When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Samantha Crozier/Riot Hashimoto/InsiderMental stimulation that engages a dog’s evolutionary instincts helps prevent boredom, depression, and anxiety while building a dog’s confidence, independence, and problem-solving skills.
One of the easiest ways to provide stimulation is through the use of interactive dog toys, like food puzzles. “All dogs need to eat, so using [puzzle toys] to make their life more interesting and fulfill innate behavioral needs is a convenient way of increasing their mental well-being,” said Shay Kelly, a canine behavior consultant, author, and founder of the 470,000-plus member Facebook group Canine Enrichment. To come up with the best dog puzzle toys on the market, we consulted Kelly and Dr.
Lore Haug, a board-certified veterinary behavior specialist at VCA Lexington Boulevard Animal Hospital. With their expertise in mind, some of us on the Insider Reviews team tested 22 dog puzzles with six dogs of different ages and energy levels to come up with the best options. Learn about how we tested in our methodology section.
Read more about how we research and test pet products here. The best dog puzzle toys in 2022Best easy dog puzzle toy: Outward Hound Hide N’ Slide, $19. 80 at ChewyThe Hide N’ Slide puzzle is a durable, safe, and easy-to-clean toy for dogs who are new to puzzles.
Best medium-difficulty dog puzzle toy: Outward Hound Challenge Slider, $32. 99 at ChewyThe Challenge Slider provides a moderate challenge that works a dog’s nose and brain. Best difficult dog puzzle toy: Outward Hound Casino Puzzle, $24.
99 at ChewyThe Casino Puzzle will challenge even the smartest pups, plus it’s a cinch to store and clean. Best plush dog puzzle toy: Hide-a-Squirrel Plush Toy, $17. 58 at ChewyThe Hide-a-Squirrel Plush Toy does double duty as a brain-working puzzle and a soft, squeaky plush toy.
Best puzzle dog bowl: Outward Hound Fun Feeder, $11. 99 at ChewyWith a maze of ridges built into the bowl’s interior, the Fun Feeder slows down a dog’s eating. Best dog snuffle mat: PAW5 Wooly Snuffle Mat, $33.
57 at Chewy The high-quality Wooly Snuffle Mat is an excellent choice for hyper dogs or pups with mobility issues. Best dog puzzle ball: Starmark Treat Dispensing To, $8. 99 at ChewyThe tough Starmark Treat Dispensing Toy rolls, floats, and encourages your dog to be active while eating.
Best wobble dog puzzle toy: Fable The Game, $49. 50 with code INSIDER10 at FableThe Game is a super durable food-dispensing toy that gets dogs moving and has an adjustable difficulty level. Best easy dog puzzle toyRiot Hashimoto/InsiderThe Outward Hound Hide N’ Slide is a durable, safe, and easy-to-clean toy for dogs who are new to puzzles.
Pros: Good for dogs of all sizes, durable, no loose pieces to keep track of, easy to clean and storeCons: NoneIf you’re just introducing your dog to puzzle toys or you have a pup who lacks confidence, start with an easy option so they’re sure to succeed. The Outward Hound Hide n’ Slide is a flat puzzle with six food-hiding compartments that are partially covered with twisting knobs and lids. All of the wood and plastic pieces are fully attached to the board, which prevents them from being a choking hazard.
Partnerships associate Riot Hashimoto, guardian of 1. 5-year-old dachshund Biscuit, really liked how easy this food puzzle is to clean and store. Although its instructions recommend hand-washing with warm, soapy water, Hashimoto says the puzzle is durable enough for a dishwasher.
Although the Outward Hound Hide n’ Slide was too easy for a “brainiac” like Biscuit, who finished the puzzle in under two minutes, it’s a good interactive puzzle for dogs who are new to this type of enrichment. Best medium-difficulty dog puzzle toySamantha Crozier/InsiderThe Outward Hound Challenge Slider provides a moderate challenge that works a dog’s nose and brain. Pros: Good for dogs of all sizes, durable, no loose pieces to keep track of, easy to clean and storeCons: None”In the wild, animals spend a lot of time acquiring enough food,” says Kelly.
Food-dispensing puzzles allow a dog to constructively practice similar scavenging behaviors. Both of our tester dogs and their guardians loved the Outward Hound Challenge Slider for providing a moderate food-seeking challenge. The brightly colored, 14.
