The Petstages Story: Toys for Every Stage, and How to Choose
Petstages, from Northbrook, Illinois, builds dog and cat toys around a pet's stage of life. Here is its story and how to pick chews, tracks and puzzles from its range.
In short
- Petstages says it was founded in 2003 and is based in Northbrook, Illinois, and it has been part of the Outward Hound family since 2015.
- The name says the idea: toys planned around the stages of a pet's life, from a teething puppy to a curious adult cat.
- For dogs, the range is mostly chews grouped by texture: wood-blend sticks, firm antler-shaped chews, crunchy layered bones and soft freezable sticks.
- For cats, the Catstages line covers ball tracks, kicker toys, wands, cardboard scratchers and treat puzzles designed with Nina Ottosson.
- Choose a chew by size and chewing style first, then texture, and always stay close the first few times your pet tries something new.
Some toy brands start with a single hit. Petstages started with an idea instead: that a puppy, a grown dog, a kitten and a senior cat each play differently, so their toys should be planned around those stages. The brand's own line for it is "Innovations for All Stages of Play", and you can see that thinking across the whole range, from soft chews for small mouths to tiered ball tracks for cats who like to bat at things at midnight.
Where Petstages began
Petstages says it was founded in 2003 and placed its home in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb just north of Chicago. On its own website the company described itself as working with veterinarians and animal behaviourists to develop products for companion animals, and said it would keep consulting pet experts as new needs came up. The phrase it chose as its cornerstone was simple: providing products with purpose.
In 2015 Petstages joined the Outward Hound family of brands, which you may know from the puzzle toys in our Outward Hound story. Today the brand describes its work as innovative, fun products for dogs and cats "inspired by veterinarians and you", and it still frames the catalogue the same way: something for every stage of a pet's life, from chew toys for teething puppies to scratching posts for curious cats.
The dog range: chews sorted by texture
Most of the Petstages dog range is chew toys, and the easiest way to understand it is by texture. Each family feels different in the mouth, so each suits a different chewer. Pick the family first, then the size.
| Family | What it is | Feels like | Good starting point for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dogwood | A stick shape made from a blend of real wood and synthetic material | Firm, woody, with a light wood scent | Dogs who love to carry and gnaw sticks in the yard |
| Deerhorn | An antler-shaped chew with a raised, nubbly grip end | Very firm and smooth with bumps | Steady, determined chewers |
| Chick-A-Bone | A bone shape with a chicken flavor | Firm, bone-like | Dogs who lose interest in plain chews |
| Crunchcore | Three layers of rubber and plastic that crunch when bitten | Springy with a crackle | Dogs who chase the crunch of an empty bottle |
| Cool Teething Stick | A stuffed cotton-poly fabric stick you soak and freeze | Cold, soft, crunchy when frozen | Puppies in the teething months, with supervision |
Dogwood and its stick cousins
Same woody idea in different sizes and shapes; match the size to your dog's mouth.
Dogwood is the line most people meet first. It looks like a branch and carries the smell of real wood (one version has a mesquite BBQ flavor), but it is made to hold its shape rather than break into sharp bits the way a yard stick can. The sizes run from XS up, so a terrier and a shepherd can each have one that fits. If your dog likes a stick but you are tired of bark on the rug, this is the family to try.
Firm chews: Deerhorn, Chick-A-Bone and Crunchcore
For dogs who settle in for a longer chew session.
The Deerhorn chew is the firmest-feeling of the group: a smooth antler shape with a forked top and a ring of raised nubs at the base for grip. Crunchcore answers a very common household habit. Many dogs love the crackle of a plastic water bottle, and Petstages built this bone in three layers so it keeps that sound while holding its shape. For more on matching material to chewing style, see chew toys for strong chewers.
Puppy picks and play toys
The smaller end of the dog range is where the "stages" idea is clearest. The Cool Teething Stick is soft fabric that you soak in water and freeze, so a young puppy gets something cold and crunchy to mouth. Mini bones, ring shapes and a carrot that hides small treats round out the puppy shelf. Our guide to puppy teething toys by stage walks through which textures suit which weeks.
For puppies and playful dogs
Soft, small and interactive pieces; always stay close during play.
