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I remember when I first got my Boxer, everyone who heard would warn me about what energetic dogs they are. As it turns out, they were right, and my Boxer had never-ending energy all day every day.
Luckily, I’m already very active, so bringing my Boxer on my daily exercise outings provided good exercise, but it wasn’t always enough and I had to start searching for other outlets for all that energy, so I started tracking down the best toys for Boxers.
Always ready to play and brimming with energy, Boxers need toys that are mentally engaging with a high replay value to keep their attention. Plus, these toys must be extremely durable to withstand a Boxer’s rough play and powerful mouth.
In the end, I found five toys that I think are ideal for just about any Boxer. We’ll be looking at why I picked these toys and a review of each but if you want to skip ahead and see what made the list you can check them out below:
- Best Overall: ELOPAW Suction Cup Tug and Chew Dog Toy
- Best on a Budget: SHARLOVY Large Rope Dog Chew Toys
- Best for Mental Stimulation: Nina Ottosson Interactive Puzzle by Outward Hound
- Best for Extra Energy: iFetch Interactive Ball Launcher for Dogs
- Best Chew Toy: Bullibone Nylon Dog Chew Toy
Priorities When Shopping for Boxer Toys
There are nearly endless numbers of dog toys available today. Just hop on Amazon or Chewy and you’re guaranteed to find more dog toys than your Boxer could ever play with.
However, not every dog toy is going to be a perfect fit for your pooch.
You’ll need to consider some Boxer-specific traits, such as their high levels of energy, how hard they are on toys, and whether you want the toy to occupy your Boxer on their own or if you want a toy you can play with together.
But that’s just the start of it so let’s look at everything you need to consider when picking out the perfect toy for your boxer.
Expends a Lot of Energy
One thing that practically all Boxer parents can agree on is that Boxers are some seriously energetic dogs. As in, far more energetic than many breeds. Even though they may not be as fast as other breeds, boxers love to get out that energy by running, jumping, or even doing agility courses!
But since you can’t always find a way to work in an agility course on a Tuesday night, you’ll want to find prioritize toys that can help release some of that excess energy.
The best toys for expending energy are highly physical, such as a toy you can throw for a fun game of fetch.
Of course, fetch requires you to play with your Boxer the whole time, which isn’t always possible. Luckily, there are plenty of options that will allow your Boxer to play alone, such as automatic ball launchers and toys that react when your Boxer plays with them.
If you have a Boxer, then you’ve probably seen them “box” a rock or other small object. It’s a very common way that Boxers entertain themselves, and most Boxers do it.
This just shows that Boxers can have fun with just about anything. That doesn’t mean your Boxer won’t be picky though. They might refuse certain toys for no reason that you can spot, but even a rock can become a fun plaything for an ever-imaginative and energetic Boxer.
In case you don’t know the silly style of Boxer play I’m referring to, check out this video of Boxers playing. You’ll see several Boxers in the video “box” their toys, jumping around, hitting the toy with their paws, and generally just having a great and exciting time.
Unfortunately, while all that energy does result in some adorable antics, it can also become an issue if you don’t provide an outlet.
Since they’re so full of energy and playful, Boxers tend to get bored quite easily. So, if you don’t provide play toys to help get rid of that excess energy, you might see destructive behaviors manifesting as a result, including chewing, digging, excessive whining, and more.
Provides Mental Stimulation
When it comes to canine intelligence, Boxers are considered to be pretty average according to Stanley Coren, a psychologist who ranked dog breeds by intelligence in his book “The Intelligence of Dogs.”
Boxers landed right in the middle, earning a spot in the average working/obedience intelligence group.
But as any Boxer parent will tell you, this is a bit deceptive. Boxers are very sharp dogs with a highly inquisitive nature. They’re always wanting to explore, play, and test everything they find.
Without an outlet for all of that curiosity and mental energy, your Boxer is just as likely to become destructive as if they weren’t getting any exercise.
