The 17 Best Dog Toys of 2023

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 pushing it around and would fetch and 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. Dogs that weren’t typically interested in this toy 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.

West Paw makes many different durable toys like the Qwizl and it seems like so many dog owners have their favorites. There’s the Bumi, an S-shaped boomerang-looking toy that is great for heavy-duty fetch. And lots of puppy fosters can’t live without the Toppl, a cup-like toy where you can tuck in treats or freeze a mix of kibble with yogurt or peanut butter for a long-lasting snack or dinner.

Price at Time of Publish: $25 (Large)

_{Sizes: 5.5 inches (small), 6.5 inches (large) | Colors: Blue, green, orange | Materials: Plastic}

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, they’ll probably find a way to destroy this one, too. But for cuddlers and squeakers, this is a great choice.

My dog has unwillingly shared his Cozies with dozens of foster puppies. As hard as they’ve tried, the most damage they’ve done is shred an ear or an antler. They make great snuggle buddies.

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.

Price at Time of Publish: $19

_{Sizes: Small, medium, extra large | Colors: Various | Materials: Fabric, polyester}

Best Big Ball

Jolly Pets Tug-n-Toss Dog Toy

4.2

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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. Herding dogs that like to chase and carry are especially likely to enjoy a Tug-n-Toss ball, such as 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.

Price at Time of Publish: $18 (Large)

_{Sizes: 4.5 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches | Colors: Purple, red, blue, light blue, green, orange, red | Materials: Plastic}

Best for Fetch

Chuckit! Classic Ball Launcher

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.

Distinctive Chuckit! orange balls are made with tough extra-thick rubber with a lot of bounce and durability. With any ball, make sure they are big enough so they don’t slip down your pup’s throat and become a choking risk, Smith cautions.

Smith likes Chuckit! balls much better than regular tennis balls. “They're made with such a high friction surface that they're able to grind down teeth!” she says of standard tennis balls.

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.

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

Price at Time of Publish: $9

_{Sizes: 14 inches, 18 inches, 25 inches, 26 inche's | Colors: Blue and orange | Materials: Plastic, rubber}

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 it.

The real appeal of the Hear Doggy Silent Squeaker 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 Silent Squeaker as a chew toy; 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.

Price at Time of Publish: $13

_{Sizes: 3.5 x 8.5 x 13 inches | Colors: Varies | Materials: Fabric}

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, 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.

Price at Time of Publish: $20 (Large)

_{Sizes: Small, medium, large, giant | Colors: Brown | Materials: Nylon}

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. They whipped it around, hurled it, shook it mightily, and carried the flattened fox with them wherever they went. While the squeaker in the Skinneeez is adequate, dogs seemed to enjoy its limp form more, since it's 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 come 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 Skinneeez was constantly soggy with slobbery, and 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, 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.

Price at Time of Publish: $12

_{Sizes: 14 inches, 23 inches | Colors: Varies | Materials: Cotton and polyester}

Best Squeaky

Outward Hound Invincibles Snakes

4.7

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The Outward Hound Invincibles Snake is joyously loud and 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. It will even 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. Thankfully, 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 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. But no matter how much dogs toss and chew the Invincibles Snake, the seemingly unbreakable squeaker never stops.

Price at Time of Publish: $11 (Extra-large)

_{Sizes: 24.5 x 2 x 4 inches (large), 40 x 4 x 2 inches (extra-large), 70 x 2 x 5 inches (ginormous) | Colors: Blue, pink, orange, pink, turquoise, green | Materials: Fabric}

Best Interactive

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. In order 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, such as 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.

Price at Time of Publish: $26 (Ginormous)

_{Sizes: Small, medium, large, ginormous | Colors: Light brown and green | Materials: Fabric}

Best Splurge

Fable The Game

4.2

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The Game, from pet product manufacturer Fable, is a treat and kibble dispenser with a solid bottom that rocks back and forth as your dog nudges it with a nose or a paw. Several of our test dogs had used these types of toys before and immediately went to work, pushing and pawing at The Game as it wobbled across the floor.

You can vary the size of the opening where the treats pop out to make it easier or harder based on the size of the food. It significantly slowed down how long it took each of the dogs to eat their meals. One tester puppy had never tried a dispensing toy before but was soon mesmerized after a few minutes of practice with the Fable toy.

The Game has a very heavy base that helps keep it upright. However, it can be loud when placed on non-carpeted floors. It also required a little more active oversight than you might suspect, since our tester dogs immediately started chewing on the Fable toy once it stopped dispensing food. While this didn't damage its operation, it did leave behind some deep scratches on The Game's surface.

The Game can hold up to 1.5 cups of dry food, making it suitable for snacking or whole meals.

