Are you a new puppy owner or do you have a dog that suffers from anxiety? A heartbeat toy might be just the answer to lull your pup to sleep or reduce stress and anxiety in adult dogs. So, what's a heartbeat toy? It's similar to wrapping a ticking clock in a towel and placing it in the box or kennel your puppy sleeps in to soothe it to sleep, only they come in the form of cute, plushy, teddy bears, bunnies, puppies, sheep, and other adorable stuffed animals.

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Heartbeat Toys

To put it simply, a heartbeat toy is used mainly for comfort. They contain a mechanism placed inside them that makes a pulsing sound/sensation intended to simulate the sound and thumping feel of a real beating heart. When snuggling up to the toy, the dog or puppy should feel comforted by the sound, as it's similar in sensation to that experienced while cuddling up with their littermates or their mother.

Some manufacturers have even created heartbeat toys featuring a pad that can be heated in the microwave, which gives the stuffed animal a warm feeling mimicking the body heat of siblings or their momma.

Photo: Pixabay/kaboompics

Transition from Litter to Home

Heartbeat toys might also help puppies transition from their litter to your home. For puppies, having something warm, comforting, and cuddly to snuggle up next to (besides you) may make the move to new surroundings a little easier while they’re adjusting to all of the strange sights, smells, and sounds your home contains.

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Adult Dog Needs

Separation anxiety is a big problem in dogs, and learning to cope with being home alone can be difficult. Providing a heartbeat toy is something that could possibly bring them some sense of comfort and security during your time apart. They might also be beneficial to an animal mourning the loss of another pet sibling, especially with a heated stuffed toy to lay beside or rest its head upon.

Photo: Pixabay/tatmaipenrai

At this point, there are several manufacturers of these comfort-toy devices, so you'll have to do some research to see which best fits your budget and encompasses the features your dog could benefit from most. Just google "heartbeat toys" and any number of items will pop up in the results. They make them for babies and toddlers, too, but there's likely very little difference in them. Good luck!