We love dogs playing whether it be rolling around the floor, chasing others, or picking up objects to bite, paws, and shake them. We have seen them playing solitary, with us or with their friends.
However, they play, isn’t it delightful to see them play happily? There are various ways to make them play. One of the favorable methods is giving them playable toys. What are your views on squeaky toys? These toys are loved by many of your paw friends.
What are Squeaky Toys?
Squeak Squeak, it’s what a squeaky toy sounds like. You may have listened to it when your furry friend bites or chew it or when you yourself have squeezed it. Squeakers are concealed inside the toys which may be of any shape.
These types of toys are commonly made of rubbers, vinyl, plush, or any other unbreakable object to bite and chew. The squeaker can also be concealed inside the furry or woolen toys.
However, the toy must be flexible enough to compress the squeaker when the dog bites or chew it.
Why do Dogs like to play with Squeaky toys?
Many dogs love to play with Squeaky toys. It comes up with varieties of shapes, sizes, and textures, whether it be bone, bird, or fish shapes. This can be chosen according to your dog’s preference.
Besides, the flexibility acquired and the sound produced by the toy may be alluring to your fur mate. What may be the reason behind that? Let’s gain certain ideas that go well.
Squeaky toys equal happiness
Either they paw it with their tiny wrist or bite it with their incisors or canines, squeaky toys might be the key to your dog’s happiness. The flexible and soft texture of the toy is biteable. Dogs are glad to bite and chew them. Further, a squeaking sound produced when compressed makes your furry mate wiggle in happiness.
Probably the sound made by the toy helps in the release of dopamine and oxytocin hormones, which takes your furry friend in a joyful mood. Thus, the toy helps to maintain the good mental condition of your pet and of course yours too as your our dog’s happiness is proportional to your own, isn’t it?
Hunting instinct
Dogs love hunting as they come from the Wolves’ ancestry and seem to acquire the hunting instinct from their ancestors. The squeaking toy serves as ideal prey for hunting with its flexible and biteable texture yet hard enough to tear apart.
These toys just seem to be the perfect prey for our hunter friend as it activates their hunting animal instincts which make them bite, chew and scrape the toy. It is quite fantastic seeing our paw buddy playing in such a way.
This will let your dogs be in their natural instinct for hunting which is not possible everywhere, not probably at home, isn’t it? Thus, this squeaking toy friend is an ideal fit for your paw buddy at your home.
The sound pleases the dogs
We all are aware that dogs have better hearing than humans. They can exactly feel the presence of people or things around us before we know it. To be exact, they can detect the frequency between 47,000 to 65,000 Hz. when humans cannot hear frequency greater than 20,000 Hz.
They have the ability to hear the sound independently with each ear which they can easily reposition. They also have the ability to filter other sounds and focus exactly on the sound they want to hear.
All these features signify how precise dogs can be on the matter of sounds. Therefore, hearing the high-pitched sound can actually please them. Also, the squeaking sounds of the toy seem to resemble fearful or injured prey. This turns the fur buddy into a hunting mode.
Ways to make your dogs play with Squeaky Toys
A solitary game
Your fur buddy may have to be alone for a longer period of time. One of the solutions to make him engaged may be Squeaky toys. You may leave your dog with this peeping toy and let them play. Your dog may find the sound very pleasant to play with.
The toy is flexible enough to be bitten and chewed which dogs may assume as their prey. Thus this can let them enjoy their natural instinct.
Play yourself
You must have noticed your pet generally playing just next to you. Your furry friend is indeed fond of your attention. As a pet parent, you must be keen to make your pet happy, so why not give them what they want?
The perfect way to give them attention is to play with it. Give them your little time and also a squeaky toy could be helpful for that. You may consider playing a tug, or toy chasing. Well, this can be a good way to bond with your pet.
Toy Chasing
Our furry friend is fond of chasing the toy. Remember the time when you throw something a little far and your dog brings it back wagging his tail? Well, it may be more fun throwing squeaky toys. You would squeak it yourself, throw it and your paw buddies would bring it back squeaking with it between their canines.
This quality moment between you and your friend is the most cherishing and the squeaking sound of the toy adds more enjoyment to it.
Play with furry mates
Recall the time when your fur buddy plays with other furry friends. What else could add more adventure to that play? What about the squeaky toys? The constant squeaking sound and the quarrel between them for a toy would be worth watching.
This is also a way to uplift the motor skill of pups when they play with their mates.
Perks of Squeaky toys games
Improves dental health
When your dog constantly chews the toy, it massages and relaxes the teeth and gums of your pet. Research has shown that the dogs who actively chew toys have relatively lesser plague than the dogs who don’t chew them.
Isn’t it great to attain good dental health in the most fun way? It obviously is, your dogs may not be aware of this, but you are. So why wait? Give them something to chew!
Improve the metabolism
There is a constant movement when you or any other fur friend play with your pet along with a squeaky toy. This help to enhance the metabolism of your pet friend.
Pets involved actively in play have a higher metabolism rate and are found to be healthier than passive pets. Thus playing with your pets have a good effect on their health, nevertheless, it enhances your health too.
Release of good hormones
As your dog squeak the toy, the squeaking sound lets your pet in a joyful mood. Well, it might be due to the release of dopamine and oxytocin hormones on listening to the squeaking sound.
Thus, the sound of the favorite toy of your paw buddy can actually release the good hormones, therefore helping in its mental health.
Cons of Squeaky toys
Well, the toy is handy in so many conditions. With so many pros, it comes with certain cons too. The major con is that it is commonly made up of plastic and rubber materials which cause an adverse effect on the dogs.
Your furry friend may continuously bite it, tore it apart, and hence swallow the outer part and also the inside squeaker. This is very bad for their digestive health, it may choke them and even lead them to adverse conditions.
Are squeaky toys safe for dogs?
Squeaky toys are generally safe for dogs but also depend on dogs to dogs. If your dog has a high prey drive, the dog probably has the instinct to ‘kill’ the squeaker inside it. They may not stop until the squeaker is wrecked and it stops squeaking.
Well, some dogs may not stop until here, they may swallow the squeaker. It is dangerous, you should take it to the vet as soon as possible. The vet would probably give the medicine that causes vomiting that causes the squeaker to come out.
Make sure the material used in making the toy is good and does not affect the dogs when swallowed. Mostly, toys are made up of synthetic plastic materials which may be very harmful to your furry friends.
Do all dogs like squeakers?
Well, every dog may not like squeaking toys. Some of them may be afraid of it, we can take some small puppies as an example. Similarly, some may feel irritation with its sound. Also, dogs lose their hearing capacity as they get old, this might also be the reason behind the irritation they feel.
It is not even necessary for every dog to like the toy with a squeaker. It’s just like some of us humans do not like footballs or basketball.
You should not be worried about your furry mate not playing with the toy, It is completely normal for the dogs not to like these toys. Some of them may like other games rather than these squeaking toys.
Precautions and Maintenance
The squeaking toys are often made of plastics and rubbers which must not be allowed to be shallowed as they may be harmful to your pet. They must be checked from time to time. It should be thrown if it is torn apart. Also, the toys which are heavily chewed should be discarded.
The toys should be cleaned with a dishwasher and warm water. This process should clean and kill the germs present in the toy. Some squeaking toys, stuffed inside the wool must be washed either hand wash or in the washing machine.