Best Interactive Dog Toys 2019 – Reviews
by dogtoysadvisor | Last updated on January 03, 2019
We only review products we tested ourselves. We have affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
There are a lot of different types of toys but we find interactive toys are usually their favorites.
Interactive dog toys usually have that extra little something that keeps our pups just a little bit more interested and motivated.
It’s a cliché to say dogs are our best friends, but it is true! And that makes it so hard for us when life happens and we have to leave them alone for a while and deal with their sad eyes as we say our goodbyes. Luckily, interactive toys help with that, for us and for them.
They get distracted and entertained and, let’s face it, we feel a little bit less guilty.
Best Interactive Dog Toys 2019
Here you’ll find out top picks for interactive dog toys in 2019. It covers all types of toys, from treat toys, to puzzle dog toys and ball launchers.
Do you agree with our top? Is there any toy you think we’re missing? If so, let us know!
Trixie Dog Activity Flip Board – A very entertaining puzzle dog toy
This is a fun toy! We were a little skeptic at first, figured our dogs would either ignore it or solve it quickly and lose interest but figured that, if they did solve it quickly, it would probably be a lot of fun for us to watch them learn their way around it.
And it was! Each dog handled it differently, it was fascinating to watch their approaches.
It is an interactive dog toy meant for curious dogs, dogs who love a challenge.
Also, it is a super fun food dispensing toy, meaning you can use it curb your dog’s eating speed, as he’ll need to solve the puzzles to get his prize.
We found that the best way to keep them interested was to follow the instructions and not surpass the 10 minute playing time.
Also if each time you use it you put food or treats in different parts, they’ll never know where it is and it will keep them trying for longer. (None of this matters for impatient dogs like Coco who will just toss it in the air and watch the treats fall off the puzzle. Hey, it works! Good for her!).
The plastic is somewhat resistant, but don’t expect it to survive hard chewing, but also it’s not meant for that. You should supervise at all times, because chewing will mean taking pieces off and maybe swallowing them, so we don’t recommend leaving your dog alone with it.
It has a great price, it’s easy to clean and fill, could probably use a bit of weight to make sure it stays put while your dog plays with it, but other than that, it was a bit hit!
This is a perfect interactive dog toy for pets who get easily bored, who need the constant challenge.
It is a great toy for stimulating your dog’s mind, keeping him active and interested and, as we’ve mentioned, watching your dog processing the information and quickly learning how to work it really is worth your money.
If you have a curious dog who loves a good challenge, this is the best dog toy for him.
Pros
Relieves dog boredom
Easy to fill
More challenging than most dog puzzles
Provides mental stimulation
Cons
Not meant for chewing
Dog will lose interest if empty
Kong Wobbler – An interactive treat dispensing dog toy
The KONG Wobbler is basically an interactive food /treat dispenser dog toy, but the way it does its job is pure genius, because it sits upright, waiting for the dog to tap it with the paw or the nose and make it move and drop its coveted reward.
This means that, whether you dispense food or tasty treats, playing with it is a big part of the fun, keeping dogs interested and challenged for much longer than your usual food/treat dispenser dog toys.
It is a great interactive dog toy for aggressive chewers like our dogs. Also, being large-sized means it won’t roll under the furniture and we can always find it.
The size isn’t really a problem, because since it sits upright and the weight is at the bottom, it just wobbles or they can roll it on its side anywhere they want.
But for smaller, less rambunctious dogs, you should probably choose the right size for their weight.
This KONG treat dispenser is very sturdy and overall it is a very durable toy because it’s not easy to chew on. It won’t dispense treats too easily which is good for dogs who like challenges but can also make an impatient dog just give up on it.
It is a great solution if you want your dog to eat slower, but be advised the hole isn’t adjustable, you’ll have to make sure the kibbles fit through.
Also it’s easy enough to use and clean! You just unscrew the top, place the treats/food inside, close it back up and when the dog is done with it, you just put it in the dishwasher.
