Don’t be fooled by an essential piece of Rope Toy For a Dog because it makes a pretty great toy for a dog. My Border Collie will happily tug on her rope toy all day!
Rope toys are a popular choice for fetch or in games of tug-of-war. If you are looking for a new toy for your dog, then a rope toy is worth checking out.
All up, we tested over 50 different rope toys, playing hundreds of fetch and tug-of-war games until our arms refused to go on. Then, we did it all over again the next day.
Here are just a few of the rope toys we reviewed
We reviewed each for their durability, quality, and suitability for breeds to answer a straightforward question:
Which Rope Toy For A Dog is Best?
Want the answer? Read on!
Our Top Choices
Mammoth 3 Knot Rope Best All-Rounder
Best For Large Dogs
Best-Ball and Rope Toy
What is a rope dog toy?
A single piece of rope is the construct of hundreds of articles of string twisted together. A Rope Toy For a Dog takes multiple pieces of rope and turns them into a giant rope. A mega line, if you will.
If you look at the end of your traditional rope toy, you’ll see the many string pieces that make it up.
Most Rope Toy For a Dog contains multiple sections of rope, twisted together in a braid. The ends of the rope toy are usually clusters of individual pieces of string.
Let’s face it. A rope isn’t complicated. It’s hundreds of pieces of string, twisted together. This simple design means that manufacturers can offer rope toys at lower prices than toys made from other materials.
It is worth mentioning that not all rope tug toys are of a cotton string. Some are jute or fleece cloth or even hemp. Whatever the material, all rope toys have a similar braided design.
You can grab a rope dog toy almost anywhere, your local pet store, Walmart, or Target. Although, if you want a specific rope toy, you may only find it online.
However, you can’t give your dog just any old rope to play. The string found in your local Home Depot, for example, is coated with oils, chemicals, and dyes – many of which are unsafe for your dog.
Dog-specific rope toys are typically cotton and free from toxic chemicals that could harm your dog.
Is a Rope Toy For a Dog the ideal toy for your dog?
Rope toys are often for Labradors, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds and other dogs with a sharp bite. Many owners praise rope for its ability to outlast rubber fetch toys that cost considerably more.
A rope is durable when bitten down on, making it excel at fetch and tug games.
If you look in any dog toy storage basket, you’ll likely find at least one rope toy.
The reason for their popularity? They allow your dog to play different games.
Throw it for a set of fetch
Grab it for a game of tug-of-war
Your dogs will even happily use a rope toy to play with each other.
Some owners buy ropes chew toys.
However, having tested over 50 different rope toys, we are sad to report that as a chew toy, it falls apart quickly. Even worse, small strands of a string are left behind that are dangerous to your dog.
We would suggest you avoid rope as a chew toy altogether.
But for tug and fetch games, rope makes an affordable and unique alternative to a ball or Frisbee toy.
Ropes are suitable for dog breeds of all sizes. Rope toys vary in thickness and weight. From itty-bitty Chihuahua-friendly varieties to long, heavy strings that only a Labrador or larger could move – there is something for everyone.
Make sure you buy the right size for your dog. A large or long rope will be far too heavy for a small dog like a Pomeranian or Dachshund to carry. On the flip side, a string that is too thin can easily be bitten through by the powerful jaws of a Mastiff.
Pros
- Affordable
- Commonly available
- Durable
- Used for multiple games
Cons
- Can be treated with harsh chemicals and dyes
- Should only be used under supervision
- Not suitable as a chew toy
- Can be dangerous (see next section)
Rope toy safety – read this before buying!
Remember how we said that rope toys are not a chew toy? Well, there’s a good reason. It probably the most dangerous toy that your dog can play. Yes, you read that right. That rope toy your dog is playing with could kill.
It is why rope toys should play with under supervision. If playtime is over or you need to go elsewhere, the rope toy should be pack away later.
So, what makes rope toys so dangerous?
As I mentioned earlier, a rope contains hundreds of individual strands of strings. It’s these strings that make rope toys so dangerous.
Let’s face it. Your dog’s teeth are sharp.
Your dog uses these sharp teeth to grip and chew his rope toy.
