5 great toys to help train your dog

Weve provided a list of 5 great toys to help train your dog

Training your dog should be rewarding for both you and your dog so why not have fun with it.

Its important to note that its not the toys by themselves that train the dog. Its the way you interact with your dog using the toy that achieves the desired outcome.

You can substitute any of our recommended toys for alternatives. We’ve had a hard time narrowing it down, and there’s a lot of substitutes you can use, but we’ve tried to give you our top 5 toys:

Flirt Pole

A flirt pole is a stick with a tug toy attached to the end of it. You can use it to play and have fun but we also use it to teach the dog ‘proximity’. What we mean by proximity is where your dog should ‘play’ when left off the leash. Keeping your dog close to you at all times helps with loose leash walking should you want to get to that point.

Fetch toys

These toys help with training your dog to leave certain things alone. Whether its your favourite shoes or your furniture, a squeaky tug of war toy can help distract them and train them to obey the ‘leave it’ cue.

Licky Mat

A licky mat is a silicone suction mat that you can add your dogs favourite spread to. Whether its peanut butter or vegemite, just smear it on and help your dog bring down the level of their anxiety. We sometimes use it to help dogs get in to the car, or keep them calm while they’re driving.

Ball

any ball can be used to excite your dog to improve their obedience. I know that may sound counter productive. When we train any dog, we want them to respond in any environment. Even if they’re super excited. We use balls to get dogs super excited and then continue to train them to ensure they can respond.

Snuffle mat

A snuffle mat is a simple mat with multiple folds to hide treats. It can be used for a number of purposes. It can mainly help dogs use their scent skills to find food.