Simplicity works for us, if it works for you too, this is the food dispenser for you.
With the right preparation, this can be the best interactive food dispenser dog toy for your needs. For a dog that isn’t a complete destroyer, it’s perfect for keeping your dog busy while you’re at work.
So, if you want your dog to eat slower or just challenge him while do it, something we do agree is great for their development and general health, look no further than the KONG Wobbler.
With a little bit of encouragement, he’ll figure out how to do it and love his new toy.
Pros
Very resistant and durable
Keeps dogs interested for longer
Helps to eat slower
Easy to clean
Doesn't dispense treats too easily
Won't roll under the furniture
Cons
The dog won't play with it if empty
The hole is not adjustable
Kong Jumbler – Fun and easy to handle
Imagine a ball off sorts, then you place another ball inside that AND make it squeak. Also you add handles to it to make throwing it easier for you. Interested? So were we!
And that’s why we got the KONG Jumbler. It is an interactive fetch dog toy with a twist.
In good KONG fashion it is made of sturdy material, not indestructible, but it will last longer than most balls, particularly hollow squeaky balls, let’s face it, they’re asking for it!
This, of course, was right up Tommy’s alley, he was obsessed by it from the moment he saw it.
It is perfect for fetching (the handle is actually really handy and also somewhat cleaner) and you can leave your dog to chew on it by his lonesome, just make sure to supervise it every once in a while, if it looks like it’s about to disintegrate, then you probably should take it away, or at least make sure all pieces are accounted for.
This is a fun toy, made for human/dog interaction as it is a great toy for fetching, but you can also use it to keep your dog busy while you’re at work, unless he’s an aggressive chewer. Check our choices for the best chew toys for dogs.
As far as fetching goes, it will require some learning on the dog’s part, as he probably won’t know what you want him to do when you throw it. He will probably fetch it if he’s interested enough, it’s the return part that will need some work.
If you’ve got an active dog, who loves to play and chew, as most do, this is the best dog toy for you!
Pros
Makes fetching more challenging and fun
The sound of the ball inside keeps dogs focused
Good for chewing
Resistant and durable
Its difficult for the dog to destroy the squeaker
Cons
Not for agressive chewers
A bit heavy for long use
Hide-a-Squirrel Puzzle Plush Squeaking Dog Toy – 3 toys in 1!
We laughed so hard when we discovered this toy! It’s a plush, a squeaking toy and a dog puzzle toy, all in one.
The idea being the dog is supposed to retrieve the squirrels hidden inside the log and each squirrel squeaks, making it fun game for the dog to play and for you to watch!
We bought the larger size to cater to all of our dogs and it wasn’t a problem, it’s light enough to be carried by smaller dogs as well as big ones.
They will love to chew the little squirrels and they are pretty easy to destroy, so you should probably supervise him, but the good news is you can buy replacement squirrels as needed.
The interactive puzzle part does provide great mental stimulation and they love playing with it.
Our dogs loved the entire thing, from carrying the log around to pulling the squirrels out and chewing on them to make them squeak. Tommy loves the game of hide & seek and hunts the squirrels whereas Coco carries them around like babies, so sweet!
While it isn’t by any means sturdy or resistant, it is a lot of fun for dogs to play with.
As we’ve mentioned, it is an interactive puzzle dog toy, a plush and a squeak toy, so it can be used either way.
We cannot stress enough that, although this is a toy your dog can entertain himself with without much of your input, it is very important that you supervise to make sure he doesn’t swallow anything.
Apart from that, if your dog likes a challenge and can’t resist a squeak, this interactive puzzle dog toy is for him.
Pros
Resistant for a plush toy
Provides mental stimulation
Fun to play with
Easy to carry around
Cons
The dog can swallow the stuffing
Not meant for hard chewing
Kong Classic – An all time favorite
The name pretty much says it all. KONG dog toys are a timeless classic, its sturdy rubber never disappoints, you always get a safe, durable and very resistant toy.