Carrot Stuffer: a small puzzle for a busy nose
A bright orange rubber carrot with three holes down one side and fabric leaves on top. You tuck small treats inside and your dog noses and rolls it to work them out.
- Turns a few treats into a longer game
- Fabric leaves add a different texture to grab
- Easy to rinse between uses
Catstages: the cat side of the family
Cats get their own name, Catstages, and the range is built around how cats actually like to play: swatting, kicking, stalking and scratching. It splits neatly into five shelves.
- Ball tracks. Stacked rings with balls that spin inside a channel. The cat can bat them all day and never lose one under the sofa.
- Kickers and plush. Long toys, many filled with catnip, made for grabbing with the front paws and bunny-kicking with the back.
- Wands. Tail Teaser wands come in ground prey and air prey versions, with swappable toys on a nylon rope.
- Cardboard scratchers. Pads, loungers and a fold-away tunnel in corrugated cardboard, most with catnip in the box.
- Treat puzzles. The Buggin Out puzzle carries Nina Ottosson's name, with sliding leaves and cups to hide small treats.
Tower of Tracks: the classic
Three orange rings stacked like a wedding cake, each with a blue rim and two bright balls that roll around inside. It sits on small feet and the balls stay in the track, so it works well as a solo toy while you are busy.
- Six balls across three levels
- Kittens and grown cats both bat at it
- A four-level Chase Meowtain version suits multi-cat homes
Tracks, wands and puzzles
Toys that invite a cat to chase, swat and solve.
Kickers and cardboard scratchers
Catnip kickers for wrestling, cardboard for claws and naps.
If you are new to cardboard scratchers, our comparison of sisal and cardboard scratchers explains the difference in texture and where each works best. And for a whole evening of cat play built around tracks, wands and puzzles, try our indoor cat play routine.
How to choose from the Petstages range
- Start with size. Pick a chew longer than your dog's mouth is wide, and size up if you are between two sizes. Petstages labels most chews XS, small, medium or large.
- Match texture to style. Gnawers and stick lovers lean toward Dogwood; steady, determined chewers toward Deerhorn or Chick-A-Bone; crunch fans toward Crunchcore.
- Think about stage. A young puppy wants soft and small; a grown dog wants firm; an older pet may prefer something gentler. Let the stage guide you, as the brand intends.
- For cats, pick by play style. Swatters love tracks, kickers love long plush, hunters love a wand, and thinkers love a treat puzzle.
- Check and swap. Look over chews often and replace any that are worn down, cracked or small enough to swallow.
One honest pattern runs through the range: each toy has a small, specific job. A stick for a stick lover, a crunch for a bottle thief, a track for a midnight swatter. That is the "products with purpose" idea in practice, and it makes choosing easier, because you can start from what your pet already loves to do.
Questions people ask
Who makes Petstages toys?
Petstages is a dog and cat toy brand that says it was founded in 2003 in Northbrook, Illinois. Since 2015 it has been part of the Outward Hound family of brands, alongside other well-known pet toy names.
What is Dogwood made of?
Petstages describes Dogwood as a blend of real wood and synthetic material, shaped like a stick and made to hold its shape rather than break into sharp pieces. It comes in plain wood and mesquite BBQ flavor versions and in several sizes.
What is the difference between Petstages and Catstages?
Catstages is the cat line from the same brand. Petstages toys are mostly dog chews and play toys, while Catstages covers ball tracks, catnip kickers, wands, cardboard scratchers and treat puzzles.
Which Petstages chew is best for a strong chewer?
Many owners of determined chewers start with the firmer families such as Deerhorn or Chick-A-Bone in a size up from their dog's usual. Every dog is different, so supervise the first few sessions, replace worn chews and ask your vet if you are unsure what suits your dog.
Can I freeze the Cool Teething Stick?
Yes. It is designed to be soaked in water and frozen. Stay close while your puppy plays with it and take it away if the fabric starts to tear.
About the numbers
- Petstages, company website (About page as published in 2014): founded in 2003, based in Northbrook, Illinois, works with veterinarians and animal behaviourists, philosophy of providing products with purpose
- Outward Hound, Petstages brand page (read 2026-10-29): tagline Innovations for All Stages of Play; products inspired by veterinarians and pet owners; a toy for every stage of a pet's life
- Company records (read 2026-10-29): Petstages joined the Outward Hound group in 2015
