Rope has outlasted every clever gadget the pet trade has invented, because it quietly does three jobs at once. A dog can chew it, you can play tug with it, and it flies well enough to be thrown. This one is braided cotton, knotted along its length, with the bright colours doing nothing more useful than making it easy to spot in long grass at dusk.

The braid is the part that matters. Tightly twisted cotton strands act like coarse floss as a dog gnaws, dragging across the tooth surface and along the gumline where plaque gathers. That is not a substitute for brushing, but it is genuinely better for the mouth than a solid rubber ball. The knots give a dog somewhere to grip and give you a handle at the other end, which turns tug into a proper two-sided game instead of a wrestle over a slippery lump.

• Braided cotton rope with knots along the length
• Texture that works between the teeth as a dog chews
• Suits tug, fetch and solo chewing alike
• Knots give both dog and owner something to hold
• Colourful strands are easy to find outdoors

On rope toys generally. No rope is chew-proof, and a determined dog will eventually strip strands off one. Swallowed cotton threads can cause a serious blockage, so take a rope toy away as soon as it starts to shed and replace it. This is a supervised toy, not something to leave in a crate overnight with a dog who dismantles things for entertainment.

Who it's for: energetic dogs who want a game with a person in it, and owners who will check the toy over now and then.