7-inch square Challenge Slider has five vertical and five horizontal rows of square pieces that slide to reveal hidden food compartments. The dog must move the sliders with their nose or paw in order to get the food. “This is a much more involved and reusable puzzle than other kinds of dog toys,” says Samantha Crozier, associate editor and guardian of 2-year-old cockapoo Juniper.
“She has a great time sniffing for the treats and then figuring out how to get them out. ” All of the BPA-free plastic pieces are secured to the board, so they’re unlikely to cause a choking hazard, and the entire tray slides out of the toy for easy cleaning. Best difficult dog puzzle toyRiot Hashimoto/InsiderOutward Hound’s Casino Puzzle will challenge even the smartest pups, plus it’s a cinch to store and clean.
Pros: Durable, easy to clean and storeCons: Can be quite difficult at firstThe Outward Hound Casino Puzzle has six bones that release side drawers when twisted. It is one of the most challenging puzzles Hashimoto has found for Biscuit. “To be honest, I’m not 100% sure my dog understands [it completely], but she knows she needs to mess around with both the white bones and the drawers if she wants to eat her dinner,” she says.
Feeding Biscuit’s meals via puzzle toys like the Casino is a good habit to get into, says Haug. “A healthy dog should receive all of its daily ration of food divided between training exercises and feeding enrichment activities or toys,” she says. “There is rarely ever a benefit to feeding a dog from a regular food bowl.
“Even if the 14-inch by 12-inch Casino Puzzle is too challenging for your dog, one of its most ingenious qualities is that it can be made easier by unlocking the bone shaped pegs at the top. Once your dog has the hang of it, they can be locked to increase the challenge. This plastic puzzle also got top marks from our testers for its durability, ease of cleaning and storage, and safety.
“Dog puzzles where you don’t have to worry about losing the little plastic bits are the best kind,” says Hashimoto. Best stuffed dog puzzle toySarah Saril/InsiderThe Hide-a-Squirrel Plush Toy does double duty as a brain-working puzzle and a soft, squeaky plush toy. Pros: Durable, easy to clean, dogs with different play styles will be engagedCons: Like other plush toys, dogs can tear the fabricAccording to Haug, soft plastic and plush puzzles are good options for noise-sensitive or timid dogs.
Outward Hound’s Hide-a-Squirrel Plush Toy is the best of the three stuffed puzzles reporter Sarah Saril and her German shepherds Davey and Papaya and chihuahua Disco tested. “It is the largest, most complex, and best-constructed,” Saril says. “My dogs gravitate to playing with this one the most, whether it’s just chewing on the squirrels or log or using it as a hide-and-seek toy.
” Although we tested these toys without treats hidden inside, adding food can up the excitement and enrichment these toys provide. The Hide-a-Squirrel Toy comes in four sizes — junior, large, jumbo, and ginormous. All but the largest size come with three stuffed, squeaky squirrels.
The ginormous has twice the fun with a 13-by-8-inch tree trunk with five openings. It also comes with six squirrels, helpful extras for pups who love to gut stuffies. The polyester toy’s seams are durably stitched and, according to Saril, the fabric does a good job repelling slobber.
When the pieces get too gross, they can be tossed into the washing machine and dryer. However, these plush toys are not indestructible and the squeakers can pose a hazard if your dog tears the squirrels apart. Dogs should always be supervised with these types of toys.
Best puzzle dog bowlSarah Saril/InsiderWith a maze of ridges built into the bowl’s interior, the Outward Hound Fun Feeder slows down a dog’s eating. Pros: Dishwasher safe, simple and straightforward, only one piece, weighted bottomCons: May be too easy for some dogsAlthough slow feeder bowls do not provide the same kind of mental stimulation as the other food puzzle toys on this list, their built-in ridges can help to slow down fast eaters and reduce the risk of potentially fatal conditions like gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV). If your dog eats kibble, both Haug and Kelly suggest trying scattered feeding instead — tossing the pieces of your dog’s dinner around a room or larger space — which simultaneously engages their hunting instincts and slows down their eating.
Plus, it’s free!But, if a dog puzzle bowl is better for you and your pup, our tester dogs preferred Outward Hound’s Fun Feeder. It comes in 5 sizes and 11 different colors and designs, each with a different pattern of ridges to prevent a dog from scarfing down their food too quickly. The smallest is a 5.
