Whoever invented food puzzles for dogs deserves a medal, in my humble opinion!
That’s since dog food puzzles keep dogs hectic as well as entertained when I can’t. Food puzzles are one of my preferred mental enrichment accessories.
As a result, I’m currently the proud owner of seven different food puzzles, a number of of which I’ve had for a few years. I just recently added more to my collection since it’s a great concept to rotate the food puzzles to keep my pup interested.
This brings me to today’s blog publish where I’ll be telling you all about my different dog food puzzles. Three of my favorites include:
Kong Wobbler puzzle toy ($20)
Outward Hound fun Feeder ($12)
Paw5 Wooly Snuffle mat ($40)
Food puzzles for dogs variety in problem from simple to more challenging, however before I go into more detail, let’s very first take a look at the specific benefits of dog food puzzles in general.
5 enrichment benefits of dog food puzzles
1. Dogs are house alone as well as in requirement of mental stimulation. The latter can likewise assist reduce moderate separation stress and anxiety since it keeps dogs hectic as well as less focused on the truth that their human isn’t house with them.
2. We can’t be outside as much because of weather condition or other reasons. fun boredom busters are welcome on those days spent inside because of below freezing temperatures, torrential downpours as well as similar serious weather, the summertime warm as well as humidity.
See our post: tips for exercising your dog indoors.
3. A dog’s physical activity is restricted because of age or healing from sickness. Older dogs will benefit from a bit entertainment that keeps them alert as well as believing in-between their senior naps.
Younger pups who are battling illnesses like heartworm illness or a damaged limb are badly restricted in their physical activities. As a result, they’ll requirement an outlet for their pent-up energy.
4. entertainment in the crate. dog food puzzles integrate a bit playtime with food benefits as well as mental stimulation, which will be especially useful when a dog or puppy is crated.
5. We’re in requirement of some uninterrupted time. particularly when many of us are working from house these days as well as may have a number of phone calls scheduled.
If you have a high-energy dog, you want to make sure you’re providing lots of physical as well as mental exercise, as we composed about in this post.
Safety suggestion for dog food puzzles
I do have to add that some supervision may be necessary with strong chewers around specific dog food puzzles. In other words, not all food puzzles are designed to be left house alone with your dog.
I’ll add my security suggestion to every dog food puzzle, however eventually you’re the one who understands your dog finest as well as it’ll be as much as you to gauge whether or not he’ll requirement supervision around it.
7 finest food puzzles for dogs
These are a few of my preferred food puzzles for dogs. Please add your own favorites in the comments for others to try!
1. KONG treat Toy
Order a KONG here
Can be full of dry, wet, or raw dog food
Freeze for a longer chewing session
Made with natural rubber that makes the toy bounce erratically
Made in the USA
Comes in 5 sizes (S, M, L, XL, XXL)
Top-rack dishwasher safe
Safety recommendation: We have the black big size extreme KONG toy that’s produced power chewers as well as it has withstood Wally’s chewing attacks! I bought it after he destroyed a puppy as well as a traditional (red) KONG toy.
You should be able to leave the extreme version alone with your strong chewer. (It holds as much as Lindsay’s dog Remy as well!)
2. Nylabone Busy-Time Stuffable dog Toy
Order the Nylabone Busy-Time toy right here – just $12.99 on Chewy
Can be full of dry, wet, or raw dog food
Freeze for a longer-lasting chew session
Made of natural rubber that bounces as well as rolls for interesting playtime
Bacon flavored
Textured nubs to assist clean teeth
Comes in 3 sizes (small, medium, as well as large)
Hand laundry only
I have the big Nylabone stuffable toy for Wally, as well as he hasn’t destroyed it yet after utilizing it for months!
Safety recommendation: Made for strong chewers. Your pup should be fine house alone with this stuffable toy. Nylabone likewise brings stuffable toys for power chewersif your pup falls into that category.
3. outward Hound fun Feeder
Order an outward Hound fun feeder – just $12 on Chewy
Helps dogs eat as much as 10x slower
Encourages natural foraging skills with fun patterns as well as mazes
Non-slip base
Made from food-safe materials that are BPA, PVC, as well as Phthalate free
Works fantastic for dry, wet, as well as raw dog food diets
Comes in 3 sizes: small, medium, as well as large
Top-rack dishwasher safe
I can even put my dog’s raw dog food in this bowl. It looks gross, however it’s a fantastic puzzle for him!
I have the medium size fun Feeder, as well as that a person holds 2 cups of dry or wet dog food.
The brand declares that their feeder bowl will sluggish eating habits down tenfold. surprisingly enough, it took Wally 5 minutes to eat his 6 ounces of raw dog food out of the fun feeder. It usually takes him a minute only for meals including private cuts of meat. The brand’s insurance claim was correct in Wally’s case!
It slowed his bit doggie buddy Lila down some when she ate her dry dog food out of it, however the difference wasn’t as drastic just like Wally.
Wally’s raw meal above includes:
2 duck wings, duck tenders, duck gizzards, a secreting organ blend, kefir, as well as homemade pumpkin purée.
