Why is play so important?

Puppies and young dogs love to play. But boisterous play is also important for mature dogs. Play is important for dogs well into old age. Puppies learn basic behaviour rules via play. Play is also vital for their physical and social development in general. But play is also important for adult dogs and even for seniors, because playing means lifelong learning, physical exercise, maintaining social contacts and practicing their abilities and communication.

For me, playing with my Australian Shepherd dog Maybe is important to reinforce our relationship. When we are roughhousing, wrestling, pulling and running together, we are actively spending time with Maybe. When we're playing together, Maybe doesn't have to follow commands. Instead, we're simply having fun together, which strengthens our bond as a human-dog team.

Sticks are taboo!

Sometimes, Maybe and I simply play with each other and frequently, we play with Maybe's favourite toys. However, we NEVER play with sticks. Maybe has already injured herself twice, while playing with sticks, therefore sticks are absolutely taboo for us! When playing fetch and retrieval games with branches and sticks, you have to be aware that it's always possible for your dog to injure themselves seriously at the mouth, throat and even the teeth. I am no longer willing to take that risk with Maybe, especially since stick injuries are completely unnecessary, because there are so many wonderful toys and chew products that serve as an alternative.

Wooden chew toys

Like many other dogs, Maybe nonetheless enjoys chewing on wood. Therefore, it a brilliant idea that WOLTERS now offers chew toys made from high-quality olive wood. These natural olive wood toys offer long-lasting chew fun without the risk of injuries due to splintering – on the contrary, the olive wood has many health-promoting advantages. Of course, we had to test this at once!

When I held the Olivi bone of the WOLTERS partner Lucky-Pet in front of Maybe's nose, she immediately sniffed the pleasant scent of the olive oil, with which the wood has been treated. It didn't take long until Maybe started chewing on the Olivi bone. As you can see, she's having a lot of fun. Of course, Maybe managed to chew off a few small wood chips just like a beaver. However, this is normal and not dangerous at all. Over time, the size of the olive wood may decrease. However, our dogs normally don't eat these small wood chips. However, chewing is not only fun and stress relief, it also gently cleans the teeth of your dog. And as we know, clean teeth mean a pleasant odour from your dog's mouth. Furthermore, the olive oil has an antibacterial effect and is also extremely healthy due to natural antioxidants and omega fatty acids. This way, the necessary tooth hygiene is fun for our dogs.

Natural rubber instead of chemistry

The other toys by WOLTERS also do not use chemical additives, which is why Maybe and I have been enjoying these toys for years. I have a much better feeling giving Maybe a WOLTERS toy, since I know that the 100% organic materials pose no health risk to Maybe as well as to myself. Especially since even today, it is not uncommon for other manufacturers to add highly toxic substances like plasticisers, bleach, hazardous dyes and plastics and other chemical substances. These hazardous substances may be absorbed via the dog's saliva and may cause serious health issues over time.

By contrast, the WOLTERS chew and other toys are 100% natural. This includes Maybe's all-time favourite toys - the WOLTERS Aqua-Fun Gym und dem ostrich egg with rope.Just as the balls, these toys are made from natural rubber and colours only with natural dyes.

Natural rubber is made from the sap of the rubber tree and is a very sturdy material. Maybe is not very careful with her toys and yet none of her toys have gotten as much as a scratch, because the material is so sturdy and long-lasting!

Whenever we're at the seaside, we take the Aqua-Fun Gym along. For as the name implies, it is perfect for throwing and retrieval games in the water. It is buoyant and floats horizontally in the water, so that Maybe can easily grab it. But the Aqua-Fun Gym is not just a water toy, but also regularly accompanies us on shore. For due to its shape, Maybe can easily carry it around in her mouth. Sometimes, she just proudly struts around with her Aqua-Fun Gym.  

Maybe also loves the ostrich egg, because the attached rope allows me to throw it very far. And due to its ovoid form, the egg bounces irregularly, once it hits the ground, which challenges Maybe's coordination. Though most of the time, she just pounces upon the egg once it lands rather gracefully snatch it from the air.

Play is a communal activity between you and your dog that you cannot take seriously enough, just like the material your dog's toys are made from. Since WOLTERS places a lot of focus on ecological materials and long-lasting play fun, we can say with a clear conscience, "We are convinced that there are no better chew and throwing toys for us!" I'm certain that Maybe and will have many more years of fun together with the sturdy and natural products by WOLTERS.