Best Tug-of-War Toys for Small Dogs Who Think They’re Pitbulls
Last Tuesday Georgie ate my sock and acted like I’d wronged him when I took it back. He’s a morkie, like eight pounds of fluff and fury, but in his head, he’s a direwolf. The sock was just a warm-up. He lives for a good tug-of-war, and if it’s not up to his exacting standards, he’ll look at you like you’ve handed him a deflated balloon. My brother’s dog, Teddy, a golden retriever, is the sweetest giant ever but also a notorious toy thief. So anything Georgie loves, Teddy will try to liberate. This means whatever toy Georgie gets, it has to withstand both Georgie’s delusion of grandeur and Teddy’s actual size and strength. It’s been a journey, let me tell you.
The Rope Toy Lie
Okay, so everyone says rope toys, right? “Durable,” “great for dental health,” blah blah blah. I started with a bunch of those cheap cotton rope toys you find at TJ Maxx for like five bucks. Georgie loved them for about five minutes. He’d get this wild look in his eye, all “I am mighty hunter!” then he’d gnaw through a strand, pull it out, and start trying to eat it. The whole point of tug is to not eat the toy. Plus, those little cotton strands are a choking hazard for a tiny guy like him. I was constantly pulling string out of his mouth or finding little bits of cotton all over the house. My vet gave me the side-eye about it once, saying stomach blockages from string are no joke. So, those went straight into the trash. Tried a thicker, tighter woven rope toy next, thinking maybe it was the quality. Same deal, just took him ten minutes instead of five to start de-threading it. And if Teddy got hold of one of those, it was shredded in seconds, leaving more potential string bombs everywhere. Hard pass on cotton rope.
Rubber Toys: Good Idea, Wrong Application
Next up, I figured rubber was the way to go. Indestructible, right? I tried a couple of those Kong-type rubber toys, specifically the Kong Extreme Dog Toy, the black one, which is supposed to be for super chewers. I got the small size, thinking it would be perfect for Georgie’s mouth. He loved the bounce, and he’d chew on it, but it wasn’t really a tug toy. He couldn’t get a good grip on it for us to pull, and neither could I without feeling like I was going to dislocate my thumb. It’s fantastic for stuffing with peanut butter, and he’ll spend a solid hour trying to get every last bit out, but for an actual tug-of-war match, it was a flop. He’d just look at me like, “What am I supposed to do with this slick boulder, human?” Plus, if it hit the floor, it would bounce off into some dark corner he couldn’t reach, and then he’d stand there barking at it, demanding I retrieve his “prey.” So, good for chewing and boredom, bad for tug.
The Unsung Heroes: Fire Hose and Canvas
This is where things finally clicked. I was at a local pet boutique (yeah, I’m that dog mom) and saw these toys made from actual fire hose material. I was skeptical, because they looked a little clunky for Georgie. But the owner swore by them for tough little guys. I picked up a GoughNuts Tug Fire Hose Toy, a flat, rectangular one, for about $25. It was a game-changer. Georgie could get a fantastic grip on it with his tiny shark teeth, and I could hold the other end without getting slobber all over my hand. It’s flat enough that he can really sink his teeth in, but the material is unbelievably tough. He’s had that thing for months, and it barely has a scuff. Even Teddy, the destroyer of worlds, can’t make a dent in it. He tries, believe me. He’ll sneak it off Georgie’s bed, give it a good chew, then drop it when he realizes it’s not giving up. Georgie, meanwhile, acts like he’s just wrestled a bear into submission every time we play. He growls, he pulls, he shakes his head like he’s dismembering a tiny gazelle. It’s glorious to watch. He definitely thinks he’s a wolf with that thing.
Another winner has been canvas. Not just any canvas, though. The cheap canvas toys rip apart just like the ropes. But the heavy-duty, industrial-grade canvas? Gold. I found a Ruffwear Gnaw-a-Stick, which is technically a stick-shaped toy but functions perfectly as a tug toy because it’s so rigid and well-made. It’s about $18-20, depending on where you get it. It’s got a bit of give, but it’s incredibly durable. Georgie can get a good grip, and it doesn’t leave little bits of fabric for him to ingest. He loves the texture, and it’s surprisingly light, so he can carry it around like a trophy after he “wins” our tug sessions. He’ll parade around the living room with it, daring Teddy to try and take it. Teddy usually just watches him with a bemused expression, like, “Dude, it’s just a stick.”
The fire hose toy and the tough canvas one are the only things that have consistently stood up to Georgie’s inner pitbull and Teddy’s actual pitbull-like tendencies. Georgie has very strong opinions about his toys, and these two pass his rigorous standards. They hold up, they’re safe, and they let him feel like the apex predator he believes himself to be.
If I were you, I’d skip all the trial and error and go straight for something made of fire hose material or heavy-duty, reinforced canvas.