Many toy options can help to stimulate your Boxer mentally though, and these toys can help prevent such destructive behaviors (of course positive reinforcement goes a long way too).
Puzzle toys tend to be great for this. They usually feature hidden compartments where you can put a few pieces of dog food or a treat. Then, your Boxer has to figure out how to open the compartments, earning a small treat each step of the way.
Every Boxer is different though, so you’ll have to determine how smart yours is by trial and error. Puzzle toys usually come in several difficulty levels, allowing you to increase or decrease the difficulty to find the right fit for your Boxer.
Just be careful that your pooch doesn’t destroy the toy! Boxers tend to get a little rambunctious when they have trouble figuring out how to open the compartments, and they might try to just shake it open instead!
Exceptional Durability
Boxers aren’t the biggest or strongest dogs out there. For a bully breed, they’re actually on the small and streamlined side of things.
Even so, Boxers can be incredibly rough on toys. They might not be as hard on toys as bigger breeds like Rottweilers but Boxers can still destroy toys with the best of them.
A Boxer’s bite force is essentially on par with a Pitbull. Boxers average about 230 PSI bite force, while Pitbulls just barely beat them out with a bite force of 235 PSI.
While this is far from the destructive power of, say, a Rottweiler’s bite, which is estimated at 328 PSI, a Boxer’s bite is still sufficiently strong to tear through a standard dog toy in no time at all.
As such, it’s in your best interest to purchase the most durable dog toys you can find for your Boxer. Otherwise, you can expect to be replacing them constantly!
Good choices include toys made specifically for aggressive chewers, which are often made of tough rubbers that are difficult for even a Boxer to destroy.
High Replay Value
Here’s a scenario you don’t want:
You find a great toy for your Boxer that you’re sure they’ll love after comparing dozens of options. The toy arrives and your Boxer loves it! They play with it for about 10 minutes vigorously. Then, the toy is dropped and never returned to again.
The sad truth is that you can’t predict which toys your Boxer is going to love, but your search is for toys that have high replay value. These toys will keep your Boxer engaged again and again, never quite losing their draw.
Toys with a high replay value generally attract your Boxer with more than just play. They’ll often incorporate scents or flavors that will entice your pooch, or they might use textures and noises that will encourage your Boxer to keep playing.
Playing Together or Solo
I briefly touched on this earlier, but it’s vital that you choose whether you want toys your Boxer can play with alone, toys you can play with together, or both.
Solo play toys are often not ideal for playing together, and the same is true of companion play toys.
For example, a frisbee is great for fetch, but it might not attract your Boxer to play with it on their own. On the other hand, it would be quite difficult for you to play with your Boxer with a puzzle toy.
So, determine whether you want to play with your Boxer or you want them to be entertained on their own, and pick your toys accordingly.
Type of Toy
We’ve discussed the various traits that you should be prioritizing when shopping for your Boxer’s toys, but you’ll quickly notice once you start browsing that there are hundreds of options.
We can generally group these into just a few categories though, which can help you narrow down the options and make a decision.
Chew Toys
Chew toys are about as basic as dog toys come, but they have excellent replay value and can keep your Boxer’s attention for a surprising amount of time.
Furthermore, most chew toys today are designed to benefit your Boxer through more than just enjoyment. These chew toys will also help clean your Boxer’s teeth, removing plaque, and improve overall dental health.
The best chew toys for Boxers will be designed for aggressive chewers as these can withstand the onslaught your Boxer will no doubt bestow upon the toy.
I’d also recommend looking for a flavored and scented chew toy since these will be more attractive to your Boxer and will likely keep them entertained for longer which is exactly what you want if you need a toy for a long road trip or some time in the crate.
Puzzle Toys
Puzzle toys are ideal for providing some much-needed mental stimulation for your Boxer.
These toys generally contain multiple hidden compartments that you can fill with pieces of kibble or your dog’s favorite treats.
Once you close the treats into the compartments, your Boxer will then have to figure out how to open each compartment to get to the treat inside.
