The Future of Dog Toys
Dog toy manufacturers are focusing on the fastest-growing opportunities in the industry: solutions that tout multi-sensory enrichment and are designed to combine engagement, durability and wellness into an enriching experience for pups. By dialing into what pet owners are expecting from their dog’s toys, manufacturers are promoting mental and physical well-being while providing lasting entertainment for pets and their parents.
“The growth opportunity is in multi-sensory enrichment,” said Tim Brightwell, SVP of Sales for Huxley & Kent. “Pet parents want to know their money is being spent well and for great value, so there is growth in boredom-busting, anxiety relief and weight management toys. There is resilience and value in durability as shoppers prefer to see lasting enjoyment from their purchase.”
“At Playology, we see the greatest growth opportunities in products that combine engagement, durability, and wellness into one experience,” said Brand Manager Kailey Jimenez. “Pet parents are becoming more intentional with their purchases. They are looking for toys that deliver real value through longer-lasting play, mental stimulation, and enrichment, rather than simply adding more toys to the basket. Consumers want confidence that a toy will last, keep their dog engaged, and support a healthy lifestyle. Retailers are also prioritizing products with stronger turn rates, differentiated innovation, and clearer consumer storytelling.”
“Right now, the strongest growth in the dog toys category is coming from enrichment-driven play,” said Rachel Markowitz, Brand Manager—Pet Brands for Brightkins. “Pet parents are increasingly looking for toys that do more than entertain but also support mental stimulation, slow feeding, and everyday behavioral wellness. That shift has been building for a while, but it is accelerating as owners better understand the connection between cognitive engagement and overall pet health. From an economic standpoint, we are seeing more intentional purchasing behavior. Consumers are prioritizing multifunctional products that deliver longer-term value. In dog toys, that means durability, repeat play value, and products that replace boredom with engagement. The most resilient part of the category is anything tied to enrichment. Puzzle toys, treat-dispensing systems, and interactive play solutions continue to perform well because they feel essential rather than optional.”
“There are some very interesting electronic interactive toys that I’ve seen over the last few years,” Emily Benson, Marketing Director of StarMark Pet Products previously shared. “These can be great fun for dogs to play with, and some even have training or learning features. Playing with your dog can be such a special bonding experience, though, that I feel that I generally prefer personal interaction and connection with my dog.”
“We’re always focused on staying ahead of trends in toys, and with the addition of beds and crate mats, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring that same creativity into these categories,” Senior Vice President Rich Koliner recently said. “From exciting new fabrics to fresh patterns, textures, and designs, there’s a lot of room to elevate everyday pet products while still delivering strong value and functionality for today’s pet parents.”
The future of the dog toy category will be defined by purposeful and intentional innovation that will enrich pets’ mental development and physical well-being. Manufacturers will continue to thrive and relate to pet parents by building on their strengths and what has proven successful—combining durability with thoughtful design.
“Huxley & Kent already produces tough, well-constructed toys, and we will continue to lean into durability supported by design work with tremendous shelf appeal,” Brightwell said. “Multi-sensory play will continue to elevate the customer experience. Humanization of our pets will continue and high-emotion purchasing will see strong growth trends.”
“Over the next five years, Playology will continue evolving as an innovation-driven brand focused on purposeful play,” Jimenez said. “We see opportunity to further expand across our core USP of sensory engagement. Pet parents are more educated than ever, and they want products rooted in canine needs rather than novelty alone. We expect to see significant growth in enrichment-based toys and interactive formats.”
“Over the next five years, we see Brightkins continuing to evolve as a leader in accessible enrichment, with an expanded focus on making cognitive play part of a daily routine for more pets across more households,” Markowitz said. “We see the category shifting in three key ways: First, a continued blending of play and feeding. Products will increasingly serve dual purposes, combining mealtime and enrichment in one experience. Second, greater segmentation by skill level and pet personality. Just like human puzzles, dog toys will become more layered, with progressive difficulty becoming more standard. Third, continued expansion beyond dogs into broader pet enrichment, especially cats, where we see significant untapped opportunity.”
