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As a dog trainer with four dogs, I am constantly looking for high-quality and engaging dog toys. My favorite toys keep my dogs interested but can also hold up to constant use.
I came across Tug-E-Nuff toys by a suggestion from another dog trainer. I was excited to try out these toys, especially since they had two of my favorite types of toys for playing and training:
Tug toys on a bungee
This is one of my favorite interactive toys for giving my dogs a play outlet. I also recommend them a lot for puppies that like to mouth on people and clothes. This company offers different versions of this with faux, sheepskin, and rabbit fur.
Treat dispensing soft ball
I had a similar toy when training puppies to go into a scent detection program. Most agencies wanted working dogs that were toy-motivated, and this toy could help build interest in a toy by using a dog’s food drive.
So, I immediately ordered the following toys from their online catalog:
Introducing Our Dog Toy Testers
Two Adorable & Adoptable Shelter Dogs
My dogs love all toys and are used to all of my games. I wanted to see if dogs without as much access to toys would enjoy them, too.
I enlisted the help of two shelter dogs that came to visit K9 Turbo Training, where I teach classes. My colleague, Melissa Chesser, hosts Shelter Breaks at the facility. Volunteers can bring in a dog from their shelter for playtime (complete with toys, sports equipment, and enrichment activities).
I asked Melissa if I could hang out with her and introduce these toys to a few visiting dogs. And, of course, love on some wonderful rescue dogs.
So please meet my adorable toy testers:
Meet Leon!
Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit brought Leon for his visit. He has been waiting so long to find his forever home that they recently sent him to the Animal Rescue Project in Kalamazoo to get new eyes on him. This guy is so sweet and smart (he has been taught so many tricks!) I can’t believe someone hasn’t snapped him up!
Meet Smoke!
This handsome man is Smoke! Smoke is from Detroit Dog Rescue. He came in a little overwhelmed but quickly realized that there were lots of fun things to play with!
While I was first interested in Tug-E-Nuff because of their bungee toys, when I browsed their website, this was the first toy that caught my eye.
I spent a few years training puppies in a scent-detection training program. Most agencies that use scent detection dogs prefer to use toys as their K9’s rewards. So when we had a dog that wasn’t interested in toys, we utilized treat dispensing toys to build more excitement with them.
While we would train with rubber toys such as Kongs, it is not as easy to get dogs to engage and play with them if they are not toy-motivated.
A soft toy that holds treats can really help make toys more fun for food-motivated dogs.
Why would you want to build your dog’s toy drive?
- If your dog gets excited about toys, you can use them as rewards in training. While you can always use food, I love to mix up my dog’s reward.
- Some dogs don’t know how to play with toys. Once they learn, it can open up a whole new world to them.
What I liked about the Clam is that it is tougher than many stuffed dog toys. This is key, as once they realize there are treats inside this toy, they are apt to chew on it.
When we offered our test dogs the Clam, they ran around and played with it. They were too busy chasing it to spend time sniffing out the treats! While they were certainly having fun, I wanted them to experience the benefits of sniffing (which includes reducing stress, lowering heart rate, and releasing endorphins).
We must make it clear when we want to show a dog how to play with a toy. A couple of simple games will help your dog catch on.
Intro game #1
Leon was busy fetching and chasing, so we wanted to make it easy for him to realize The Clam held a yummy treat. We used a larger treat and put it half inside the ball, but with plenty sticking out.
Intro game #2
Smoke watched me fill the ball with snacks and was excited to find the treats.
After figuring it out, Smoke chased the toy around and got all the snacks out each time!
So, Would I Buy This Toy For My Dogs?
Yes!
I have four dogs of my own, with a variety of drives. My greyhound, Buddie, is not as efficient at finding toys as his canine siblings. So, this toy has helped develop a better toy search.
Being a sighthound, he often relies on his eyes to track down his toys, which is not bad. I just wanted him to have variety and encourage him to sniff.
With the Clam, I was able to teach him to play hide and seek with toys out of his sight so he would be more prone to use his nose.
My other dogs wanted to play with this, too. I have to hide it from my lab and chihuahua to find it when I want to train with it! They both love toys. And toys that hold food are even better. So I ordered another one for them.