The treats provide a natural incentive, which helps puzzle toys keep your Boxer occupied for quite a while, ensuring they’re receiving adequate mental stimulation.
On the downside, you’ll have to keep refilling the compartments whenever your Boxer empties them. This requires a lot of interaction from you, as most puzzle toys will be completed in about 10-15 minutes.
Companion Toys
Companion toys are any toys that you use to play with your dog. They’re not ideal for your dog to play with alone though.
Fetch toys are some of the most popular toys for playing together with your Boxer.
Obviously, they’re used for playing fetch; a game that practically every Boxer will love to play. Not only does fetch provide plenty of exercise for your energetic Boxer and an outlet for all that energy, but it also helps to strengthen the bond between you two.
If you’re patient, you can even teach your silly boxer to catch the toy too!
The drawback is that fetch toys require you to throw them. That said, you can certainly get fetch toys that double as durable chew toys, but they’ll likely lack the scents and flavors that keep your Boxer attracted.
Even so, you might find that your Boxer just loves to chew on whatever fetch toy you choose, giving you a two-for-one special.
Other great partner play toys include ropes, which are great for tug-of-war, or a laser pointer that you can get your Boxer to chase around the room.
Solo Toys
Solo toys don’t require your input. These are toys that can occupy your Boxer all on their own and they’re perfect for time in the crate or longer trips in the car.
Chew toys and puzzle toys can both be considered solo toys, but there are far more options than just these.
For instance, you have automated ball launchers so your Boxer can play fetch without needing you to throw the ball. There are also treat-dispensing toys that attach to the ground by way of suction cups. These toys can be chewed on, played with, and even boxed with, as Boxers love to do so much.
5 Best Toys for a Boxer
By this point, you should know exactly what to prioritize in a toy for your Boxer, making it easier to compare the available options.
Thankfully, you only have to sort through five choices since I’ve already narrowed down the nearly endless offerings to the five that I think are the best bets for a Boxer.
Best Overall: ELOPAW Suction Cup Tug and Chew Dog Toy
- Dog toys for aggressive chewers large breed come with dual sution cups provide stronger suction then...
- Interactive dog toys can work well on smooth and flat surface, each package has floor sticker, if you...
My favorite toy for Boxers fits into multiple categories since it allows for many different ways of playing.
The main part of this toy is a chew toy ball with various nubs and even two tasseled ropes hanging off to entice your dog to play, chew, and bite. When they bite, a small built-in whistle will squeak, encouraging your Boxer to keep playing.
As if that’s not motivation enough, you can even fill the chew ball with kibble or treats, providing another reason for your Boxer to play.
Treats aren’t terribly difficult to dispense, but it’s challenging enough to provide ample mental stimulation for your Boxer. Best of all, it holds enough treats to keep your Boxer occupied for quite some time.
While your Boxer is chewing on the toy, attempting to release the treats it holds inside, they’ll also be benefitting from the textured surface of the ball that’s designed to help clean teeth.
One of the biggest problems with ball-shaped toys is that they tend to roll under furniture, causing your Boxer to scratch your nice couch up while trying to get to their toy. This toy fixes such issues with a pair of heavy-duty suction cups.
These suction cups can stick to smooth floors, offering up to 200 pounds of pulling resistance. The chew toy is attached to the suction cups by a short rope, allowing plenty of room for vigorous play and “boxing” without any chance of the toy rolling somewhere it can get stuck.
Offering exercise, mental stimulation, and plenty of replay value, it’s easy to see why this is my favorite toy for Boxers.
With more than 1,100 five-star reviews on Amazon, it’s also clear that real-world users feel similarly about this toy, including several Boxers that seem to approve wholeheartedly. You can read these reviews and check the current price of the ELOPAW suction cup chew toy by clicking here.
What I love about it: This toy checks off all the boxes, making it one of the most versatile toys for Boxers.
What I wish it had: It would be nice if there was a way to deactivate the whistle so you can have some quiet time while your Boxer is occupied.