“For Brightkins specifically, we are focused on building a more complete ecosystem of enrichment products that grow with the pet, from beginner puzzles to more advanced challenges,” Markowitz said.
“There is still a lot of room for developing more complex interactive toys to challenge dogs and build their innate problem-solving skills,” Benson said. “We glean what we observe of how dogs interact with toys (and how they eventually master them) and direct that knowledge toward new products. This sometimes means that a concept evolves in a different direction from where it started, but it results in an overall better toy.”
“Innovation is at the core of everything we do at Multipet,” Koliner recently said. “We’re especially excited about expanding our creativity beyond toys and into beds and crate mats, where we can apply the same design-driven thinking, materials expertise, and consumer insight that have defined our toy portfolio for decades.”
The momentum behind the humanization of pets is not slowing down. Pet parents are increasingly demanding toys that offer mental stimulation and reinforce positive behaviors, so much so, that it’s shaping the dog toy category. Manufacturers are responding with interactive, experience-driven products that don’t just encourage pet owners to play with their dogs, but also challenge pets mentally and promote positive behaviors.
“Pet parents want to see mental stimulation and behavior management in their toy purchase,” Brightwell with Huxley & Kent said. “Durability, function and design will drive higher ASP. Storytelling and education are key to educating the shopper to the ‘why’ behind the purchase.”
“Our research continues to show that pet parents increasingly view pets as family members, and that mindset is reshaping the category,” Jimenez with Playology said. “Consumers are prioritizing quality over quantity, seeking products that contribute to physical activity, mental stimulation, and emotional bonding.”
“We are consistently seeing strong demand for interactive, experience-driven products. We are also seeing continued influence from human consumer trends, with brands that originated in the human toy or lifestyle space entering pets,” Markowitz with Brightkins said. “This reinforces what we have known for a while: pet parents increasingly view play as an extension of family lifestyle, not just pet care. Another major trend is the rise of ‘at-home engagement.’ Pet parents are investing more in tools that help manage energy, boredom, and behavior inside the home. That directly supports growth in puzzles, feeders, and interactive toys that can be used daily rather than occasionally.”
“Our distribution and retail partners know their customers best, and so we are focusing on individualized promotions and advertising with our partners to reach these customers at a more local level,” Benson said.
Looking ahead, dog toy manufacturers foresee that toys must appeal to pet parents who want fun and memorable moments with their pets. They also realize that retail trends will play a significant role in shaping the future landscape of the category. Emerging trends include increased focus on sustainable materials, personalized products and a growing presence of premium, boutique-style toys. Addressing these trends and working them into their designs will allow manufacturers to meet consumers’ preferences and stand out on the shelf.
“In addition to the value proposition, toys should be whimsical and highly giftable,” Brightwell with Huxley & Kent said. “A blend of form, fun and function has always been, and will continue to be, our product development strategy. Customers need to be delighted in their purchase and understand its function.”
Jimenez with Playology said, “We are seeing several major retail trends shaping the future landscape: increased demand for premium, differentiated products; growth in enrichment and interactive play segments; stronger consumer interest in durability and longevity and continued omnichannel shopping behavior, with discovery often happening digitally even when purchases occur in-store. Retailers are looking for brands that provide innovation with a clear consumer benefit and strong shelf communication. As shoppers become more informed, education and storytelling will play an even larger role in purchase decisions.”
“We’re continuing to build on our core strength in enrichment by expanding the range of challenge levels across our puzzle portfolio, so there’s truly something for every pet and every skill stage,” Markowitz with Brightkins said. “One thing we’re especially excited about is our new Kanoodle Pyramid Puzzle, which is another iteration of the viral TikTok puzzle for humans. This product introduces a fresh layer of challenge and helps deepen engagement for pets ready for the next step in enrichment play. One of the biggest under-the-radar shifts we are watching is how quickly enrichment is becoming a non-negotiable rather than a nice-to-have. Another area still early but accelerating is cross-species enrichment design, with real opportunity to rethink puzzle-based play across dogs and cats in a more unified way, rather than separate categories.”
“Balancing innovation and economics is always a challenge, but it has been at the forefront over the last year as consumers are spending less on toys and retailers want lower prices,” Benson with StarMark Pet Products said.
