A Pooch’s Point of View? Why Do Dogs Like Squeaky Toys?

Bite/Squeak, Bite/Squeak! I know it can sometimes be annoying to humans but I just love my Squeaker Seeker!  It keeps me busy for ages and it’s great fun when I bite down on the toy as it makes a noise that excites me, so I do it again and again!  Squeaky doggie toys come in all shapes and sizes; some are like doggie bones, some look like food and some look like animals.

Have you ever Wondered why Dogs like Squeaky Toys?

It’s in our genes!  

My ancestors in the wild used to have the same excitement when they chased their prey - only when the squeaking stopped did they know that they had successfully caught their prey.  Some of my doggie friends keep chewing their squeaky toy until the squeak has been removed and I expect they have the same feeling as our ancestors and feel that they have captured their squeaker!

I love to chew!

I prefer to keep the toy squeaking for a long time as I like to chew things; my owner’s not so keen on me chewing his slippers, so he tries to distract me by giving me chewy toys instead - he’s very clever like that! Sometimes, we even play hide and seek with my squeaker seeker so that I can pretend that I’m hunting - it’s great fun!  I love it when we play games together as it makes me feel closer to my human.

But when I’ve ‘caught’ my squeaky toy and had a good chew it sometimes falls into pieces and my human will take it away, just in case I accidentally swallow some of it - he says he doesn’t want me to be ill - that’s nice, he really does take good care of me! Plus he always makes a fuss of me for doing a good job and gives me a tasty treat when I place the toy at his feet after he asks me to “drop”.

They are fun!

I love a squeaky ball!  My owner sometimes plays ball with me and if he uses the squeaky ball, I have double the fun - not only do I get a lot of exercise chasing it, when I catch it I can have a little chew and then take it back to my owner to do it all over again!

He also sometimes uses it when we are training and I get to have a sneaky squeaky chew when I’ve been extra good.  But it’s not the same for all my canine friends - some of them prefer rope toys or a Kong with food stuffed inside (I like these too!) and they don’t like the high pitched noise of a squeaky toy - maybe they had a bad experience when they were little.

It’s my ‘Attention Seeker’ squeaker!

I know I shouldn’t, but if I sometimes want to get my owner’s attention - maybe he’s busy working from home and is working on his laptop - I will find my squeaky toy and sit beside him when he’s trying to concentrate and squeak away.  It doesn’t take too long for him to get the message and he will give me some attention!  

I like to think that it helps him too - during lockdown he has spent a lot of time at home; did you know that in a recent study, 64% of humans reported actively engaging with their dog MORE now than before COVID. There are lots of ways dogs have helped during lockdown - we’re great companions! - and I’m sure I’ve helped with my squeaky toy because he always stops to play for a little while so he gets a break from his laptop too.

Remember though - not all dogs like squeaky toys!

Some of my doggie pals just don’t like the noise of a squeaky toy, so if you have a pooch that gets anxious or nervous around noise, make sure you only give them non-squeaky ones, like a soft rabbit or a ball or a rope toy.

But if you need to help them with their anxiety, why not plug in an ADAPTIL Calm Home Diffuser? My human has put one in my room and it really helps me relax, especially when it’s the time of year for fireworks.  You can even treat them to an ADAPTIL Calm On-The-Go Collar which they can wear when they are out. Try it, you won’t regret it!