Best on a Budget: SHARLOVY Large Rope Dog Chew Toys
- INDESTRUCTIBLE DOG TOYS FOR AGGRESSIVE CHEWERS MEDIUM TO LARGE BREED: XL sized strong dog toys set are...
- HEAVY DUTY ROPE TOYS FOR AGGRESSIVE CHEWERS: The durable dog toys are made of high quality nature cotton...
Containing nine rope toys of various sizes, lengths, and shapes, this set offers many ways for your Boxer to be entertained.
There are short, thick ropes that make ideal chew toys for a Boxer. They can even help to floss your Boxer’s teeth while they chew!
You’ll also find some longer ropes with knots or loops tied into them. These are perfect for a tug-of-war game, offering ample length to help you avoid being accidentally bitten!
Want to play some fetch? The two rope balls included in this set are perfect for playing fetch with a reduced risk of accidentally breaking a window!
Rope toys will eventually wear out, but so will almost any toy that your Boxer spends enough time with. Since this kit contains nine different toys, when one wears out, you’ll still have several others to replace it, which is what makes this package such a great value.
Currently, this package of rope toys has over 4,100 five-star reviews. People with Boxers and other dogs of similar size seem quite pleased with the overall quality and longevity of these toys.
There were some reviewers that weren’t pleased with the durability of these ropes. However, many of them admit to having dogs much larger than a Boxer.
If you’d like to read the reviews written on these ropes and check today’s price on Amazon, then click here.
What I love about it: You get nine toys for an affordable price, offering multiple ways to play and backups for when they get destroyed.
What I wish it had: There’s so much versatility here that it’s hard to ask for much, but improved durability couldn’t hurt!
Best for Mental Stimulation: Nina Ottosson Interactive Puzzle by Outward Hound
- BOREDOM BUSTER INTERACTIVE DOG TOY: As one of our most popular intermediate level 2 designs, the Dog...
- FLIP, LIFT, & SLIDE TO HIDE TREATS: The Nina Ottosson Dog Brick comes with 3 types of treat hiding...
If you want to prevent your Boxer from getting bored and turning to destructive behaviors, you’ll need to provide loads of mental stimulation, which is what this puzzle toy by Outward Hound is perfect for.
You’ll see that there are a multitude of hidden compartments on this toy that open in several different ways. Small treats or pieces of dog food can be placed in these compartments, offering an incentive for your dog to find.
Naturally, your Boxer will want to open these compartments to get at the treats located inside. But getting into them requires a bit of thinking and work, which helps to keep your Boxer stimulated and engaged.
Every dog is different, so a puzzle that might be very hard for one dog could be a piece of cake for another. Thankfully, this toy is available in four difficulty levels that range from easy to expert.
Plus, there are quite a few puzzles to try out, ensuring that your Boxer never gets bored repeating the same puzzles over and over. Some options might be too small for a Boxer’s paws and snout, so be careful if you decide to go for a different model.
Since this toy is dependent on you filling it with treats, it won’t keep your dog occupied for hours like some toys might. Your Boxer will be entertained so long as there are still treats to uncover.
Few toys can provide as much mental stimulation as this type of puzzle, especially while simultaneously improving your Boxer’s fine motor skills.
You will need to teach your Boxer that the compartments aren’t the treats though. Some dogs chew the compartment covers unless they’re taught that the food inside is the real reward!
So far, this puzzle toy has amassed more than 36,000 five-star reviews from happy pet parents, including more than a handful with Boxers. You can read their raving reviews and check out today’s price for this puzzle toy by click here.
What I love about it: There are many compartments to keep your Boxer entertained and the treat reward ensures this toy never gets old.
What I wish it had: It would be great if it were larger with more compartments so you could fill it less frequently.
Best for Extra Energy: iFetch Interactive Ball Launcher for Dogs
- Interactive, on demand ball launcher that lets dogs play fetch to their hearts' content
- Runs on a built-in, rechargeable battery
Fetch is one of the best games you could ever play with your Boxer, providing tons of exercise, using up their excess energy, and they just plain love it. But fetch requires your input since you must be there to throw the ball.