Bonus Game: Hide and Seek
The Clam is the perfect game to start teaching your food-motivated dog to hunt for toys. Here is how I taught Buddie hide and seek:
After doing some initial intro to the toy with Buddie (I did a combination of the games I used with Leon and Smoke), he started to make the association between the Clam = treats. These were the next steps:
With Buddie next to me, I tossed the ball just a foot in front of me and told him to “find it.” Because he already knew the Clam had snacks, he went for it. I praised him as he got his treats out. We repeated this a few times.
In the next session, we started with step #1 for a few reps. Then I started throwing the toy further, saying, “Find it.” He could still see where it landed. We repeated this a few times, making sure to throw the toy in different directions and vary the distance while still keeping it in view.
In our next session, we started with step # 2. Then I put him in a stay (or you can have someone hold your dog) while I placed it just out of view (around a corner or right behind a piece of furniture). He could see me place it. He was released when I said, “Find it.” He would go to where he saw me place it and then scan it. I started to see his nose working, too! We mixed in some easier finds (like those done in the first two steps).
As the dog is successful, you can start making them search a little bit more. Be careful not to push them too far or too fast. A good sign they’re enjoying the game is their excitement level when they search. Buddie would also throw the ball around in between searches, so I knew he was having fun.
I love to use toys that give dogs an outlet for their prey drive. I am a huge advocate of flirt poles for this very reason.
But a flirt pole can be big and cumbersome. They have a stick (usually around 3’ to 5’). With a 10’ to 20’ cord that holds a toy. You move the toy around by the pole so the toy moves similarly to prey. Most dogs love to chase and grab the toy. But my house is small, so I only use these outside.
Then I came across chase toys on a long handle, similar to the Bright Fauxtastic. I ordered a few, and my dogs loved them. They were short enough to play with in the house. But they fell apart quickly. The straps were usually a loose web, and my dogs bit through them in a week.
The handles on Tug-E-Nuff’s chase toys are bungee wrapped with strong webbing. The bungee made it much easier on my arm when playing tug. And the handle still looks like new after 2 weeks of play.
What did our testers think? Here they are playing with the Bright Fauxtastic Tug:
Tug-E-Nuff has several versions of this style toy. I got the faux fur version, but I recommend the sheepskin or rabbit skin if your dog is more challenging to motivate with toys.
So, Would I Buy This Toy For My Dogs?
I would, but the next time, I would purchase one of the longer chase toys. The Bright Fauxtastic is 22.5 inches long, and I prefer a longer version. As you may have noticed in the video, I am hunched over trying to play. Their similar Faux Fur Bungee Chaser Tug is about 47 inches long.
The length makes this more comfortable for humans, and if you have a dog that is still mouthy, you want more distance between the bite area and the handle.
This shorter version has worked well in puppy class, though. If the puppies are playing together and one puppy is more wild, I will engage them with the toy while I sit on the floor to take the pressure off of the other puppies. With the shorter handle, I can direct them by having more control over the toy’s movement.
Bonus Game For Mouthing Puppies
This toy is excellent for young puppies that like to mouth on you or your clothes.
As I sat in puppy class one day, a puppy approached, wanting to interact… he was looking at my hands like chew toys, so I started shaking the toy (trying to make it move like a dying squirrel),which immediately changed the game for him—and saved my hand!
If you have a puppy that likes to chase you down the hallway, biting your pant leg, this toy will be your best friend.
Carry this with you, and as your puppy approaches, drop the toy and drag it next to you, shaking it a bit to grab your dog’s attention.
Your puppy will go for the toy instead of your pants or feet. They’ll find this much more fun, and you can build a new habit that is more human-friendly!
In Conclusion
I was super impressed by these interactive toys and will be ordering more! They will soon be releasing a waterproof dummy. I have a dog that is an avid dock diver and loves to tug, so I am excited to try out this toy, too.
I also recommend you check out the education area of Tug-E-Nuff’s website. They have some excellent videos about more games you can play with their toys. I am sure you will find a few games both you and your dog enjoy.
So, try out a toy or two and see how your dog comes alive with some new games!
