Health

5 Reasons Your Vet Will Be Glad Your Dog Destroys Their Toys

Written by: Dr. Katy Nelson

April 9, 2016

It’s no secret that dogs love their toys, so we love to give them toys. They like to cuddle toys, shake their toys, carry their toys around, you name it. When we give them a toy that they destroy, we instantly get irritated that it’s already wrecked, but in our dog’s defense, it’s good for their health!

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“Play” equals exercise in a safe environment! But toys provide more than just exercise. Here’s 5 reasons your vet will be glad your dog just destroyed the gift you gave them:

1. Destroying Toys Means They’re Not Destroying Your Belongings

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Having toys to destroy is always better than having shoes or furniture destroyed. Your shoes are made of lots of small parts that could easily hurt your pup, and furniture is made of easily splintered wood or springs and nails.

2. It’s Good For Their Teeth

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Chewing helps keep dogs teeth nice and strong, and is especially useful for puppies losing their puppy teeth who need a toy to relieve the pain.

Chewing can also break down plaque on the teeth and improve overall dental health!

3. Helps Keep Them Busy and Burns Their Energy

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There’s nothing better than a tired dog, but we don’t always have the energy required to tire out our dogs, so toys are a good way to compensate. By being able to destroy their toys, they burn energy and have fun!

4. Strengthens Their Upper Body

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Besides strong teeth, thrashing and tearing apart their toys help their upper body stay nice and strong. Working these muscles is a great form of exercise and requires little effort, especially from their human counterparts.

5. Killing Their Prey

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This is, by far, the most vital reason why your dog destroying their toys is good for them. It is your dogs natural instinct to hunt. Even though you provide them with meals, their instinct is still strong within them. The thrashing of their toys is how your dog, in the wild, would capture their meal. This might seem violent coming from our adorable, deeply domesticated best-friends, but they’re still and always will be descendants of wolves.

Featured image via @eastcoastpups /Instagram

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Written by: Dr. Katy Nelson

April 9, 2016

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INNOVATIVE DOG STUFF, EVERY MONTH.

A themed collection of BARK-designed toys, treats, and chews.