Price at Time of Publish: $55

_{Sizes: 6.25 x 4.75 inches | Colors: Green, navy, gray, blush, purple | Materials: Plastic and rubber}

Best Teething Toy

Nylabone Puppy Chill & Chew Puppy Teething Toy

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When puppies are teething, they want to gnaw on anything they can find. This teething toy offers relief for tender gums while saving your fingers, chair legs, and anything else that looks tempting. Just put it in the freezer until it’s frozen, then let your puppy chew. It has soft bristles to soothe gums and a lamb and apple flavor to entice your puppy.

The toy turns orange when it’s frozen and then gradually becomes yellow when it thaws. That helps you figure out when it’s time to pop it in the freezer again. Always supervise puppies. The material is for gentle chewers and pieces can be broken off by a more aggressive chewer.

Price at Time of Publish: $9

_{Sizes: Puppy (6.5 x 4 x 0.75 inches) | Colors: Yellow | Materials: Plastic}

Best Chaser Toy

Tug-e-Nuff Sheepskin Chaser Tug

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Some dogs live for a good game of chase. They run after each other, after squirrels, or after anything that moves. This chaser tug lets you motivate your dog to jump, run, and play. It has a double-bungee cord that bounces and withstands lots of yanking. That stretchiness protects your dog’s neck and your own shoulder. At the very tip is a sheepskin toy for your pup to chase and grab.

The chaser has a long, cushioned handle so you don’t have to bend down to play with your pup. It comes in four bright colors: green, orange, and pink. Smith particularly likes this toy for dogs that love to play tug.

Price at Time of Publish: $34

_{Sizes: One (47 inches long) | Colors: Green, blue, purple, yellow | Materials: Webbing, sheepskin}

Best Automatic

PetSafe Automatic Ball Launcher

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Automatic ball launchers let your dog play fetch over and over again. They keep your pup entertained while saving your shoulder from all that throwing. This PetSafe launcher lets you choose how far the ball goes and how high it goes up in the air. You can choose nine different distances and six different angles to determine where and how each ball is launched. The launcher has sounds to help train your pup to be ready to run because the ball is about to be tossed.

There’s a safety motion sensor that protects anyone that is standing as far as 7 feet in front of the launcher. To keep your dog from overdoing it, there’s a sleep mode that comes on after about 15 minutes of play. It rests for 15 minutes before launching again. The launcher can be plugged into an outlet or it works on battery. It holds up to three balls at once and fits most standard-sized tennis balls.

Price at Time of Publish: $140

_{Sizes: One size (12 x 12 x 12 inches) | Colors: Gray and purple | Materials: Plastic}

Best Set

P.L.A.Y. Toy Collections

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These whimsical toy collections from P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle and You) are ridiculously cute and fun. Each set has a theme—like garden vegetables, brunch, safari animals, fast food, and monsters. The toys are colorful, durable, and unusual. They have crinkles and squeakers and all sorts of different textures. Some are even interactive, like the French fries that come in and out of the container.

P.L.A.Y. is known for its sustainable dog beds made with filling from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. The filler on these toys is made from the same eco-friendly materials. Everything can be cleaned in the washer and is dryer-friendly.

Price at Time of Publish: $37 (American classics)

_{Sizes: Various | Colors: Assorted | Materials: Fabric, polyester, recycled filling}

Best Puzzle Toy

Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Brick Puzzle Game Dog Toy

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For smart pups, these Nina Ottosson puzzle games let them show off their brains. Tuck some treats or kibble in the crannies or under the lids and let your dog figure out how to get to them. Some dogs are brilliant and are nosing open drawers and pushing levers right away. Some figure out quickly to dump the whole toy upside-down and see what falls out.

There are four skill levels: easy, intermediate, advanced, and expert. This level 2 toy is a good option with sliders to maneuver and lids to lift. You can challenge your pet at meal time or keep them busy when they’re bored. The toys are dishwasher safe and easy to clean.

Price at Time of Publish: $12

_{Sizes: One (12.75 x 9.25 x 2 inches) | Colors: Turquoise, red, and white | Materials: Plastic}

Best Snuffle Toy

DogNMat Taco Snuffle Dog Toy

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Snuffle mats have shag-like strips of fleece and nooks and crannies where you can tuck in treats and kibble and keep your dog entertained while they sniff them out. You can unroll this cute taco then tuck food into the fabric cheese and lettuce or into one of the many other hiding spots. But it’s not just about finding food. The taco has a squeaker and lots of crinkly areas to make it a fun toy.

This mat comes gift-wrapped like an actual taco. The seller also has lots of other creative designs including sushi, a tea party, and a picnic. You can have them customized with your pet’s name and they have closures to roll them up when playtime is over. They are machine washable and can go in the dryer.

Price at Time of Publish: $30

_{Sizes: One (about 12 inches diameter) | Colors: Green, yellow, maroon | Materials: Fabric}