7 Must Have Toys for Pugs and How to Shop for The Best

One of the most important aspects of your Pug’s life is playtime. Finding the right toys for Pugs can be challenging, especially, if you’ve never bought a dog toy in your life. Today, we’re going to look at some of the Pugs favorite toys and I’ll even share what some of Mindy’s favorites were.

But first, let’s take a quick look at some things you need to consider before you go shopping. If you’re looking for a playpen for your pet, check these out.

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Finding the Right Play Toys

It’s easy to think that your canine friend can play with any toy you find online or in the pet store. However, you’ll want to make sure your due diligence and make sure you’re keeping your pet safe when shopping for their toys.

When you’re shopping for toys for your children you want to make sure that they are age appropriate. Well, this is the same thing for your furbaby. It’s important to make sure you find the right ones for your pooch to help prevent accidental ingestion.

Features to Look for In A Pug Toy

Life Stage

Like children’s toys, dog toys are grouped by life stage; puppy, adult, and senior. Manufacturers make it easy for pet owners to find the right toys for their dogs. The most common life stage toys are geared towards puppies, especially, the teething stage.

These types of toys are geared towards redirecting their chewing issues, so they don’t chew on your shoes or furniture. Teething toys are designed of material that is soft and cool to help soothe aching gums. Here are some of the best chew toys for Pugs.

You wouldn’t want to purchase these types of toys for your adult dog because they are not designed to withstand adult-size jaws.

Strength and Durability

Toys vary from plush to durable power chewing material like the Kong toys. We never had any trouble with Mindy chewing her toys and destroying them. We did have to find toys that could withstand different elements because she loved taking her toys outside.

One of her favorite toys was the KONG Rubber Ball. We used to take it outside and play with her when she was younger. There were several times when we would forget about it and it would stay outside for several days and it lasted for several years.

Most new pet owners will get Pug plush toys because they are cute and inexpensive. The downside with plush toys is they are easily destroyed and some dogs will even swallow the stuffing.

When shopping for plush toys, make sure they have reinforced seams that will be difficult for your pet to destroy.

Sound

The most common sound that dog toys make is a squeaker. However, you can find some that grunt or crackle, and some even allow owners to record their own voices for playback.

We bought Mindy the JW Bad Cuz Dog Toy, which became annoying quickly. Mindy loved that toy and would lay on her pet bed just squeaking it like crazy. We eventually had to hide her toy from her because we couldn’t stand it anymore.

She looked for it for days and I felt very bad, but it was nice to have peace and quiet again. If you do get your pet a squeaker, make sure you supervise them while playing. Some dogs will try to demolish the toy to get the squeaker, which should NEVER be digested.

Size

Small dog toys can be a hazard for any dog. Balls, puzzle toys and small chew toys can be a choking hazard for Fido. Make sure you check the packaging, the toy’s label will indicate the approximate size and weight of the dog that the toy is suited for.

If you’re still unsure of what size to get them, opt for the larger toy which will be difficult to swallow.

7 Must-Have Toys for Pugs

Best Toys for Pug Puppies

Nothing is more fun than watching your new pup playing with toys and knowing that they wont cause any damage to your furniture. Every pet owner will want to invest in some Nylabone Puppy Dog Teething Chew Toys. It’s a great way to train your puppy what they can chew and what they can’t.

If you leave your puppy at home during the day, you may want to invest in a SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy Behavioral Aid Toy. Mindy had a plush toy she loved when she was a puppy.

She slept with it and it kept her company while being in her kennel when we weren’t home. She also had a favorite blanket that we put in her kennel that kept her quiet at night and comfortable during the day.

Pug Dog Toys

As your pooch ages, they will need toys that are age appropriate. Mindy’s toy basket was full of toys, but there were only a few of them that she actually loved playing with.

If you’re looking for a new toy to keep your pooch company, you may want to consider some No Stuffing Squeaky Plush Dog Toys. If your dog is anything like mine was, these toys will keep them busy for hours. The best part is that they do not have any stuffing, so you won’t have to worry about your dog swallowing the material.

Younger adult Pugs will enjoy these KONG Air Dog Tennis Balls. We could never teach Mindy to play fetch, but she loved chasing after tennis balls and playing keep away from us.

Do Older Pugs Love Playing With Toys?

One of the things we noticed with Mindy was that she lost interest in playing with her toys around the last two years of her life. Instead of playing, she would spend more time sleeping.

We still kept her active by taking her for short walks for exercise. But we pretty much just let her do what she wanted which was pretty much just hang outside with us on the porch.

Keeping Your Safe When Playing with Pug Toys

If you’ve purchased a brand new toy for your pet, you’ll want to supervise them to make sure it doesn’t present any hazards. One of the first things that most dogs do is try to swallow the toy.

Never give your dog a new toy and leave them unattended. Watch them to make sure that it doesn’t post any hazards.

What If Your Pug Swallows The Toy

If your dog swallows something they enjoy chewing like rope toys or tennis balls, it can be a scary situation. We never had to deal with this issue, but here’s what I found online after doing some research.

If your dog is chocking and is in respiratory distress, you’ll want to know how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on them.
Open their mouth and check for any foreign objects that may be causing them to choke. Hopefully, you can remove the object without any issues.
If you see a string, thread, or cord hanging out of their mouth, do not pull or cut it. This can cause an injury to their throat or esophagus.
Call your veterinarian immediately. If you have pet insurance, your plan should cover an emergency trip to remove the foreign object from their throat.

Regardless of whether you have pet insurance, you’ll want to take your Pug to the vet to make sure that this experience did not cause any damage.

How to Help A Choking Dog

Here’s a quick video that will walk you through step-by-step on how to help your choking dog. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use it, but it’s always good to know when you’re a pet owner.

Conclusion

Watching your Pug play with a brand new toy or get excited when you show them their new toy can be exciting. However, make sure that you’re aware of the dangers that most new pet owners are unaware of.

Whether you’re buying you’re shopping online or take your dog to Petco, or Petsmart, make sure you read the labels of the products before buying.

We never had any issues with Mindy swallowing a toy, but she did try to swallow paper or fabric one time. Dogs are curious creatures and just like kids, they need to be watched to ensure they are kept safe and out of harm’s way.