Tug is the game most owners are told to avoid and most trainers actually recommend. Played with rules, where you start it, you end it, and the dog lets go when asked, it burns more energy in ten minutes than a mile of pavement walking, and it quietly builds the habit of giving things up on command. What it needs is a rope that will not come apart halfway through the game.

Cotton strands are woven tight and pulled into knots along the length, which gives you a grip at one end and your dog a grip at the other without either of you catching a hand in a loop. The texture does a small amount of mechanical work on the teeth as the fibres pass between them. That is not a substitute for brushing, but a dog who chews rope tends to carry less plaque along the gum line than one who does not. It suits small, medium and large breeds.

• Tightly woven multicoloured cotton rope
• Knotted sections for grip at both ends
• Built for tug play and for keen chewers
• Textured strands help work loose plaque during play
• Versatile size that suits small, medium and large dogs

On fraying, which is the real risk. Rope toys shed strands, and swallowed cotton threads bunch in the gut and are one of the more common reasons for an emergency operation. Supervise, and bin the rope the moment it starts unravelling rather than getting another week out of it. Choose a size your dog cannot fit fully into their mouth, and keep tug low and level rather than lifting them off their front feet.

Who it's for: Owners who want a proper game of tug with a dog who chews, and who will check the rope regularly and replace it when it goes.