Over time, this rough play causes these strings to fray and come loose. There is a good chance that your dog will swallow them – especially if your dog is a power chewer like our Labrador tester.
String falls under the category of “linear foreign bodies.” Let vet-speak for the most harmful objects that your dog could swallow. This category includes things like cords, fabric, tape, and you guessed it.
Strings from the chewed rope are more dangerous than eating chunks of rubber, plastic, or even that fluffy stuffing found in plush toys!
Long pieces of string are the most dangerous.
If swallowed, one end of the string could get caught in your dog’s stomach while the other purpose could reach the intestines. As the digestive system attempts to move the chain, the strand will tighten. The result? The organs can cinch like the drawstring on your pants.
As you might have guessed, this is incredibly painful for your dog. And if left untreated, it is deadly. The only treatment is surgery, and it’s an operation that takes hours to complete. The vet bills aren’t cheap, and the recovery process is long and painful.
Even short strands of string can be deadly. Many dogs happily sit and chew off tiny pieces at a time. These individual pieces can gather together and cause a blockage in your dog’s intestine – the same way hairs clog a shower drain.
During testing, we observed that non-cotton ropes were most prone to shredding into small pieces. Appropriately sized cotton ropes usually untwisted into clumps of a long string, at which point our testers became disinterested.
The worst part is that most owners don’t realize their dog has swallowed string until it’s too late – the symptoms of intestinal blockage are often confused with other diseases.
If you suspect your dog has swallowed string from his rope toy, contact your vet ASAP!
With all that said, you may be wondering why you would give a dog a rope toy.
And you know what? It’s a darn good question, especially if your dog is a chewer or enjoys destroying toys.
The risk of your dog swallowing strands of string just isn’t worth the hour of fun your dog may have – if not for your dog’s health, then to avoid those expensive vet bills.
Speaking of vets, some recommend that you avoid rope toys altogether.
Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Pendleton Veterinary Clinic
Other vets seem to promote their use as a play toy.
Ultimately, it’s your choice whether or not to give your dog a rope toy. Thousands of owners report using a rope without any issue. Consider your dog’s play style and speak with your vet before purchasing a rope play toy.
If you decide to use a rope toy, it should be used only under supervision. The moment you notice the rope fraying or string falling out, toss the rope in the trash.
Better yet, pick a rope made from fleece.
Are you looking for a toy that your dog can play? When are you at work or even in the other room? Check out our other dog toy reviews instead.
If you still want to purchase a rope toy, then you want a good one. Read on to find out which rope toy is best for your dog.
What are the different types of rope dog toys?
Rope toys fall into one of two different categories.
Traditional rope toys
What more is there to say? It’s a piece of braided rope. Some ropes have an extra knot in the middle to give your dog a focus point to grab.
It is the most common and cheap type of rope toy available. Don’t be fooled by its simple design – a plain dog rope is more than capable of keeping your pooch entertained for hours.
Modified rope toys
Like with most dog toys, rope toys are available in a wide range of styles and shapes. Modified dog toys incorporate one or more features onto the rope, such as balls, handles, bones, and even plush toys that squeak!
Let’s look at some of the most popular modified rope toys.
Rope and handle
The rope is looped back on itself to create a handle. Sometimes the handle will be coated in plastic to make the toy more comfortable to grip. Some rope toys have two handles, and others just have one.
We found that the handle gave us the upper hand in games of tug-of-war. Our smart pups soon figured this out too. When presented with a rope toy with just one handle, they now take the handle side.
Rope and ball
Dogs love balls, so it’s no surprise to see rope toys with balls attached.
Ball sizes range from small tennis balls for throwing to soccer balls that you can kick your rope away when playing fetch.
During testing, we noticed that dogs had a preference for grabbing the ball when playing games of tug-of-war.
Rope and bone
These are a regular rope toy with a natural dog chew attached, such as bones, rawhide, hooves, or elk antlers. The natural chew distracts your dog from chewing on the rope, causing it to last longer.
If you are concerned about your dog eating string, this type of rope is is i. Your dog may swallow pieces while chewing the bone.
