Separation anxiety toys: what helps, and what toys can't fix
A good toy can make the first minutes alone easier. In a small study of dogs left alone for 20 minutes, a long-lasting chew kept them busy longest and calmest, ahead of a food puzzle and a treat-dispensing gadget. But a toy is a distraction, not a treatment. Dogs with real separation anxiety often won't touch food when they're alone, and they need a training plan.
Below: what each kind of toy offers, how to leave toys safely, and how to tell whether a toy is enough.
What the research says about toys for dogs left alone
There's very little research on toys and separation, and the best study we found is small.
Researchers left 20 dogs alone in a familiar room for 20 minutes, four times each. Each time the dog had something different: a long-lasting chew, kibble in a treat-dispensing toy, a smart treat dispenser that dropped kibble every minute, and the same dispenser with a recorded friendly voice.
- The chew won. Dogs spent the most time with it, were rated calmer in the first five minutes, and were rated more positive in the next five than with any other option.
- The voice didn't help. Adding a person's recorded voice to the dispenser made no difference to how engaged or relaxed the dogs were.1
Read this with care. The dogs were two breeds living at a pet-food company's research centre, not pet dogs at home, and none was described as having separation anxiety. The authors work for Mars Petcare, which made the chew and the kibble. It's a useful first result, not proof that chews treat anxiety.
The main kinds of separation anxiety toys
Long-lasting chews
The strongest showing in the study above. A chew gives a dog something steady to do, and chewing is a normal dog behaviour.
The catch is safety. Humane World for Animals advises giving rawhide when you can supervise, and asking your vet which chews suit your dog.2 A chew that splinters, breaks into chunks or can be swallowed whole isn't one to leave with a dog alone. Try any new chew while you're home first, and watch how your dog handles it.
Food puzzles and stuffed rubber toys
Hollow rubber toys filled with food, treat balls and puzzle feeders make a dog work for a meal. The ASPCA suggests a food-stuffed puzzle toy that takes your dog 20 to 30 minutes to finish, given each time you leave, so that being alone predicts something good.3 Humane World says a hollow rubber toy filled with broken-up treats can keep a dog busy for hours.2
Pick a toy that's too big to swallow and tough enough for your dog's jaws. If you're using part of your dog's daily food, count it so meals don't creep up.
Lick mats
Lick mats are flat mats with ridges that hold soft food. We couldn't find any study of lick mats for dogs left alone, so we can't say how they compare. The same safety rules apply: some dogs chew mats rather than lick them, so try one while you're home before you leave it out.
Soft toys
A soft toy can be a comfort object, but it's the hardest kind to leave safely. Humane World advises removing ribbons, strings and eyes, checking the stuffing, supervising squeaky toys, and throwing away toys that start to tear.2
Cameras and treat-tossing gadgets
A camera is the most useful gadget on this list, but for you rather than your dog: it shows what actually happens after you leave (more on that below). Treat-tossing and talk-back features are another matter. In the study above, a dispenser that dropped kibble every minute held dogs' attention less than the chew, and adding a recorded voice made no difference.1
Calm sound
Not a toy, but often on the same shopping list. When pet dogs were left without their owners, those that heard classical music lay down and settled a little sooner than dogs with silence or an audiobook. The researchers described the effect as moderate.4
We cover what the music studies found, and what they didn't measure, in what the studies show about dogs and music.
Whether to leave the radio on, or the TV, is its own question: see music or the TV.
