FOFOS Braided Flossy Rope Dog Toy

The FOFOS Braided Flossy Rope Dog Toy is a braided rope rather than a knotted one, which gives a longer, more even length to hold and a ridged surface that dogs settle down and work at.

Key Features

• Braided construction along the whole length rather than knots at intervals
• Ridged surface the dog can chew at as well as pull against
• Easy to hold at either end for two-handed tug
• Machine washable in a laundry bag, then dried flat

Playing Tug Properly

• Tug is one of the better games you can play with a dog. It burns energy, it is co-operative, and letting the dog win does not make them dominant
• Keep the pulling side to side rather than up and down, and let the dog do the bracing. Lifting a dog off its front feet puts the strain through the neck
• Teach a swap. Offer a treat, say the cue, and hand the toy straight back. A dog that will let go on command can be given far more freedom with toys
• Stop the game if teeth touch skin, and start again after a short pause. That is the whole rule, and it is the one worth being consistent about

About The Dental Claim

• Rope fibres do rub against the teeth, and dogs that chew rope tend to have a little less soft plaque on the outer surfaces
• That is not the same as cleaning teeth. It does nothing below the gumline, where dental disease actually starts, and it will not shift tartar once it has hardened
• Treat it as a small bonus alongside brushing or a vet dental, not as a replacement for either

Good To Know

• Bin a rope toy once it frays badly. Swallowed strands can gather in the gut and are one of the harder foreign bodies to pass
• Rope is not a chew. A dog left alone with one will strip it strand by strand
• Supervise play and take the toy away once it starts to come apart. No dog toy is indestructible, and swallowed pieces can cause a blockage