Well, that’s not the case anymore, thanks to the iFetch interactive ball launcher. It’s like having an automated fetch partner for your Boxer, and if it weren’t for the steep price tag, it would probably be my favorite toy for Boxers overall.
iFetch are always coming up with creative toys that keep dogs entertained and they also made our list of the best toys for dogs that like to dig so it’s no surprise to see them again.
To keep things simple, this device is set up to use regular tennis balls, which are cheap and easily replaceable. Three are even included.
The iFetch can launch the balls to three preset distances of 10, 25, or 40 feet, depending on how much space you have available. Using the 10-foot launch, your Boxer can even play indoors in some cases.
Inside, there’s a rechargeable battery that allows you to unplug it and leave it outside where your dog has plenty of space. You can also use it while it’s plugged in though, so even if you forget to charge it your Boxer can still play. When it’s not plugged in, the unit goes to sleep after 60 seconds to protect battery life, but it wakes up once a ball is dropped in.
As the tennis balls get wet with slobber, performance will start to decline, so you’ll want to keep a few balls on hand to avoid this. And if anything goes wrong, you’re covered by a one-year warranty, so you can be sure that your investment is protected.
Reviewers seem pleased with how well this ball launcher works and its ability to entertain their dogs for long periods. So far, it has earned over 1,300 five-star reviews on Amazon. You can check out those reviews and the current price of this toy by clicking here.
What I love about it: Your Boxer gets tons of exercise and you get to keep your free time. I call that a win-win.
What I wish it had: I wish it were a bit more affordable for the average Boxer parent.
Best Chew Toy: Bullibone Nylon Dog Chew Toy
- A perfect size for every dog!
- SATISFIES THEIR CHEWING NEEDS: A delicious nylon bone that gives your dog exactly what they want and...
Chew toys are a classic staple you can always fall back on. No Boxer will turn down a good chew toy, and this Bullibone chew toy is definitely a good one.
Your Boxer won’t be able to resist the enticing aroma and flavor of beef that’s infused into this chew toy. Or, if you want to switch things up, you can opt for the bacon or peanut butter flavors instead. It’s practically guaranteed that your Boxer will love all three.
Boxers tend to destroy things rather quickly when they chew. This toy, however, is built specifically for aggressive chewers, and it can easily withstand the barrage of teeth that your Boxer will subject it to.
One of my favorite features you’ll find on the Bullibone is that it helps to improve dental hygiene by cleaning your Boxer’s teeth while they’re chewing.
Your Boxer will also appreciate the easy-to-hold paw pads that make it simple for your dog to keep ahold of the Bullibone while they’re gnawing away at it.
The Bullibone is an affordably-priced offering to start with, but it’s made even better by the 100% satisfaction guarantee that ensures you’ll get a full refund if you or your dog is unsatisfied with the Bullibone. With a guarantee like that, it’s hard to go wrong giving the Bullibone a try.
On Amazon, the overwhelming majority of reviews for the Bullibone are positive, with more than 3,800 perfect five-star reviews at the time of writing. You can check out the current price of this chew toy and read real-world reviews by following this link.
What I love about it: It’s affordable and Boxers love the infused flavor. The Bullibone keeps your Boxer occupied and simultaneously improves their dental hygiene.
What I wish it had: It’s dead-simple and priced well; there’s not much here to improve.
Final Thoughts
Boxers are some of the most entertaining and enjoyable pets you could have, but they have almost endless energy and are prone to destructive behaviors when they become bored.
Toys for Boxers should provide physical activity, mental stimulation, keep them engaged, and offer enough replay value for your Boxer to keep playing with it long-term.
Some of my favorite toys for Boxers include the Bullibone nylon chew toy, the iFetch automatic ball launcher, and the ELOPAW suction cup chew toy and treat dispenser, and I’m certain that your Boxer will agree with me!
