Gear Score Methodology
PetPal Gear Score
Best Dog Chew Toys for Anxiety, Decompression, and Boredom (2026)
Editorial synthesis of ASPCA canine enrichment and separation-anxiety guidance, AKC lick-mat guidance, a peer-reviewed 2023 study on long-lasting chews during isolation (Animals/Basel, PMC9951671), and manufacturer documentation from KONG, LickiMat, Outward Hound/Nina Ottosson, and West Paw. PetPalHQ does not run a testing lab and has not tested these products on our own animals.
PetPal Gear Score = (Expert Consensus × 0.30) + (Effectiveness × 0.25) + (Animal Safety × 0.20) + (Durability × 0.15) + (Value × 0.10)Factor breakdown
Expert Consensus
30%Synthesized from ASPCA canine enrichment and separation-anxiety guidance, AKC lick-mat guidance, a peer-reviewed 2023 isolation study in the journal Animals (PMC9951671), and manufacturer documentation from KONG, LickiMat, Outward Hound, and West Paw. The PetPal Gear Score is a composite of expert opinion and documented research — PetPalHQ does not run a testing lab.
Effectiveness
25%How well each toy delivers a specific calming mechanism — chewing, licking, or sniffing — that expert sources tie to lower stress and how long it realistically keeps a dog engaged, judged against the 2023 isolation study's finding that long-engagement food enrichment was the most calming format.
Animal Safety
20%Size-match and choking risk, chewer-strength fit, material safety, and the strict xylitol-free topping rule. Safety is weighted heavily and is never overridden by value — a cheap toy that is the wrong size or invites a toxic topping is not a bargain.
Durability
15%How well the material holds up to repeated freeze-and-clean cycles and to the dog's actual chewing style, based on manufacturer construction documentation, stated chewer-strength compatibility, and owner-reported longevity.
Value
10%Calming benefit delivered per dollar within each mechanism rather than across them. A two-mat LickiMat pack clears a low price bar for licking, while the West Paw Toppl sits at a premium that its material set and guarantee justify for a moderate chewer.
See all score methodologies on the Gear Score index.