INTERACTIVE FOOD TOYS AND CHEWS |
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Please be careful giving anything like this to your dog. Always consult your veterinarian if you have concerns and watch to be sure your dog doesn't ingest anything he chews off a toy.
The interactive food toy industry is booming with new things coming out all the time. Food toys keep your dog busy, provide natural enrichment, can provide problem solving puzzles, and can slow their eating if you put all or a portion of their meal in them. It's hard to break them down into types because some do double duty.
Kibble dispensers are both a puzzle and a play toy for my dogs. They have learned to roll, drop, or throw them to get the kibble out. Snuffle mats are another way to enrich your dog's mealtime by having them use their noses to ferret out each piece of kibble.
Other types of toys are designed for your dog to lick clean with their tongue and you can fill them with everything from peanut butter to pumpkin to yogurt, or scrambled eggs. I like to mix kibble with some of these things to enable a meal's worth of kibble to stick inside.
Then there are things that really satisfy the need to chew. Bully sticks are a favorite at our house. They come in a large variety of shapes and sizes and types. You can even stick one of them into a kong and pack it in with oatmeal.
Finally, for a real mental challenge, you can give them a real puzzle. These will take more effort for you in helping to teach them how to use it but they can be lots of fun for both of you.
Kibble dispensers are both a puzzle and a play toy for my dogs. They have learned to roll, drop, or throw them to get the kibble out. Snuffle mats are another way to enrich your dog's mealtime by having them use their noses to ferret out each piece of kibble.
Other types of toys are designed for your dog to lick clean with their tongue and you can fill them with everything from peanut butter to pumpkin to yogurt, or scrambled eggs. I like to mix kibble with some of these things to enable a meal's worth of kibble to stick inside.
Then there are things that really satisfy the need to chew. Bully sticks are a favorite at our house. They come in a large variety of shapes and sizes and types. You can even stick one of them into a kong and pack it in with oatmeal.
Finally, for a real mental challenge, you can give them a real puzzle. These will take more effort for you in helping to teach them how to use it but they can be lots of fun for both of you.
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Kibble dispensers- my terriers really have fun with these. The hard plastic ones are noisy and potentially damaging to wooden cupboards and human ankles if flung around, but the kong wobbler is softer.
They all come in different sizes so be sure to check that they are appropriately sized for your dog as well as whatever kibble or treat you want to put inside. |
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Stickier fillings such as peanut butter, oatmeal, frozen yogurt/pumpkin mixtures can be used in different style toys. The Kong company was probably the first to come out with toys to stuff food into and they now have several different types and hardnesses for puppies through adults to seniors. The black toys to the left are Kongs. They also have recipes on their site to vary what you keep your dog busy with!
Another company which makes some popular stuffable toys is West Paw Design. The blue, green and orange ones in the photo are West Paw.
The purple ones are from PetSafe and are called Twist and Treats. I really like the design but as you can see if you look closely, they were not a good match for my terriers' teeth.
Finally, I like to save marrow bones after the bigger dogs clean them out, and use them to stuff. Do be careful with real bones if your dog chews the bone itself because it can damage dogs teeth. My dogs just clean them out and leave the bone alone.
As you can see, I do a big prep with as many toys as I can round up. When they are all full, they go in the freezer and I can pull one out whenever I need it.
Another company which makes some popular stuffable toys is West Paw Design. The blue, green and orange ones in the photo are West Paw.
The purple ones are from PetSafe and are called Twist and Treats. I really like the design but as you can see if you look closely, they were not a good match for my terriers' teeth.
Finally, I like to save marrow bones after the bigger dogs clean them out, and use them to stuff. Do be careful with real bones if your dog chews the bone itself because it can damage dogs teeth. My dogs just clean them out and leave the bone alone.
As you can see, I do a big prep with as many toys as I can round up. When they are all full, they go in the freezer and I can pull one out whenever I need it.
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This is a basic snuffle mat but variations of them abound. You can even make your own. Just google snuffle mat pattern and you'll find posts and even videos to help you.
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Puzzles have a large range in price and difficulty. We all have brilliant dogs but we need to remember to start them off with new experiences in a way that helps them be successful quickly so that they build confidence and resilience.
These are three which I have. My younger dog is still working on the beginner levels while the experienced one loves the more challenging puzzles. |
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