Best chew toy for Irish Setter after agility training

An agility dog winding down after training is a very specific situation — you're not dealing with destructive boredom, you're dealing with a dog that's physically spent but mentally still buzzing and needs something to channel that last bit of energy into. The right chew toy here needs to be durable enough to last but not so hard it risks cracking teeth, and the right choice really does depend on your dog's chewing style and jaw strength. So: what breed and size is your dog, would you call them a moderate or aggressive chewer, and is this purely about post-training wind-down or is there an anxiety or destructive chewing element too?

That's really helpful. A persistent, steady chewer who needs to come down from a high is actually a great fit for a stuffable rubber toy rather than something like a nylon bone or an antler. Hard chews like those carry real tooth-fracture risk for dogs who settle in and gnaw consistently — and Irish Setters, being lean and athletic, often have that relentless quality you're describing. What I'd want to know before I point you at a specific size: does she currently have any rubber toys, and if so, does she tend to shred them or just work them steadily?

Perfect — then my clear recommendation is the Kong Classic in Large. It's the right call here for a few reasons: the natural rubber is tough enough for a persistent chewer but won't put her teeth at risk the way hard nylon or bone alternatives can, and the stuffable cavity is exactly what you need for a post-agility wind-down routine. Fill it with something like plain Greek yogurt or mashed banana and freeze it the night before training — a frozen Kong gives her a genuine 20-30 minute decompression task, which is precisely the sustained, calm engagement you're after. Irish Setters are bright and need that mental outlet as much as the physical release. The Large size suits a dog of her build well; you could go XL but Large is the standard fit for the breed and gives her enough to work with without being unwieldy. It's widely available on Amazon UK and around £10-12, so it's easy to keep two on rotation — one in the freezer, one in use.

For a post-training context, frozen Greek yogurt (plain, no sweetener — check there's no xylitol) is one of the best options: it's slow to melt, low calorie, and dogs find it deeply satisfying. You can layer it with a smear of peanut butter at the narrow end — again, xylitol-free is essential, Whole Earth or Pip & Nut are both safe. Avoid anything too high in fat if she's doing regular agility training, since you don't want to offset the conditioning work. Kibble soaked in a little low-salt broth and frozen works brilliantly too, and it means the chew toy isn't adding meaningfully to her daily calorie count. The key is freezing it — room-temperature Kongs are gone in five minutes for a dog like her; frozen ones do the job.

Exactly the right move — two on rotation is the way to go. She sounds like a great dog to train with; the Kong should slot into your post-session routine nicely.