5 Unique Puppy Toys

Puppy owners know how important it is to keep that mouth occupied! Puppies have a lot of energy, and sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do with it all.

Here are a few unconventional puppy “pacifiers” I recommend for entertaining your puppy and keeping your house intact.

#1 Ice Cubes

This is super easy and cute! Some puppies get so hooked on playing with ice cubes that they’ll come running when they hear the ice machine dispense or the freezer door open.

Ice cubes are a fairly safe entertainment option for your pup, but they aren’t without some risks. Check out this article for safety considerations and other homemade frozen dog treat ideas.

#2 Carrots

These are cheap and completely edible so you don’t have to worry about your puppy ingesting his toy instead of just playing with it.

Get the full-sized ones to reduce the risk of choking and supervise closely (a bully-stick holder makes them even safer).

These can also be lightly frozen for added challenge.

#3 Apple Slices

These disappear fast, but they’re still good. Be ready to capture your puppy’s first taste on video — it’s cute to watch them bounce around and try to figure it out!

Prepping this pacifier is also a great time to work on kitchen manners. As you’re cutting the apple, toss your pup a little piece for watching nicely instead of jumping on you or the kitchen cabinets.

#4 Head of Cabbage or Heart of Romaine

If your puppy likes to shred things, give this a shot!

It’s quite messy, but worth it for keeping your pup occupied and putting a smile on your face. To make clean up slightly easier, let the shreds dry out a bit before sweeping or vacuuming.

#5 Mostly Empty Peanut Butter/Yogurt/Cottage Cheese Containers

As long as all the ingredients are dog-safe (xylitol is toxic to dogs!), your pup can have a grand time cleaning up for you. Depending on the container’s size, he may also enjoy chasing it around.

These containers are usually sturdy enough that you can let your pup chew on them for a short time. Supervise closely then Trade Instead of Take once he’s done enough damage that he might start eating pieces of plastic.

Just like kids, toys don’t have to be fancy to entertain your puppy. Sometimes the yogurt container works just fine!

Puppies can have preferences so don’t be too surprised if he likes some of these pacifiers, but not others. Keep experimenting with dog-safe items until you find his own list of favorites!