For us, it is still one of the best interactive dog toys out there.
The classic KONG is a treat or food dispenser dog toy meant for fun while eating. You’re meant to place food or treats inside it and your dog is meant to find a way to eat it and get a good time out of it.
The main difference being it can sustain much more chewing than your average food dispensing dog toy and that is quite a difference to have, particularly when you have more than one dog who loves to chew and does it quite aggressively.
Something we read about and decided to try was freezing the KONG with fruit, yogurt or even peanut butter on the inside and it was a big hit!
It takes them much longer to empty the KONG, keeping them occupied for much longer and it is perfect on hot days for cooling them down.
Its a great chew toy for dogs that get easily bored and need constant stimulus, and it is also a good option if you’re looking for toys for puppies.
Be aware that, once he eats all of the food, he won’t want to play with it anymore.
On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with a few hours (or more, depending on the dog) of good old fun that involve puzzle solving and eating at the same time, a great way to keep your dog distracted when you leave home for work in the morning.
If your dog is an agressive chewer who loves eating as much as he loves solving puzzles, than this is the best interactive dog toy for him!
Pros
Safe and very resistant
Helps to curb separation anxiety
Provides mental stimulation
Keeps the dog distracted for hours
Easy to clean
Cons
The dog loses interest after he emptys the toy
iFetch Interactive Ball Launcher – Play fetch like never before
Well… We’ll start by saying the iFetch Interactive Ball Launcher is definitely on our wish list. And our dogs’ wish list.
It is a fun, simple-enough, electronic ball fetching dog toy, it launches the ball for the dog to fetch, only for the dog to return it and chase it again.
We’re talking about hours and hours of fun to be had, from the moment you turn it on.
We don’t have one but had the chance to try it at a friend’s house and it was probably the most dog free meal we’ve ever enjoyed.
Tommy was, of course, obsessed, but so was Coco, although the balls are quite small. She was intrigued, then interested, then very motivated to chase the little blue spheres.
Granted, the balls are small and will tear if you leave an aggressive chewer to work on it so you need to watch out for that. But that’s not really what it’s meant for and you can always buy replacement balls.
It is such a great dog toy for active, energy packed dogs. It’s such a simple concept, the only deterrent we can find to having one of these really is the price. Not saying it isn’t worth it, just that it will probably be more than most households can handle as far as dog toy budgets.
This is an interactive dog toy that requires some learning, The dog will have to learn how to return the ball to the right place and, ideally, learn to keep away from the ball’s trajectory, particularly if he isn’t small sized.
Other than that, he’ll be able to play on his own, that’s precisely the point.
However, it is important to mention supervision is always important, make sure he doesn’t destroy and swallow pieces of the ball. Also, if your dog is medium or large, he might swallow the tiny balls.
Other than that, if your dog is a fetch-addict (like Tommy) or simply needs constant stimulus, this is the best dog toy for him.
Pros
No human action required
Adjustable length
Perfect for obsessive fetchers
Keeps the dog entertained for hours
Cons
The balls aren't very resistant
Pricey
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Is squeaking toys suitable for a small dog? My little dogs feel shy and never comes out of guest, but she likes to play alone. Can squeaking toys remove his alone mood? How can I order this beautiful dog toys?
Hello.
How old are your dogs? Shy dogs like to have fun too, as you probably know, so we think they’ll love a squeaky. You’ll just need to choose one that’s perfect for their size so it won’t intimidate them. If at first they don’t look convinced, play with it yourself and make it look like fun, they’ll want to try it in no-time.
Also, if they usualy don’t pay much attention to rubber toys, you can choose a plush squeaky toy like the Hide-a-Squirrel Puzzle to make sure it isn’t too hard for them. Our small dogs love a good bitting challenge, so we have a Chuckit squeak balls to keep them happy.
In each toy, you’ll find a button you can click to see how you can order it.