By Sarah Folmar, Brand Communications Specialist
Starting a family is, well, let’s say an interesting process. Your priorities change. Your values begin to become more concrete. Everything you used to do as a routine becomes old news, as a new family member takes the top spot, always. Finding enough time to manage it all can be tricky, especially if you already had pets in the household. Many people asked me what I planned to do with the dogs once the baby entered this world. What did they mean? Getting rid of my canine companions never crossed my mind, as they are part of the family, but I did wonder what to do to make sure they knew they were still important.
When you bring a child into your household, your pets are probably going to get a little jealous. So a great way to give them some attention, especially if you are a bit pressed for time, is to give them some toys. PetSafe toys are a fantastic present to show your furry family members how much you care, especially if you’re looking for a fun little gift for Valentine’s Day! Here are my recommendations for best interactive toys for your dogs:
Busy Buddy® Squirrel Dude™ The Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude is a great toy for strong chewers! I had to get a picture that made this toy look like a very dramatic rodent staring at our fans. In all seriousness, this toy is a fantastic choice if your dogs begin to get bored and are looking for something to chew on. My dogs love to chew on this, especially when I fill it with some peanut butter or our Busy Buddy® Buddy-Berries™. The bottom of this toy will allow treats to fall out as your dog flings it across the room, like mine so often do.
With any toy, it is always recommended to have supervised play time to ensure your dogs are not chewing too hard where they could break anything off of the toy. To keep your dogs really entertained, trade out that tennis ball for this purple play toy. It's fun to watch it bounce all over the place with a good throw, but don't throw it too hard or the treats could scatter, taking all of the fun out of it for your dogs!
Busy Buddy® Magic Mushroom™ 
The Magic Mushroom is a toy that spins, rolls, and dispenses treats during playtime!
It may sound ridiculous to some, but there are dogs out there that can get a bit depressed without proper attention. Dogs that have been the center of your family for years may get a little jealous or timid when you bring home a new family member, and sometimes they develop an issue with eating.
For dogs that either overeat, or dogs that need to be enticed a little, this toy is a great solve. You can adjust the windows inside of the mushroom to open as much as needed, and dispense as much kibble as you feel is necessary.
If you want your over-eater to work a bit for the kibble, close the window a little more to make it a bit more difficult, which will slow down that busy mouth a bit. If you want it to be easy and fun, just open the window more to make sure the kibble falls out easily. You can also fill this with small treats that can fall out as your dog plays with this durable toy. Its hard plastic material is great for food dispensing fun, but make sure not to throw this across your house during playtime!
And my number one recommendation for fun and interactive toys for your dogs... Drum roll please....
BOLT is an interactive laser toy that provides hours of fun for you and your cat or dog.
FroliCat™ BOLT™ This toy is even great for cats! Simply place 4 AA batteries into the base, press a button, and allow for hours of fun for your pets. This will shut off the light after 15 minutes, but you can press the button as often as you'd like. The automatic mode allows the laser to move in many different directions, which will allow a good amount of space for your pets to chase it.
I would recommend a good open space in your home to place this, that way your pet does not get bored in a small room while chasing this around. Before you buy this (or any) toy, make sure you know your pets. One dog of mine will chase this like it is his one job in the world, while the other thinks she is above anything this fun.
I think a lot of people expect a toy to just immediately be the greatest thing their pets have ever seen, but every dog is different, just as every human is different.
From all of us at PetSafe, we hope that you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones. If you feel like treating your pets to some fun and interactive toys, check out the many different options we have to offer!