75-inch diameter bowl that holds 3/4 cup of food. The largest, an 11-inch diameter bowl, holds 2 cups. All of the dishwasher-safe Fun Feeders are made from BPA-free plastic or stainless steel.
Best snuffle mat for dogsLisa Sabatini/InsiderThe high-quality PAW5 Wooly Snuffle Mat is an excellent choice for hyper dogs or pups with mobility issues. Pros: Durable, machine washable, heavy weight keeps it from moving around on floorCons: Not as challenging as other matsBoth of the experts we consulted love using snuffle mats. “Snuffle mats are great feeding enrichment devices, particularly for very hyper dogs or dogs that have mobility issues,” says Haug.
“The sniffing process is very calming for dogs, so we use these enrichment activities frequently for dogs that have anxiety disorders. ” Of the two snuffle mats we tested, the Paw5 Wooly Snuffle Mat was hands down the best. “This is such a great product that is reasonably priced considering its durability,” says Lisa Sabatini, senior editor and guardian to 9-year-old beagle-basset hound mix Homer.
Due to a lack of pockets and other unique hiding spots, it is, however, also the easiest snuffle mat we tested. The gray, 18-by-12-inch Wooly Snuffle Mat is woven with sustainably sourced, nontoxic cotton and polyester fabric strips that form a grass-like surface where you can easily hide kibble and treats. The tight, durable stitching held up to Homer’s teeth and the washing machine too.
“It also dries in the machine (tumble dry low) without shrinkage or distorting,” says Sabatini. Best puzzle ball for dogsLisa Sabatini/InsiderThe tough Starmark Treat Dispensing Toy rolls, floats, and encourages your dog to be active while eating. Pros: Durable, dishwasher safeCons: Takes time to fill with kibble or treatsRolling puzzle balls combine food enrichment with physical activity.
In order to access the food inside, a dog must roll the ball with their nose or paws until it falls out. Starmark’s Treat Dispensing Toy has a relatively large four-petaled-flower-shaped opening on either end and was the best of three puzzle balls that Homer tested. The affordable Starmark Treat Dispensing Toy comes in three sizes: the 2.
75-inch medium, the 3. 5-inch medium/large, and the 4-inch large. Each is made from tough latex- and phthalate-free plastic that rolls, bounces, and floats in water.
It can even be washed in the dishwasher. But the Starmark isn’t all fun and games, says Sabatini. “It can easily get lost under the sofa and it takes more time to insert the food than regular puzzle,” she said.
Best wobble dog puzzleLisa Sabatini/InsiderSave 10% with the code INSIDER10 at checkout. Fable’s The Game is a super durable food-dispensing toy with an adjustable difficulty level. Pros: Durable, dishwasher safe, easy to fill, can modify challenge level, relatively quietCons: Very heavy and might not be suitable for very small dogsWobbling dog puzzles are favorites for both Haug and Kelly.
But while Kelly prefers the Kong Wobbler, Sabatini found Fable’s The Game to be an overall better product in testing. “This has replaced the Kong as my favorite wobbling toy because you can adjust this toy’s difficulty level,” she says. “It also has slots at the top for spreading additional food like peanut butter.
” The Game has a dispensing hole near the top where food falls out when the toy is nudged or poked with a nose or paw. The toy’s weighted base keeps it from toppling over and blocking the hole. Filling it with treats or kibble is easy: Just unscrew the top from the bottom to add up to 1.
5 cups of food. Sabatini rated this toy as very safe and liked that it cleaned up easily in the dishwasher. She also noticed that The Game is quieter in play than the Kong Wobbler thanks to its silicone exterior.
She was, however, disappointed that it came in only one size. At 2. 2 pounds and 6.
25-by-4. 75-inches in size, it may not be a good fit for the smallest of dogs. It comes in five different colors.
What else we testedSarah Saril/InsiderOf the 22 puzzles we tested, there were very clear winners but also plenty of toys that our dogs happily solved. Here are some other options if you’re looking to mix things up:Outward Hound Brick Puzzle ($13. 99): Our dogs enjoyed this medium-difficulty puzzle, but it’s a little less durable than others we tested and not all the pieces are attached.