Plush rope toys
This plush toy has rope sewn into the arms, legs, or other commonly pulled areas.
Owners often give plush rope toys to puppies to provide them with different textures to chew.
Best Rope Toy For a Dog
In our hunt for the best, we tested and reviewed over 50 different rope dog toys.
It was a long journey, but we finally were able to narrow the competitors down to 4 winners – each unique in their way.
To start with, I’ll list the best rope toy for most dogs before moving onto the winners for those of you looking for something a little more specialized.
Best all-around rope dog toy
Basic Rope
Cottonblend 3 Knot
Best all-around rope
TheA durable dog-friendly rope that is available in a wide range of sizes.
It’s unsurprising to see Mammoth as the winner here. They make over 100 different rope toys in every style imaginable – one of them has to be great, right?
It’s their traditional rope toy that put them on the list—a necessary rope with three knots, two on end, and one in the middle.
It’s the durability of the all-cotton rope that made Mammoth outclass its competitors. While other strings split or fell apart during testing, our Mammoth lines are still going strong except for some minor fraying.
Best of all, Mammoth is one of the few rope toy manufacturers that create rope toys in a range of lengths.
My only complaint is that if you order online, colors at random – and they aren’t exactly neutral.
I know it’s 2019, and your male Rottweiler can play with a pink rope toy if he wants. But if you’re going to color coordinate with the rest of your dog’s toys, you may be disappointed with what you receive.
And, well, that’s all there is to it. It may be a simple rope toy, but it’s pretty high.
Best rope and ball dog toy
Romp-n-Roll
Best rope + ball
A durable ball combined with a heavy-duty rope available in a range of sizes.
Out of all the categories, this one was the most difficult to pick a winner.
While some brands offered indestructible balls, the rope is handle than a chew toy. On the flip side, others offered a heavy-duty string attached to a brittle ball that was easily punctured or shredded.
When it came to everyday play, one rope ball toy beat the competition by a long shot
he Romp-n-Roll by Jolly Pets.
Romp-n-Roll by Jolly Pets.
The Romp-n-Roll was one of the few ball ropes available in different sizes. Whether you have a teething puppy or hulking Dobermann, there is a size for your dog.
The Romp-n-Roll is available in three different colors – red, blue, and purple. There is no difference in performance, so choose whichever color is your pup’s favorite.
It was one of the few rope toys that could kick. Well, somewhat, at least. The plastic is quite substantial. They are better suited for fetch games – the plastic ball allows you to lob the ball much further than a traditional rope toy.
I liked that the ball could also use as a toy long after the rope strings.
And let me tell you, it can take some damage. Despite many punctures, this ball is heavy-duty! Since it’s not inflated, it compresses and pops back into its original shape, no matter how chewed up it gets.
Pretty impressive, right? Great for dogs like Pit Bulls and German Shepherds that don’t know their strength.
Best of all, the Romp-n-Roll is made right here in the USA.
My only real complaint is that I wish the rope were a little thicker so that it was just as durable as the ball. Even so, out of all the rope ball toys we reviewed, the Romp-n-Roll was the star.
Best giant rope dog toy
It’s BIG!
Cottonblend 5 Knot
Longest rope
Thick and long, this 72-inch rope is perfect for giant dog breeds.
Mammoth won another category with the longest rope we tested.
At 72-inches long, the Mammoth 5 Knot is comically long. It’s a pain in the butt to heave down to the local dog park and takes up an awful lot of room in our toy storage basket.
But for large dogs like Rottweilers and Great Danes, it’s perfect. The extra length means that your pooch won’t always bite in the same spot – considerably extending the life of the rope toy.
We were also impressed that the extra length allowed multiple dogs to play tug-of-war at once. It was great fun watching four of our testers tug it out – there was room for everyone’s mouth!
All told, this is essentially just a more extended version of our all-around pick – the only real difference is that it has 5 knots instead of 3.
Again, the only real complaint is the inability to choose a color. But that doesn’t have any impact on the performance of the product.
Best plush animal rope dog toy
Plush Rope
Kong Tugger Knots
Best plush rope
There is a reason this product is still around after all these years. It’s darn good. One owner we interviewed has been buying this as her go-to dog toy – her dog refuses to play with anything else.
