When I adopted Max, my golden retriever, I wanted to give him the best life possible. I’d always bought toys for him myself—plush animals, chew bones, ropes—but one day I wondered what would happen if I let him make the choice. So I decided to take him to the pet store and let him pick out his very own toy. What happened next was nothing short of adorable—and a little surprising.
The Plan
Max is the kind of dog who gets excited about everything. A walk? Tail wagging. Dinner? Full-body wiggle. So when I grabbed his leash and said, “We’re going to the store,” he practically pulled me to the car.
I decided we’d go to the biggest pet store in town, one with aisles upon aisles of toys, treats, and goodies. My goal was simple: let Max explore, and see what he gravitated toward.
Entering the Store
The moment we walked through the automatic doors, Max froze—not because he was scared, but because he was overwhelmed. His nose twitched rapidly as he took in the smells of kibble, treats, and other dogs who had been there before him.
He looked at me as if to say, “Is all this for me?”
The Toy Aisle
When we reached the toy section, I unclipped his leash (with the store’s permission) and let him roam freely. He sniffed a stuffed squirrel, then a tennis ball, then a rubber bone. He’d pick one up, chew it briefly, and then drop it to move on to the next.
I expected him to choose something like a squeaky ball or a plush toy—his usual favorites—but he kept wandering, seemingly unimpressed.
The Unexpected Choice
Finally, Max stopped in front of a giant bin of toys shaped like vegetables—carrots, broccoli, corn. He stuck his head into the pile and came out with… a bright green plush broccoli.
I laughed. “Really? Out of everything here, you pick broccoli?”
He wagged his tail and trotted proudly toward the register, broccoli firmly in his mouth.
The Ride Home
On the way home, Max refused to let go of his new toy. He sat in the backseat, broccoli between his paws, occasionally giving it a squeeze to make it squeak. I’d never seen him so attached to something so quickly.
When we got home, he carried it inside like it was the most important possession in the world.
The Aftermath
Over the next few weeks, the broccoli toy became Max’s constant companion. He brought it to bed, carried it from room to room, and even insisted on having it nearby during meals.
I realized then that the joy on his face was because he had chosen it. It wasn’t just a toy—it was his toy, something he’d picked for himself in a sea of possibilities.
The Lesson
Letting Max choose his own toy taught me something unexpected about dogs: they value choice just as much as we do. It made me think about how often we make decisions for our pets without considering what they might want.
Now, I make it a point to give him options—whether it’s toys, treats, or even which route we take on our walks. The difference in his excitement is undeniable.
Final Thought
Sometimes, the simplest acts—like letting your dog pick out their own toy—can lead to the most heartwarming moments. If you want to see pure joy, give them the freedom to choose. You might be surprised by what they pick.