Best toys for a Great Dane
A Great Dane's sheer size and jaw strength rule out a lot of standard dog toys before you even get to what the dog might enjoy. The real starting point for this breed is durability and scale: a toy built for a medium-sized dog will not survive long, and a toy sized for a smaller dog is a genuine choking risk in a mouth this large.
Size and durability come first
Look specifically for toys marked as suitable for giant or extra-large breeds rather than simply the largest size offered on a general product, since some ranges cap out at large without genuinely accounting for a dog the size of a Great Dane. A toy that disappears whole into the mouth of a dog this size is not doing its job, however tough the material.
Reinforced rubber and heavy-duty rope toys tend to hold up better than plush or lightly stitched fabric ones, which a Great Dane can often destroy within a single session despite the breed's generally gentle reputation. Jaw strength scales with size, even in a breed not known for aggressive chewing.
What actually suits the breed's temperament
Despite their size, Great Danes are often a fairly low-energy breed as adults, sometimes called gentle giants for good reason, and many are content with a slower, more interactive toy rather than something built for high-intensity fetch. A large, durable tug toy or a big puzzle feeder can suit the breed's calmer temperament better than a ball designed for a much smaller, faster dog.
Great Dane puppies, on the other hand, go through a real chewing and teething phase and grow at a startling rate, so a puppy-appropriate toy that is still large enough to be safe is worth prioritising early, rather than buying an adult-sized toy from day one and hoping it works for both stages.
Sizing and safety
Always check the toy's stated size guidance against your dog's actual weight rather than assuming 'large' automatically means Great Dane-sized, since breed-size labelling varies a lot between manufacturers and ranges.
Supervise a new toy the first few times regardless of how tough it is marketed as, since even a well-reviewed durable toy can occasionally have a weak point that only shows up once a dog this size gets to work on it.
What we stock for this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Kowloon All Senses Branch Bone Bacon
A 15cm bacon-scented rubber branch bone, for chewing, fetch and dental play
£4.19
Guru Distracto Pod Bone
Medium Guru suction treat pod for paste-based distraction on hard surfaces
£5.19
Tuffy Ocean Turtle Dog Toy
A broad, flat plush turtle from Tuffy, layered and seam-webbed for heavy chewers, that suits a dog who works at a toy lying down, floats, and machine washes.
£24.99
Kingdom Fruit Rope Dog Toy
A plush fruit-shaped rope toy with a squeaker in both the head and the body
£6.99
Durables Toy Kangaroo
A kangaroo dog toy from Red Dingo's Durables range: 150g, easy to throw and carry, and covered by Red Dingo's five-year guarantee.
£20.49
Inflatable Herding Ball for Dogs with Pump
A large inflatable herding ball with pump that taps into your dog's chase instinct.
From£19.99
Plush Strawberry Snuffle Mat
An interactive foraging mat with removable plush strawberries that hide treats and kibble. Encourages natural snuffling and slows feeding, providing mental enrichment for dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs alike.
From£13.99
Tuffy Alien UFO Dog Toy
One of the toughest plush toys we stock: bonded layers, several rows of stitching and webbed seams, in a flying disc shape that floats and machine washes.
£20.99
Durables Toy Crocodile
A crocodile dog toy from Red Dingo's Durables range: a 150g character toy for fetch, tug and carrying about, backed by Red Dingo's five-year guarantee.
£20.49
Tuffy Dinosaur T-Rex Dog Toy
One of the toughest plush toys we stock, built from bonded layers with several rows of stitching and webbing over the seams, and it floats and machine washes.
£47.99
Common questions
- Do Great Danes need extra-durable toys?
- Generally yes. Their jaw strength scales with their size, and toys built for medium or even large dogs can be destroyed quickly by a Great Dane, whatever the breed's usually gentle temperament suggests. Look specifically for giant-breed rated products where available.
- Are Great Danes high-energy dogs that need lots of toys?
- Not particularly. Many adult Great Danes are fairly low-energy and content with calmer, more interactive play than a working or sporting breed would need, though puppies go through a much more active chewing and exploring phase.
- What size toy is safe for a Great Dane?
- Check the manufacturer's stated size and breed guidance rather than assuming from the picture, since 'large' on one product's packaging can still be too small for a dog this size. A toy that could fit whole into the mouth is too small, regardless of the label.
- Should I buy different toys for a Great Dane puppy versus an adult?
- Yes, generally. Puppies need toys appropriate to their teething stage and current, smaller size, while a full adult Great Dane needs genuinely giant-breed rated, heavy-duty options. The two stages have quite different needs given how much the breed grows.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.