While we tested the moose model, you can also choose from a monkey or frog. The difference is purely cosmetic, although the others don’t come with antlers.
We tested the moose. We were pleased to note that only the head is stuffing. When playing tug-of-war, if you choose the handle above the head, your dog’s mouth will never get near this.
Instead of stuffing, the twisted rope runs through the body, meaning that when your dog gnaws on this plush toy, his teeth aren’t sinking into the padding – making the plush toy considerably more challenging to break.
It’s worth mentioning
It’s worth mentioning that Kong also offers a line of plush rope toys with no stuffing at all – Kong Floppy Knots. However, we found these to be less durable and more difficult to hold in games of tug-of-war.
While my testers were thrilled to hear the squeaker’s sound, it is quickly puncturing during play. Fortunately, this didn’t impact the Tugger Knot’s use as a tug toy.
Aside from the squeaker, the rope toy held up well – even to enthusiastic play. Countless games of fetch and tug are playing without any signs of fraying or loose string.
Like all soft toys, if your dog is a heavy chewer, you’ll want to steer clear of this one too – stick to rubber dog toys instead. Light-to-medium chewers will get the most mileage out of this toy.
Only being partially stuffed reduces the chances of you needing to clean up piles of stuff when it finally tears—an easy winner.
The rope dog toys that didn’t make the cut
While our top picks outperformed, the following rope toys were flawed in one way or another.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these are lousy rope toys. You may be pleased with your purchase. However, based on our testing, we see no reason to choose these over our recommendations above.
On the plush animal front, the Kong Floppy Knots came in at a close second. This cute fox had adorable rope arms. It was only let down by it being more challenging to grip by hand and more likely to tear during tug play.
Jax and Bones offered the cutest designs. These “all-rope” animals were also colored with natural vegetable dyes to boot. However, Elton the Octopus unravel perhaps the quickest of any rope toy we tested.
We also tested a bunch of off-brand rope animal toys. Some like dinosaurs and carrots while others like a rope monkey fist. Most were either already frayed out of the box or didn’t hold up well to play.
Ethical Pets also offered a stuffing-free plush rope toy. We tested the Skinneeez Tug Fox. Our testers clamped down on the tail in tug play, which shed too much for our liking.
Growing up
Growing up with the cartoon as a kid, I loved the design of the Scooby-Doo Rope Toy. Unfortunately, its small and easy-to-untwist rope only made it suitable for little, gentle chewers – Pugs or smaller.
This rope toy is made in the USA, this time from fleece. Fleece has the added advantage that it doesn’t leave a stringy mess to clean up. We found that the Interactive Fleece Rope Toy gave some hands carpet burn during play. While the twists held steady during our testing, they show slight signs of unraveling. I have my doubts this would hold up with continued use.
Hemp is quickly becoming a popular material used in dog products, such as leashes and collars, so I was unsurprised to come across a rope toy made from hemp strands. It’s chemical-free and biodegradable. As a twisted rope toy, however, it just doesn’t hold up. The Tug-A-Hemp toy showed severe signs of fraying after the first play session.
The Dogit rope range
The Dogit rope range had three misses. The Cotton Rope Bone frayed quicker than the necessary Mammoth ropes. The tennis ball on the Cotton Rope Bone and Ball split in the first play session. And as for the mint-flavored dog rope, we don’t currently recommend any product infused with mint. The ASPCA lists peppermint oil as being toxic to dogs.[8]
The StarMark Fantastic Foam Ball relied on a piece of heat shrink to keep the rope in place – it quickly came undone in a tug-of-war.
The Planet Dog Orbee Ball Rope and the Nero Ball Ultra both made better reward toys than they did rope toys – the rope was best used as a handle to grip.
The remaining rope toys we reviewed were essential rope toys woven into various shapes and designs. They were either overpriced, available in fewer sizes, or quickly showed signs of fraying.
Conclusion
Phew, if you have made it this far, congratulations! You now know which rope toy is perfect for your dog.
Which rope toy do you use to play with your pooch? Let me know in the comments below!
