Plush toys survive gentle dogs and last minutes with the other sort, so the honest question is which one you have got at home. If your dog carries a toy about, shakes it, sleeps with a paw over it and takes it to the door when you come home, this is a good buy. If your dog's first move is to find a seam and open it, look at rubber instead.

The shape is most of the appeal. It is a soft drumstick, light enough to be picked up and carried around the house all day, with enough length to be shaken properly, which is the motion most dogs actually want from a toy and rarely get. There is a carrot version too if a chicken leg is not to your taste. Soft plush is kind on the mouth, which suits puppies and older dogs with worn teeth.

• Soft plush body in a chicken-leg shape
• Carrot version also available
• Light enough to carry and shake
• Gentle on the mouth
• Suits small to medium dogs and soft chewers

Two things worth knowing. Some listings for this toy mention a squeaker and we cannot promise one is fitted to every unit, so do not buy it purely for that. And plush is a supervised toy: once a seam goes, the stuffing and anything inside become something a dog can swallow, so take it away and bin it at the first tear rather than sewing it back up.

Who it's for: Soft-mouthed dogs who like to carry and cuddle a toy, and puppies or older dogs who need something forgiving.