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Gearing up for puppy playtime can be overwhelming. Walk into any pet store and you’ll see a huge supply of toys: squeaky toys, rubber toys, toys for older dogs, toys for younger dogs, and everything in between.
And that’s just the toys. If you walk in looking for toys and treats, you could spend an hour or more looking for just the right items for your furry friend.
How will you know which are the best toys for labradors?
The team at Snowy Pines White Labs can help. We’ve put together a guide to the best Labrador Retriever treats and toys for both American and English Labs.
When it’s time to hit the dog park, your white lab will benefit from sturdy, weatherproof toys. Even better if they can be thrown, by you, over and over again until your pup is nice and worn out.
Here are the three best outdoor toys for Labradors.
Few things are more satisfying to your White Lab than chasing a bouncy rubber ball, scooping it up with her mouth, and bringing it back to you. You could technically use tennis balls for a game of fetch, but we recommend using fetch balls designed for dogs.
The Squeakair rubber fetch ball from Kong looks just like a tennis ball, but it comes with a squeaker inside for extra fun. Best of all, you can get it in three sizes: extra-small, small, and large.
Just keep in mind that chewing a fuzzy tennis ball-style fetch toy can wear your White Lab’s teeth down. Get the ball out for your fetch game and put it away afterward. Or, get a ball that’s made only out of rubber for a more tooth-safe surface, like the Kong Squeezz ball.
Your dog can’t throw a flying disc back to you, but throwing one for your pup is so fun that it doesn’t even matter.
But we don’t recommend using any old flying disc. The discs are made from hard plastic. If your White Lab chews the frisbee—and he will—shards of plastic could make their way into his body.
Not good.
Instead, pick from one of the many pet-friendly flying discs on the market. The Chuckit! Paraflight is a popular pick. We also love Ruffwear’s Camp Flyer, which doubles as a food or water bowl.
Whether you’re tossing it for your pup or playing a round of tug-of-war, a braided rope toy can keep your dog entertained for hours. The toy’s unique, braided texture will make your dog happy, too!
Just make sure you don’t allow your dog to take the rope apart and eat any strands that fall off. In other words, use the rope for fetch, tug-of-war, or hide-and-seek and then put it away until you head back to the dog park.
We love The Kind Pet’s organic cotton rope dog toy and Playology’s chicken-scented rope knot toy, which comes in three sizes.
For dogs, playtime doesn’t stop when you head indoors. Whether you need ideas for the best puppy chew toys for Labs or the best chew toys for older Labradors, we’ve got you covered.
Here are our two favorite indoor toys for White Labs.
Dogs love to chew. Especially when they’re puppies. If you don’t provide them with appropriate chew toys, they’ll find something else to gnaw. Like your shoes, your favorite rug, or a leash. With their sharp, needle-like teeth, puppies are especially merciless.
That’s why chew toys are the best toys for Lab puppies. We can’t emphasize this enough: puppies need to chew. Your job is to give them a safe way to satisfy this need!
But what are thebest puppy chew toys for Labs?
We love the Hurley from West Paw, a durable bone made from recycled plastic that’s gentle on your dog’s teeth. It comes in three sizes, making it perfect for White Lab puppies and adults alike.
Best of all? It floats! Your Labrador Retriever will be in heaven the next time you bring the Hurley to the lake.
But in the meantime, he’ll love chewing the Hurley—and not your shoes—when he’s indoors with you.
Kong also makes excellent chew toys, including the Kong Classic, which you can stuff with dog treats for an extra good time. You can even buy Kong Classic toys designed for puppies and senior dogs. Ensure that any chew toy is big enough that your puppy cannot get their back jaw over it.
West Paw’s Toppl is another fan favorite. Made from rubbery, recyclable plastic, the Toppl has a rounded base and inner “teeth” that make retrieving a treat tricky. You can even fit two Toppls together to give your White Lab an extra challenge.
Labrador Retrievers are incredibly smart. Keep them engaged indoors with a puzzle toy, like the Tornado from Outward Hound or the Ponder and Puzzle from Leaps & Bounds. You’ll hide treats for your Labrador Retriever and watch as your dog uses her best thinking skills to get them out of their hiding spots!
Treats and toys go together like peanut butter and jelly. When you’re looking for the perfect treat to stuff into a Kong Classic or doggy puzzle, finding the right snack is simpler than you think. Treats should be small and easy to chew so that your puppy doesn’t lose attention in the middle of training.
You might already have nutritious, dog-friendly treats on hand in your fridge. Our White Labs love peeled raw carrots, for example. Chop a carrot up into smaller pieces and use it for play, training, and everything in between! Just make sure you only feed your dog safe fruits and veggies.
When you buy Labrador Retriever treats from a pet store, look for treats with whole-food ingredients like beef, chicken, or salmon. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, blueberries, and broccoli make great additions too. In general, the fewer ingredients, the better.
Happy playing!
(Still not sure whether you’d make a great pup parent? Check out our guide to the big decision.)
Tom Massey has owned and operated Snowy Pines Labradors for over a decade. They have become the leaders in English Labradors in the US. He and his team serve customers all over the US and Europe. They house their "dog family" in a state of the art facility on a large farm in the Ozark Mountains. With an obsession for genetics and temperament they raise and train dogs known across the globe for health and personality. Tom serves the pet industry in many forms campaigning for ethical breeding, training, and pet ownership.