Fetch, Tug, Plush or Chew: Which American Dog Toy Fits Your Dog

American Dog splits its catalogue into four families: flyers and balls for fetch, ballistic and seatbelt tugs for pulling, soft plush for carrying, and tough woven toys for hard mouths. Which fits your dog comes down to one question. What does he do with a toy once he has it? Retrievers bring it back, tuggers plant their feet, carriers take it to bed, and hard mouths look for a seam. Match the family to the habit.

Fetch toys: for the dog who brings it back

Fetch toys are about flight, visibility and whether it floats. Chew resistance barely matters: a real retriever is just waiting for the next throw.

The fetch obsessed dog

The Mile High Flyer is an eight inch 1000D nylon disc that squeaks, floats and flies. The American Pie Flyer and Texas Flyer are the same build in different prints. If your dog prefers a ball, the Pickle Ball is a four inch squeaky fetch ball. The family lives in Flyers and Fetch Balls.

The moderate chewer who also fetches

Plenty of dogs retrieve and then settle down for a gnaw. Flyin' Fish and Tommy Turtle pair a 1000D nylon front with a minky fleece back, and both squeak and float.

Tug toys: for the dog who plants his feet

A tug is a two player toy. It needs a handle you can grip, enough length to keep teeth away from your hand, and no filling.

The tug lover

The Double Bungee Tug is nineteen inches with a handle at each end and stretches to twenty four. Seatbelt webbing is the other strong answer. The Seatbelt 2-Tone Figure 8 Tug and the Seatbelt Quad Flopper use automotive seatbelt webbing rated at six thousand pounds that will not rot or mildew outdoors. Browse Seatbelt Tugs and Flyers and Tug Toys.

The power chewer who tugs

The Infinity Tug is the crossover pick, a fourteen inch figure eight in 1680 by 1680 ballistic fabric, four layers, double stitched and squeakerless. The Fire Hose Dog Toy Tugs use genuine fire hose with a seven inch ballistic handle, aimed at dogs over thirty pounds.

Plush toys: for the dog who carries it to bed

Plush suits gentle mouthers and carriers, the dogs who squeak a toy, parade it around and sleep on it. American Dog is explicit that these are not for aggressive chewers.

The gentle mouther

The Allie Gator is seventeen inches of minky fleece with a crinkle instead of a squeaker. Cliff the Cat is the same build, and despite the name it is a dog toy shaped like a cat. The Nuggle Ball is a five inch squeaky fleece ball that floats. See the rest in Plush and Nuggle Toys.

The senior or small dog

Older and smaller dogs usually want less toy rather than a tougher one, because weight and jaw span matter more. Nuggle Hearts starts at a four inch small, and Nuggle Bones comes in small, medium and large. American Dog also makes beds, crate pads and drool boxes in Beds, Crate Pads and Drool Boxes, and collars, leashes and bandanas in Collars, Leashes and Bandanas.

Chew: what the tough toys actually are

This family needs honesty. American Dog does not sell a chew toy in the sense of something you leave down for a dog to grind on alone. It sells interactive toys built for hard play, and its own pages state that no dog toy is indestructible.

The aggressive chewer

If your dog opens a seam in an afternoon, skip stuffing. The Catapult Cage is an open ballistic frame you can drop a ball inside, same fabric and build as the Infinity Tug. The Hammer is a fourteen inch ballistic tug and fetch toy, and the Bungee Bone stretches twelve inches to sixteen. More in Bones and Flag Bones and Garage and Tool Toys.

What tough does not mean

Tough is not a guarantee. Supervise these sessions and retire the toy once a layer opens or a piece comes loose.

Puppies: start small and interactive

Puppies outgrow toys fast, so buy small and buy a few. The Lucky Dog Toys range is sized for this. The Lucky Dog Figure 8 Seatbelt Tug is a real two loop tug at puppy scale, and the Lucky Dog Snail Tug Plushie is five and a half inches of plush with a web handle.

Size the toy to the dog

Whichever family you pick, size it properly. A toy your dog can fit entirely inside his mouth is the wrong toy. Da Bone is sized by weight, medium for dogs up to fifty five pounds and large above that.

How ordering works

These toys are not ours. Handmade in the USA by American Dog, our Denver partner brand, and shipped from Denver, usually within five to seven business days. Not made by Sniff and Shift. A toy ships separately from the rest of your order with its own tracking, and shipping for it is calculated at checkout. Toys are not eligible for our free local delivery. Treats still ship from us in Pennsylvania. For the full story read Meet American Dog, or browse American Dog Toys.

Add treats to the toy

A new tug is a good excuse to teach a clean drop, which goes faster with something worth trading for. Our freeze dried dog treats are single ingredient, break into small pieces and survive a pocket. They ship from us, not from Denver.

Common questions

What is the best fetch toy for my dog?

For most dogs a disc that flies and floats, such as the Mile High Flyer or American Pie Flyer, both eight inch 1000D nylon. If your dog would rather chase a ball, the Pickle Ball is a four inch squeaky fetch ball that also floats.

Are tugging toys good for dogs?

Tug is a two player game, so it is a way to play with your dog rather than leave him to it. Use a toy with a real handle and enough length to keep teeth away from your hand, and teach a clean drop so you can end the game.

Are dog plush toys good for dogs?

For gentle mouthers and carriers, with supervision, yes. American Dog states on its plush pages that these are best for gentle players and not for aggressive chewers. Check the seams and retire the toy if stuffing is coming out.

What are the best toys to keep puppies entertained?

Small, light and interactive. The Lucky Dog range is sized for puppies, and rotating two or three toys keeps them more interesting than leaving them all out. Keep every session supervised.

Do American Dog toys ship with my Sniff and Shift treats?

No, they arrive separately. Handmade in the USA by American Dog, our Denver partner brand, and shipped from Denver, usually within five to seven business days. Not made by Sniff and Shift. Toys are not eligible for our free local delivery, and shipping for them is calculated at checkout.