Trixie Windmill ($19. 30): If you’re looking to change things up, this toy designed to look like a windmill is the way to go. It lost points for being difficult to store.
Frisco Hide & Seek Plush Volcano Puzzle Dog Toy ($18. 75): This was a very close second to the Outward Hound Hide-a-Squirrel Plush Toy. Our dogs gravitated toward the squirrels with their fluffy tails and ears, but the dinosaurs weren’t as enticing.
Trixie Hide and Feed Activity Toy ($15. 99): If you’re looking to add a little more enrichment to mealtime, this is a solid alternative to the less expensive Outward Hound Fun Feeder. Kong Wobbler ($19.
99): Kong’s Wobbler is an excellent food-dispensing toy. It only lost out to the Fable because you cannot adjust the difficulty level and it’s a bit noisy on hard surfaces. Our dog puzzle toys testing methodologyRiot Hashimoto/InsiderBefore testing the puzzle toys for this guide, we came up with eight different categories and looked at dozens of toys available online.
We then selected 2 to 4 toys in every category, 22 toys altogether. Each toy was tested by at least one dog and their guardian. As their dogs played with the toys, our testers evaluated them according to the following criteria.
Durability: Each toy was evaluated for its strength, weight, and durability. We looked at whether a dog’s teeth could penetrate a toy or if its pieces could be easily munched or pawed out of shape. Safety: We checked out whether each toy had removable pieces and, if so, whether they could be easily swallowed by a dog.
We also considered whether the toys were made from nontoxic materials like BPA-free plastic. Ease of cleaning: Since any dog puzzle stuffed with food can grow harmful bacteria if it’s not thoroughly cleaned, we considered how easy it was to thoroughly wash each product. We favored toys that could be thrown in a dishwasher or, in the case of snuffle mats and plushies, in the washing machine, as well as puzzles that could be easily disassembled for cleaning.
Challenge level: To determine the challenge level of our puzzle boards, we baited each with the same type of food and timed how quickly our tester dogs completed it. Those that were finished in under 2 minutes were considered easy or medium difficulty. Puzzles that took longer to complete were rated difficult.
Because different dogs have different abilities, we also noted when a puzzle was too hard for our testers. Dog puzzle toy FAQsSamantha Crozier/InsiderWhat are dog food puzzles?Dog food puzzles come in a variety of designs. These include puzzle boards with hidden treats, balls that dispense food as a dog moves them around, mats that hold hidden pieces of kibble or treats, and hide-and-seek plush toys.
Each puzzle toy is designed to engage a dog’s sense of smell and their desire to hunt. Our experts say this type of enrichment is essential to a dog’s mental well-being and should be given to healthy pups multiple times a day. Without sufficient mental stimulation, behavior problems are more likely to develop.
“These can include hyperactivity, destructive behavior, symptoms of separation-related stress, excessive vocalization, and aggression toward humans or animal housemates,” says Haug. What toys keep dogs busy?While most dogs love play activities like tug, chase, and fetch, they enjoy them most when they have someone to play with. Treat puzzle toys, on the other hand, engage a dog without input from a person or another dog, at least until the kibble or treats are gone.
Not every dog will enjoy every type of puzzle toy, but the majority of pups will find at least one to love. What kinds of puzzles are good for dogs?Toys are not the only way to create mentally enriching challenges for your dog. You can easily make your own dog puzzles.
“I love the simple things like rolling food up in a towel or throwing treats into an empty cereal box for the dog to rip open (of course, this is not suitable for dogs that may eat the cardboard),” says Kelly. “My absolute favourite enrichment is scent work. It’s easy to create a treasure hunt with the dog’s food around the home or garden for them to sniff out.
“While many dogs enjoy puzzle boards, Kelly admits they are not his favorite. “People often claim that dogs are great puzzle solvers, but this is not my experience and these activities usually need careful training,” he says. Kelly prefers simpler toys like wobblers and snuffle mats.
Are puzzle games good for puppies?Yes. A dog is never too young to begin playing with puzzle toys, as long as they are supervised during the game. “Enrichment is beneficial for the dog’s whole life,” says Kelly.
“This is because we are fulfilling behavioural needs and allowing the dog to be successful and therefore gain confidence and develop a good mindset. Good mental health will influence the dog’s general behavioural decisions and general feeling of contentment. “Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/pets/best-dog-puzzle