How to choose a toy to leave with your dog
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is it too big to swallow? | Toys that are too small can be swallowed or get stuck in the throat.2 |
| Would you leave it unsupervised? | Humane World advises supervising rawhide and squeaky toys. If in doubt, ask your vet. |
| Has your dog used it while you were home? | You'll see whether they chew it apart, guard it or ignore it. |
| Does it last long enough? | The ASPCA suggests something that takes 20 to 30 minutes. That's also when separation signs usually start.5 |
| Is it saved for when you leave? | A special item for departures builds a link between being alone and something good. Put it away when you're back.5 |
| Is it in good shape? | Throw away toys that break or tear. Rotate a few at a time to keep them interesting.2 |
What toys can't fix
In a survey of 13,715 dogs in Finland, about 6% showed separation-related behaviour. For those dogs, a toy is unlikely to be enough on its own.6
The Merck Veterinary Manual draws a line between mild and more serious cases:
- Mild separation anxiety may respond to relaxation training and food. The dog learns to relax in one spot with chews, puzzle feeders and special toys it gets when you leave, and you take those away when you come home.
- Moderate to severe separation anxiety needs a graduated departure plan: practice absences so short that your dog stays calm, built up over many sessions. Merck says this can take months, and that medication is a decision for your vet.5
There's a practical clue too. The ASPCA points out that highly anxious dogs usually won't eat when their people aren't home.3 If the stuffed toy is still full when you get back, that's worth noticing.
Film a few absences. Merck calls video an invaluable tool, because barking, chewing and accidents can also come from boredom, noises outside, incomplete house training or stress about being shut in. If you see distress soon after you leave, talk to your vet, who may refer you to a qualified behaviour specialist.
One more myth to drop: a dog that follows you from room to room isn't more likely to have separation anxiety. Merck says close attachment behaviours like following family members around carry no extra risk.
A simple leaving routine
Toys work best as one step of a routine. The short version: exercise and a toilet break before you go, a safe chew or food toy, a calm and quiet exit, and absences built up slowly. If you'll be out longer than your dog can manage, Merck suggests a dog sitter or day care.5
We cover the full routine, and how long a dog can be left alone, in a separate guide.
Where the Barkwoo Music Box fits
The Barkwoo Music Box, a dog music box that clips to the collar, is the sound option on this list. It clips onto any standard collar and plays hours of preloaded music at one button press, with no phone, WiFi or app. It runs for almost a full day on one charge. It's the only calming-music player made to be worn on your dog's collar, so it stays with your dog while you're out.
Use it the way you'd use a special toy: part of calm time at home and part of the leaving routine, not a replacement for training. You can listen to the home-alone playlist first, or read our summary of the music research. The studies used room speakers, not our device, and none tested dogs with separation anxiety, so we don't claim more for it than they found.
Quick answers
What is the best toy for a dog with separation anxiety? In one small study, a long-lasting chew kept dogs busiest and calmest in their first 20 minutes alone. The best toy is also one your dog can safely have unsupervised.
Do stuffed food toys help separation anxiety? A hollow rubber toy stuffed with food can help mild cases by making departures predict something good. Highly anxious dogs often won't eat when alone.
Are lick mats good for separation anxiety? We couldn't find any research on lick mats for dogs left alone. Try one while you're home to check your dog licks rather than chews it.
Is it safe to leave chews with a dog home alone? It depends on the chew and the dog. Humane World advises supervising rawhide. Ask your vet which chews suit your dog.
Can toys cure separation anxiety? No. Toys can make being alone more pleasant. Moderate to severe separation anxiety needs a gradual training plan, and your vet's advice.
References
- Flint, H.E., Atkinson, M., Lush, J., Hunt, A.B.G. & King, T. (2023). Long-lasting chews elicit positive emotional states in dogs during short periods of social isolation. Animals, 13(4), 552. doi:10.3390/ani13040552 ↩︎
- Humane World for Animals. How to pick the best and safest dog toys. humaneworld.org ↩︎
- ASPCA. Separation anxiety. aspca.org ↩︎
- Kinnaird, R.F. & Wells, D.L. (2022). The effect of auditory stimulation on pet dogs' reactions to owner separation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 254, 105688. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105688 ↩︎
- Borns-Weil, S. (2025). Behavior problems of dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual. merckvetmanual.com ↩︎
- Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S., et al. (2020). Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Scientific Reports, 10, 2962. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z ↩︎