Safety recommendation: This feeder is made from difficult plastic as well as not meant to be a chew toy. I wouldn’t leave your dog alone with it if he’s a happy-go-lucky chewer!
Simply pick it up after your dog has eaten, as well as that will do the trick. As it is, I suggest washing dog bowls after each utilize to prevent bacteria buildup as well as to prevent any type of insects like flies, ants or roaches from getting drawn in by it.
4. Paw 5 Wooly Snuffle mat for Dogs
Order a Wooly Snuffle mat here
Encourages natural foraging skills
Easy to fill
Machine washable
Sustainably handmade in Thailand as well as Ghana from a combination of virgin & upcycled materials
Rubber mat on bottom
Great for all size dogs
Available in one size 12″ x 18″
Safety recommendation: not for aggressive chewers. If your dog is understood to chew up blankets as well as doggie bedding, I most likely wouldn’t leave him alone with the snuffle mat. I can see it being an invitation to rip out the private pieces of gray “grass.”
My pup Wally as well as my roommate’s dog Lila don’t chew up their bedding, so they’re fine when left alone with the mat, as well as so were my previous dogs Missy & Buzz.
I likewise discovered that the Snuffle mat has been fantastic at mentor Wally as well as Lila to politely share treats within a confined space. What I would do is have each pup “sit-stay” on one end of the mat with me sitting in the middle while putting some treats on their respective side of the mat. then I released them one after the other with an “ok” to sniff out their treats.
They’ve made a great deal of progress, however note that I’ve been supervising all dog treat interaction on the mat with the pups, as well as that I wouldn’t leave any type of treats out on it when they’re house alone, unsupervised. I shake it out after each utilize to make sure there’s no treats left in it, as well as then put it back on the floor in the living room.
5. KONG Wobbler treat Dispensing Toy
Order a Kong Wobbler here
Great for dry dog food & treats
Unscrews quickly for filling
Wobbles, spins, as well as rolls
Available in little (5″) as well as big (8″)
Made in the USA
Top-shelf dishwasher safe
Wally has the 8″ Wobbler which holds as much as 1 cup of dry food or treats. Out of all the treat dispensing toys, this is his favorite!
Safety recommendation: Made for medium chewers. Power chewers shouldn’t be left alone with the Wobbler. As a matter of fact, the KONG packaging likewise suggests supervised utilize only.
Check out our publish on the most durable dog toys if you have a power chewer!
6. West Paw Zogoflex Qwizl Interactive treat Dispensing dog Puzzle Toy
Order the West Paw Quizl here
The Zogoflex Qwizl declares to “extend the life of costly dog treats,” as well as it’s true! It’s fantastic for holding bully sticks or other longer chews such as duck wings.
Floats in water
Available in 2 sizes, little as well as large
3 color choices: Aqua blue, granny smith, tangerine
Dishwasher safe
BPA as well as Phthalate free
Made in USA
Recyclable
Durable as well as developed for tough chewers – 100% guaranteed against dog damage by manufacturer
Safety recommendation: Made for tough chewers. This puzzle toy is designed with strong chewers in mind as well as consists of thick bendable rubber, therefore it should be relatively risk-free to leave your dog (home) alone with it.
7. Pet zone iq treat Ball
Order a Pet zone iq treat sphere right here – just $12.45 on Chewy
Interactive dog toy ball
Difficulty level can be changed with the ball’s interior adjustable disc
Ball disassembles for simple cleaning with hot, soapy water
Available in 2 sizes, little (3″) as well as big (4″)
Durable as well as made from non-toxic materials (made in China)
Safety recommendation: not for aggressive chewers. The walls of the sphere aren’t made from thick plastic or rubber, so they would be a quick sufferer for tough chewers. I suggest utilizing the Pet zone iq treat sphere only under supervision if your dog has strong chewing tendencies.
Health benefits of dog food puzzles
Besides providing the obvious mental enrichment, dog food puzzles can likewise have a positive effect on our dog’s physical health. For instance, they can assist decrease the danger of bloat. That’s a potentially fatal condition where the tummy twists on itself as well as cuts off the dog’s airways.
Dogs who inhale their meals have a higher danger of suffering from bloat, as well as gulpers who requirement to be slowed down can eat their food out of manipulated bowls shaped like a labyrinth or out of hollow dog toys.
There are a few puzzles that can indeed be full of a decent amount of your dog’s dry, wet, or raw food. You’ll add at least a few minutes to his dinner time if you’re feeding him the puzzle route. Go ahead as well as freeze it for an even longer lasting session!
Now, I’d like to hear from you!
If your dog has a preferred puzzle toy or if you believe she’d like one of these puzzles, let me understand in the comments!
As a recap, right here are three of our preferred puzzle toys:
Kong Wobbler puzzle toy ($20)
Outward Hound fun Feeder ($12)
Paw5 Wooly Snuffle mat ($40)
If you have any type of concerns about puzzle toys, let me understand in the comments!
Barbara Rivers composes routinely for That Mutt. She is licensed in raw dog food nutrition from Dogs naturally magazine as well as the author of three ebooks about balanced raw dog food. She is a blog writer at K9s Over Coffee.
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