If you are wondering do dog toys have scents or not, and if it has, then what is the purpose for adding a scent in dog toys. Here’s everything you need to know.
Do Dog Toys Have A Scent? Yes, more than 40% of dog toys have scent init, which helps dogs stay relaxed and happy whenever they play with scented toys. Scents like peppermint, frankincense, lavender, and cedar are the most popular natural scents used in making toys to attract a dog’s attention quickly.
Hang with us for a moment as there are many interesting facts to know when we’re talking about dog toys, especially those that come with scents!
Dogs are attracted to those scents, which helps them feel calmer, such as vanilla scent and other natural scents! But dogs are more attracted to yucky smells like trash odors and rotting carcasses, which typically eww factor for us but appalling for them.
Dogs love certain scents because those scents have the potential to reduce the stress level in all dogs, whether it’s domestic dogs, stray dogs, or shelter dogs!
You can easily recognize which smell is more appealing for your dog while taking them out for a walk — you’ll see your dog often attracted to gross odors such as other animals pee, trash cans, rot stuff, and so on.
And that’s the universal truth; whether you believe it or not, dogs attract more to a gross odor than any other.
But sometimes domestic dogs do prefer the smell that we humans also love to smell, and it can be anything like flowers, essential oils, even book pages!
I know what you’re thinking now, “Book Pages”? Seriously? Yes, I’m serious right now — I’ve eight dogs, and one of them, “Pretzel” (5-year-old lab), loves smelling book pages! Whenever I bring a new book, she takes it and sniffs for hours.
Why Do Dog Toys Smell Like Vanilla
Dog toys smell like vanilla because some toys are created with the added scents of vanilla — that’s why some dog toys smell like vanilla. However, the vanilla smell makes the toys a highly desirable thing for dogs so that dogs get more excited to gasp and play with vanilla-scented toys.
Vanilla scents not only smells great but it is also excellent for those dogs who bark a lot for no reason. It means a vanilla scent can surely lower down the dog’s unwanted growling, whining, and barking.
One thick line here. It’s not only about the vanilla smell — there are plenty of different scents out there that helps make any dog feel relaxed.
You have to work hard; to find that one scent your dog loves the most: once you find one, place it near your dog (or attached with his collar).
And the best way to add that fragrance near the dog is bandanas — spray a small amount of scent on the bandana, tie it around the dog’s neck, and see the magic!
If the dog loves that smell, he might growl less or even settle down for a snooze, especially at night, as these smells can increase mental stimulation and strengthen the bond between you and your dog.
Plus, this way, owners can easily enhance the lives of their dogs naturally at home.
Dog Toy That Smells Like Owner! Is There Really A Thing?
Yes, it is a real thing, and basically, it is a small pouch in which you can surely put anything with your scents like a sock or other small laundry. It helps a lot in combating separation anxiety in dogs when the owner is away.
The calming power of your scent inside the pouch can help calm them when you’re not there for them, and especially when you left your dog in an apartment while at your job.
Study shows owners’ scent can help neural activity in a dog’s caudate nucleus, a region of the brain, which means the owner’s scent makes the dog happier than with toys!
These pouches are made of 100% non-toxic material that lasts long and safer than your actual laundry.
So by giving them a toy that smells like you, you can help reinforce your bond with your dog and ease their stress levels.
What Do Dogs Think About Their Toys
For dogs, toys are the thing that can easily fit in their mouth so that they can comfortably chew it on; that’s it, they don’t think anything else, means color, size, material. Typically dogs believe that everything is a toy if it’s in their mouth, whether the object is a piece of wood, clothes, flip flops, etc.
But on the other hand, dogs do think about scents! They love certain scents that help them to recognize what thing is edible to chew it up. With smells, dogs can immediately tell what objects they are most interested in — these become their toys.
Here’s what exactly dogs think about toys
If I like it, it’s mine.
If it’s edible, it’s mine.
If I saw it first, it’s mine.
If it’s in my mouth, it’s mine.
If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
No matter how many different toys your dog has, still, dogs love to steal things from you such as shoes, toilet paper rolls, socks, Christmas ornaments, pretty much whatever human object they can get their teeth on.
So in this dog-eat-dog world, everything is a dog toy unless it is more immense than their mouth!
Do Dogs Understand Toys
Generally speaking, they don’t, but sometimes they can understand what stuff is there for them — with whom they can play. However, dogs pick up toys on owners’ behavioral clues, which helps a lot for dogs to understand which thing is a toy and not.
You know the owner’s behavior toward the toys encourages dogs to understand what toys are! That means if you typically come home and say, “I’ve got a surprise for you!” or something like that, and it is followed by a toy, then that’s how your dog knows.
If your dog is in tune with you, they may be able to pick up the excitement or joy you have, knowing you’re about to give him a toy.
Plus, dogs are always interested in new things, and it can be anything. However, they can’t chew it, and it doesn’t even squeak.
Each dog has its unique personality and energy level – and therefore will have a different preference for the type of toys: some were interested in rubber things that squeak — and some even not interested in toys at all.
Why Do Dogs Prefer Certain Toys
Dogs have natural preferences about what toys are more fun than others. Primarily, it’s all about the toy’s smells and shape, as these two things are so important to dogs. That’s why some toys and objects are highly desirable for dogs to get excited, gasp, and play with them.
You know why shape and smells are most important to a dog is because many dog toys are made in colors that dogs can’t see well, such as green, red, etc. That’s where scents and shapes help them to identify their favorite toys.
I tend to agree that it is a combination of smell and shape that triggering the dog to prefer one toy over others.
But without anything else, scents are playing the fair game for dogs to pick their beloved toy.
Plus, if they instinctively know which toys have the best smell to cuddle with, then they have the instinct ability to make sure to pick the same toys again and again, “For Sure,” even if there are hundreds of items for them.
But if you want your dog to engage with new toys, try to teach them what “classic” toy patterns are by emotions and repetitions, such as no, the cord isn’t a toy! This tug is a toy! Fleece good, electrical plastic dangerous — and so on.
How Do You Scent Dog Toys
It’s so simple to make scented dog toys at home for your dog with four simple stuff, such as hot water, ice-cooled water, unscented toy (Rubber, silicone, nylon, and Plush or fleece toys), and any essential oil that your dog love to smell.
And if you don’t know which scents your dog loves the most, try to use any of these, like peppermint, frankincense, lavender, cedar, and vanilla!
Here Are Three Steps To Make Scented Dog Toys
Step First: Boil water in a bowl for up to 1 – 2 minutes, then put your dog’s favorite toy in boiling water and boil it for two minutes.
Step Second: Add some drops of essential oil (or as much as you want) to boiling water and boil it with a toy for at least 5 – 10 minutes.
Step Third: As time ends, take out the toy from boiling water and soak it in ice-cooled water for 4 – 5 seconds.
And that’s it; your dog’s scented toy is ready; let your dog play with it.
