Dog Licking Toys: Durable & Safe Options for Your Dog!

Okay, so my dog, Buster, he's a licker. He'll lick the floor, the furniture, me... you name it, he licks it. I figured I needed to find him something better to lick, something designed for it, you know? So I started looking into toys for dogs that like to lick.

My first step was, naturally, hitting up the pet store. I walked down the aisles, looking at all the different options. There were rubber bones, plush toys, rope toys... a whole bunch of stuff. I grabbed a few things that looked like they might work, things with textures and grooves that seemed like they'd be good for licking.

Experiment Time!

Back home, it was experiment time. I gave Buster the first toy, a sort of rubbery, bumpy bone. He sniffed it, gave it a couple of tentative licks, then went right back to licking the rug. Fail.

Next up was a plush toy with, like, ridges on it. Nope. He chewed on it for a minute, then abandoned it. This was getting frustrating!

I started thinking, what else can I try? I thought about, texture, and taste.

I remember seeing some DIY suggestions online. So, I decided to get creative.

• Frozen Broth Treat: I took some low-sodium chicken broth (gotta watch that salt!), poured it into an ice cube tray, and froze it. I even stuck a small dog biscuit in each one before freezing.
• Peanut Butter Kong: I already had a Kong, one of those classic rubber toys. I smeared some dog-safe peanut butter inside (making sure it didn't have any xylitol – that stuff is toxic to dogs!).
• Yogurt and Banana Mash: I use some plain, unsweetened yogurt and mashed it up with a ripe banana. I spread this mixture onto a lick mat.

The Results Are In!

Okay, the homemade stuff was a MAJOR win!

The frozen broth cubes? Buster LOVED them. He licked and crunched until they were gone. It kept him busy for a good while, too, which was a bonus.

The peanut butter Kong? Classic for a reason! He went to town on that thing, licking every last bit of peanut butter out. It took him ages, and he was one happy (and tired) pup afterward.

The lick mat with yogurt was also loved by Buster. He enjoyed licking it to clean it up, and I have been observing it.

So, lesson learned: sometimes the best solutions are the ones you make yourself! I'm definitely going to keep experimenting with different frozen treats and fillings for the Kong. Anything to keep Buster happy and stop him from licking my couch!