Great Dog Toys

Inspired by my puppies who, to their delight, have discovered their own interactive playground – digging holes under the fencing in their rather large pen! – this fine morning I’m spending a little time investigating interactive toys.  Their pen is beginning to look like a boulder field! I’m able to contain them using large rocks to prevent digging, but obviously a little mental stimulation would be beneficial.

The Buster Cube was one of the first, if not the first, interactive dog toy.

Designed for rugged play, the owner loads up the cube with kibble. As described on the Buster Cube homepage, “The Buster FoodCube and the Buster MiniCube are ingenious toys for mental stimulation of your dog and a fun way to utilize excess energy in a natural way!” To release the food, bite by bite, the dog pushes and turns the cube. What a perfect way to feed the dog left home alone.  Or to feed a trio of scheming sisters!

The Dogzilla Deep Freeze works like an ice tray and is availabe in two shapes, the Arcic Bone and the Arctic Pop. The molds and bases are made of non-toxic, durable rubber and can be used over and over again. Chicken broth could be used instead of water, perhaps adding pieces of meat prior to freezing.

The Bob-A-Lot has the same premise as the Buster FoodCube, but a different shape.

The bottom is weighted so that it rolls erratically and always bobs back upright. It also has an adjustable opening so you can control the difficulty level.

The Hi Q Puzzle is made of durable brightly colored puzzle pieces that link together to create a variety of fun shapes. The rounded orb-sections can be filled with treats. You can create individual puzzles or link it all together.

The Dog Pyramid Toy is shaped like a beehive with a weighted bottom. Kibble or treats are loaded through the hole near the top of the toy. It’s dishwasher safe, top rack.

There’s an interesting product line by Nina Ottosson, games to stimulate your dog’s brain. 

Not sure I’ll get any of the Nina Ottosson puzzles…my puppies seem to be thinking creatively already. But I am going to give one or more of the other products a try.