Best Toys for Pit Bulls: What Holds Up and What to Skip

Top photo: a pit bull leaping for a flying disc during a dog event in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Photo: Nancy Wong / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped, resized and converted to WebP).

What makes toy shopping different for a pit bull?

"Pit bull" is a label for a group of muscular, short-coated terrier types, not one tightly defined breed. The ASPCA traces today's pit bull back to the English bull-baiting dog, which was later crossed with smaller, quicker terriers, and it stresses that some lines were bred for work and companionship while others were bred for fighting (ASPCA position statement on pit bulls). Its conclusion is the useful one for toy shopping: all dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals.

So do not buy for the label. Buy for the dog in front of you. Watch your dog with a toy for a week and sort it into one of three styles:

• The destroyer gets a toy apart within minutes and swallows pieces. This dog needs solid rubber only, and only while you watch.
• The gnawer chews for a long time but rarely breaks anything. Thick rubber chews and stuffable toys are a good fit.
• The player wants a partner more than a chew. Tug toys, a flirt pole and fetch toys matter most.

Many pit bulls are strong, keen chewers, which is why most of this guide is about chewing safely. But a gentle senior pit bull and a teenage destroyer need very different toy boxes.

Which chew toys are safe for a strong chewer?

The safest chew for a powerful jaw is not the hardest one. Dr. Brian Collins of Cornell University's Hospital for Animals discourages bones, antlers, hooves and "any other hard or abrasive objects," and gives a simple test: a suitable chew toy should be bendable and able to be indented with a fingernail (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). VCA Animal Hospitals gives the same fingernail rule and adds that long toys should have a little give when you bend them between your hands (VCA Animal Hospitals).

What that means in practice for a pit bull:

• Choose thick, solid rubber in a size too big to swallow. Humane World for Animals lists hard rubber, Kong-type toys as an active-toy option and warns that toys which are too small can be swallowed or become lodged in a dog's throat (Humane World for Animals).
• Match the toy to the bite. VCA notes that swallowed chunks of toys can lodge in the stomach and need surgery, so pick toys you know can withstand your dog's bite force.
• Retire damaged toys. VCA's rule: if stuffing is showing, rope is frayed or rubber is broken, the toy is done.
• Supervise. Collins recommends supervising dogs with toys because it is hard to predict how an individual dog will handle a given object.

For a deeper look at materials that last, see our guide to dog toys for aggressive chewers. Our tough dog toys collection is a starting point, but run the fingernail test on anything you buy, from us or anyone else.

Is tug-of-war a good game for a pit bull?

Yes, for most dogs. The ASPCA lists tug and fetch games among the outlets that give a dog the exercise and mental stimulation that cut down on destructive chewing (ASPCA, destructive chewing). For dogs that like tug and interesting textures, Humane World for Animals suggests rope and woven toys.

A few house rules keep tug fun and controlled:

• Use a long toy so teeth stay well away from hands.
• Teach "drop it" and trade for a treat, then start the game again. The dog learns that letting go brings more play, not less.
• Pause the game if teeth touch skin, and keep sessions short for young dogs.
• Put the tug toy away after the game. It is a toy you play with together, not a solo chew.

A flirt pole (a lure tied to a rope on a stick) lets a dog chase, turn and pounce while you stay still. It burns energy fast, so start with a few minutes on soft ground. Our flirt pole guide covers how to introduce one safely.

What should a pit bull fetch?

Fetch is easy exercise for an athletic dog, but the ball matters. VCA warns against abrasive surfaces: a tennis ball may be okay for a little chewing now and then, but obsessive chewing of its scratchy, sandpaper-like surface can wear teeth down over time. For a dog that chews the ball between throws, a solid rubber ball sized well above swallowing size is the safer pick.

• Pick a ball your dog cannot fit fully into its mouth.
• Swap a split or cracked ball out right away.
• Flying discs made for dogs are softer on teeth than hard plastic ones. Keep the throws low until your dog is fit.

Do food puzzles help a high-energy pit bull?

They help a lot on days when long walks are not possible. The ASPCA includes feeding meals in food puzzle toys in its list of ways to keep a dog busy, and suggests rotating chew toys every couple of days so the dog does not get bored. Humane World for Animals says Kong-type toys filled with broken-up treats can keep a dog busy for hours, and adds a safety note worth repeating: if your veterinarian says your dog can eat peanut butter, make sure it is not sweetened with xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.

Easy ways to start:

• Serve part of breakfast in a stuffable rubber toy instead of a bowl.
• Freeze a stuffed toy the night before so it lasts longer.
• Start with puzzles your dog can solve quickly, then make them harder. A puzzle that is too hard turns into a chew toy.

Browse our interactive dog toys or see enrichment toys for dogs for more ideas.

Which toys should you skip?

• Bones, antlers and hooves. Cornell's Collins discourages all three, and VCA's puppy page notes that veterinary dentists often say "don't let your dog chew anything that won't bend." The ASPCA also warns never to give cooked bones.
• Hard nylon chews. VCA lists nylon alongside bones and antlers as hard objects that can break teeth.
• Thin plush and squeaky toys for a destroyer. Humane World for Animals warns that a dog may try to find and destroy the squeaker and could swallow it, so supervise squeaky toys and remove ribbons, strings and eyes that can be chewed off.
• Rawhide without a vet's okay. Humane World for Animals advises checking with your veterinarian about which rawhide chews are safe and giving them only under supervision.

What about pit bull puppies?

Puppies lose their baby teeth from around 12 weeks, and by about six months all permanent teeth have usually come in, according to VCA Animal Hospitals (VCA, teething and chewing in puppies). The same page says no toy is 100 percent safe, so puppies should be supervised even with recommended chew toys, and it suggests feeding puppies from puzzle toys rather than a bowl to redirect their energy.

For a pit bull puppy, that means soft rubber chews that bend easily, short tug games with a soft rope, and no hard chews at all while the adult teeth come in. Our puppy chew toys guide goes further.

Toy types at a glance

The risks in this table come from the Cornell, VCA, Humane World for Animals and ASPCA guidance cited above. For a numbered list of specific toy styles, see our toys for pitbulls roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions