A teething puppy is not being naughty, it is in discomfort, and it will chew whatever is nearest unless something better is nearer. This is soft rubber rather than hard nylon, which is the point: it gives under a milk tooth, and the texture works on the gum where the pain actually is.
Key Benefits
- Soft enough to compress under milk teeth, which hard nylon toys are not
- Textured surface that rubs the gum line while the dog chews
- Squeaker gives it a reason to be picked up in the first place
- Bounces unpredictably, so it doubles as something to chase in a small garden
- Rinses clean, and it can go in the freezer for half an hour, which helps a sore mouth more than the toy itself does
Best For
- Puppies from about twelve weeks, when the adult teeth start pushing through
- Dogs that need something legal to chew while the sofa is being defended
- Redirecting a chewer, which only works if the right thing is closer than the wrong thing
How It Works
Give it while you are there and watch what the dog does with it. A puppy that gnaws is using it correctly; one that tries to crush and swallow it is telling you the ball is too small for its mouth. Half an hour in the freezer beforehand makes it noticeably more interesting to a teething dog.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Cheap, soft enough for young mouths, gets picked up because of the squeak, and easy to keep clean.
Cons: The squeaker is the first thing to fail, and once it goes, some dogs lose interest in what is now a plain ball. This is not a toy for an adult power chewer – soft rubber is exactly what they are best at destroying – and it replaces a treat-stuffing stick, so if the point for you was hiding food in it to make chewing last, this does not do that.
Things to Consider
- Size it so the ball cannot sit at the back of the throat: if it fits entirely inside the mouth, it is too small
- Check it weekly and bin it once the rubber is torn rather than gluing on more life
- Freezing helps a teething puppy; frozen hard toys do not, they bruise gums
- Prices, availability and shipping times are set by the AliExpress seller and can change
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