Tucker-Proof (and approved) Dog Toys

Boy were we in for a surprise when it came to the toy department, when we brought Tucker home! We had a ton of toys waiting for him - a combination of gifts from friends and family to ones that we had bought for him to have ready for his arrival (and a few that we actually still have almost a year later!) After almost a year with our now 80-pound Tucker and lots of input from friends with large dogs, we definitely have our list of "Go-To" toys and brands that he loves and can't destroy in a matter of 5 minutes. He loves to chew (and thankfully, is 110% happy with chewing only his toys and nothing that he isn't supposed to!) To help all of my fellow dog owners and lovers out there, here's a list of our household favorites that keep Tucker occupied and happy (and that outlast any toy that we have ever owned):

Nylabone DuraChew Toys - We've definitely noted that they have to be the "DuraChew" kind of Nylabone toys. Some of the DuraChews haven't held up to Tucker's chewing for more than a few days, but ones mentioned below are the ones we will continue to buy as they will occasionally and eventually need to be replaced.

Tucker's favorite from the Nylabone brand are the little Nylabone DuraChew Dinosaurs - he chews on them constantly and we still have the original dinosaurs that we purchased from months ago! On Amazon, you can purchase a dinosaur for $3.99 - and there are tons of different shaped and colored Dinos that you can choose from. As he chews them down, we probably replace a dinosaur every 3 months - taking the old one away as it gets really small so that he can't swallow it by accident.

Tucker also loves the Nylabone Durachew Textured Ring. He loves to throw it around or chase after it when we throw it to him - you can purchase one of these rings from Amazon for around $8.00.

The Nylabone Big Chew Monster Bone - This bone is huge! (About the size of my forearm). He loves to carry this one around and also acts very proud of himself because it's so big and heavy. (Warning: don't let this one be dropped on your feet - you'll only allow your dog to make that mistake with this big bone once!) This is one that is often left in his crate when he's in there for a few hours at a time if we aren't home. You can usually pick one up for around $13.00 on Amazon.

For Kong Brand Toys - we've found that the Classic Kong Dog Toy is really the only Kong-brand toy that will withstand his chewing. This is one of the first toys that was recommended to us, and that he's had since we've had him! :) (He also actually sent it home with my Mom in her overnight bag when she stayed with us for a weekend. After she got home and was unpacking her bag, she found it sitting right on top of her clothes! He was happy to be reunited with it the next time he saw his MeMe!) To keep him occupied, we also like to break a mini Milkbone treat in half to put in the inside of the toy - it'll take him up to an hour sometimes to work the half pieces out of the center, and he loves it! Plenty of our friends also put peanut butter on the inside and freeze them for their dogs - we tried that a few times but once he starts licking the frozen peanut butter, it ends up getting all over his crate and sometimes the carpet if he pulls the toy out of his crate - so we've stuck with either a mini treat in the middle - or no treat, and he loves playing with it! These you can usually pick up on Amazon for about $11.00.

He is obsessed with Deer Antlers! I found a great company (Silver Gate Antlers) on Amazon that I order from, these last for such a long time. As he chews the antlers, little tiny shavings do occasionally come off as he chews the antler down, but for as often as we vacuum and clean our house - we've never been able to tell that there are little microscopic shavings anywhere. I always order the XL deer antlers because for Tucker's size, they're perfect and they last for a few months. He will keep chewing them until they are down to about an inch long (and then we take them away so that he can't choke on it) - but he will run around with an antler in his mouth constantly, running between all 3 floors of our house and is always so happy. Anytime you say "antler" he runs around like a crazy dog looking for one to play with. These are pricey - I usually get them anywhere from $15-22 an antler. Because we buy the XL size, they do sell out quickly and it takes a few weeks, sometimes months, for them to restock in the larger sizes. For Christmas this year when I saw that they had restocked their inventory, I stocked up and bought 3. For Christmas, Tucker got a new antler and I now have 2 hidden away for the next time he needs a new one!

Tucker will obviously play with anything and everything - but the toys listed above are the ones that last in our house! If I haven't mentioned something here that you find to last in your house, definitely let me know! We've had lots of trial and error sessions - but these 'wins' have definitely been the best kind so far for us! :)