Border Collies and Golden Retriever are by nature playful dogs and humans are by nature demonstrative so most loving owners enjoy buying their dogs toys and other presents. Before children's toys are offered for sale they are tested to make sure that the materials, finishing and design are safe and suitable for the children who are likely to play with them and they are labelled appropriately. Unfortunately dog and puppy toys receive no such statutory attention and many of the most popular types of toy are made from potentially harmful materials, sometimes with dangerous finishes, sometimes poorly designed and sometimes a possible source of harm to the dog or puppy. Other toys are well designed by dog lovers for dogs and offer a safe, stimulating and challenging entertainment for puppies or adult dogs. The information included here is intended to help dog owners make informed decisions about the toys they offer to their dogs.

Toys fall into several categories,

• Chase toys; balls, frisbees, etc..

• Kill toys, raggers, squeakys, rattles etc..

• Hunting and Offering toys, soft articles, dummies, dumbbells etc.

• Satisfaction toys, bones, sandpits, pools

Points to remember

• Check all your dogs toys regularly, damaged toys are potentially hazardous.
• Discard broken or damaged toys as soon as you discover them.
• Never give your dog cheap squeaky toys, the squeak mechanism is easily torn out and has a metal or hard plasic reed that could seriously injure your dog.
• Beware of cheap painted toys the paint may be lead based and poisonous.
• Good quality toys may be a little more expensive but they will last a long time and pose a much lower risk to your dog's safety and welfare.
• Never give rawhide chews to your dog, these are often produced overseas from residue leather that may have been tanned with arsenic, they are indigestible and can damage your dog's stomach.
• Toys are not a substitute for company and companionship, the best toys are those that your dog and you can play with together.
• Ragger type toys should not be used to play tug O' war with your dog, use them for thowing or encouraging playfulness - games should build relationships not create contests between owner and dog.
• Do not allow your dog to become possessive and try to "own", guard or protect toys. Until your dog has learned to share and be open he should not be allowed free access to toys.
• NEVER EVER throw stick for your dog or allow your dog to pick up and carry sticks, every year many dogs die or suffer serious injury from playing with sticks.