lives to disembowel stuffed animals, then they’ll probably find a way to destroy this one too. But for cuddlers and squeakers, this is a great choice.

Cozies come in two sizes and a menagerie of 10 animals and colors including a moose, elephant, and sheep. They make a great security blanket for any size dog and are easy to throw in the washer when they get too slobbery.

Best Big Ball: Jolly Pets Tug-n-Toss Dog Toy

4.1

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Jolly Pets balls are based on similar toys sold to keep horses entertained. They’re hollow plastic balls with handles that bounce, float, and roll unpredictably enough to keep your dog engaged. Dogs that like to chase and carry are especially likely to enjoy a Tug-n-Toss ball, so they're often a hit with herding dogs like border collies and Australian shepherds.

Several of our ball-obsessed dogs herded these toys around a yard during testing. Some of our testers became possessive of them, toting their Jolly Pets ball by the handle and chasing after them whenever it was tossed. While the handle is great for carrying and throwing some dogs will chew them off. Still, the ball works great even without its handle.

Jolly Pets Tug-n-Toss toys come in four sizes, from small to extra-large, and they never pop, even when punctured by a rowdy dog having a ball with one.

Best for Fetch: Chuckit! Classic Launcher Dog Toy

4.9

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For dogs that like to fetch, the Chuckit! Classic Launcher should be a required toy. The long-handle lets you scoop the ball off the ground without having to bend down and pick up a slimy ball over and over again.

You whip the launcher forward over your shoulder and it releases the ball, tossing it up to three times further than a normal toss. The technique doesn’t take long to master and it’s been called a lifesaver by people whose dogs just can’t get enough of fetch. One owner of several tester dogs pointed out that the Chuckit! would save them from wear-and-tear on shoulders and rotator cuffs, plus their dogs loved it.

However, the Chuckit! isn't suited for all pet owner situations, as it requires a lot of space to get the best use out of the launcher. If you don't have a big backyard or regularly visit the park with your dog, then this launcher might be a little too much for playing fetch in closer quarters. It's very easy to launch the included ball over a fence or into the street.

Each launcher comes with a Chuckit! branded orange ball. It's not very durable, but the launcher also works with normal tennis balls (and other hard rubber dog balls), so it doesn't suddenly become useless should you lose the included ball.

The Chuckit! Classic Launcher comes in several sizes, and even a folding variety.

Best Silent Toy: Hear Doggy Silent Squeaker Dog Toy

4.5

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This plush giraffe toy is a little disconcerting. You press the squeaker and hear nothing, but your dog gets all excited. The silent squeaker is a great solution for dogs that insist on squeaking when you’re on calls or trying to sleep in.

The Hear Doggy Silent Squeaker advertises “chew guard technology,” which means reinforced seams and a durable lining. However, its construction didn't impress some of our testers. That said, no member of our canine testing team ripped one apart. We anticipate it standing up to moderately rough play, though it seems likely that a determined chewer will get through its defenses.

But the real appeal of the Hear Doggy is that silent squeaker, which was a fun novelty for both our human and dog testers. When the toy was squeaked out of sight, tester dogs went bonkers looking for it. They were less interested in Hear Doggy as a chew toy, but the novelty of the silent squeaker was more than enough to engage every dog who heard it.

There are six different Hear Doggy Silent Squeaker Dog Toy animals available, including an alligator, cow, chicken, pig, giraffe, and elephant.

Best for Chewers: Benebone Bacon Flavor Wishbone Tough Dog Chew Toy

4.8

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These heavy nylon chew bones are great for dogs who love to work their jaws. The wishbone shape helps dogs grip them easily with their paws. The bite marks left behind by our testers indicate that some dogs were chewing at the knobby ends so thoroughly that they were likely using their rear back teeth too. The Benebone chew toys were so great for chewing, it even enthralled two dog testers who didn't typically prefer chew toys.

While all of our dog testers went to town on the Benebone Wishbone chew toys, some sizes were difficult for tiny dogs to maneuver around. However, there are four different sizes available (a fifth "Tiny" size is manufactured, but wasn't available from the retailers we looked at), plus the smaller versions felt slightly softer. These were perfect for puppy testers.

While it's normal for tiny flecks of the nylon bone to come off, bigger chunks are a good indication that you should either try a larger version or a different toy entirely.

Benebone's Wishbone Tough Dog Chew Toy comes in three flavors, including bacon, chicken, and peanut butter.

Best Budget: Spot Skinneeez Forest Series Fox Stuffing-Free Squeaky Plush Dog Toy

4.7

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Every dog that tested the Skinneeez stuffing-free toy was obsessed, whipping it around, hurling it, shaking it mightily, and carrying the flattened fox with them wherever they went. While the squeaker in the Skinneez is adequate, dogs seemed to enjoy its limp form more, since it is both easy to carry and shake. Our testers treated it like a prize catch (even if it does look a lot like roadkill).

Spot's Forest Series plush toys comes in 14-inch and 23-inch sizes, with versions that look like foxes, squirrels, and raccoons. Our testers played with the smaller-sized fox, which was perfect for smaller dogs. Opt for the larger size if your dog is over 20 pounds or so.

Of course, all that enthusiasm means that the tested Skinneez was constantly soggy with slobber, plus it didn't seem especially durable to our testers. But since the toy doesn't have any stuffing, there's no interior fill to worry about it, and you only risk having to buy a new one after your dog tears it apart. This seemed like a worthwhile trade-off to our testers, since their dogs loved it so much.

Best Squeaky : Outward Hound Invincibles Snakes

4.7

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The Outward Hound Invincibles Snake is joyously loud and is sure to be a favorite of any dog who likes squeaker toys. Unlike most squeakers, which have a single noisemaker, each segment of this toy has its own squeaker, which will keep making noise even if your dog manages to puncture it.

The Outward Hound squeaker toy is made from two layers of fuzzy, tough fabric, with reinforced double seams, making this a durable pick. Most dogs would have to work very hard to tear apart the Invincibles Snake, pus there's no stuffing to make a mess if they do manage it.

These come in 3-squeak, 6-squeak, and 12-squeak (ginormous) sizes. There are also other critters and shapes.

We tested a ginormous snake which was too big for many of our the dogs to actually drag or whip around. Instead, they seemed content making the squeakers squeal over and over. The puppies also liked teething on the outer seams, producing a little wear and tear after a few days of use.

Best for Smart Dogs: Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Squeaky Puzzle Plush Dog Toy

4.8

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This toy combines the challenge of a puzzle game with lots of little squeaking stuffed animals. To get to the squirrels, your dog has to pull them out of the holes in a stuffed tree. This combines the fun of a puzzle toy, plus enough little plush creatures for endless squeaking and chewing.

Our test dogs interacted with the Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel in wildly different ways, demonstrating its versatility. One of our testers was obsessed with removing each squirrel from its hiding place, only playing with the stuffed animals after every last one was pulled from the stump. Another dog just carried the whole tree around with them. A third tester was content to gnaw on a single squirrel plush, instead of bothering with the whole group.

As far as plush chew toys go, these squirrels aren't the most durable, but most dogs enjoyed interactions beyond chewing, engaging with the "puzzle game" aspect of the toy.

The Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel is available in four sizes, with each providing different play configurations. For example, the "Junior" size is a short stump with three plush squirrels, while "Ginormous" is 17 inches tall and comes with six squirrels.