C. Hocking
Treat your dog to the mental stimulation they need for a happy and healthy lifestyle. Dog puzzle games provide mental and physical exercise, decrease anxiety and boredom, increase problem-solving skills, and release pent-up energy.
Use high-value, limited ingredient treats to your dog’s gameplay and add increased supplemental nutrition to that list!
Luckily at Outward Hound, we’ve got a variety of doggy games with a range of difficulty levels to choose from that combine playtime with brain time. Working your dog’s brain with a puzzle will tire them out faster than a game of tug-of-war!
Interactive dog toys and puzzles are excellent for creating a positive outlet for your dog’s natural chewing, digging, and hunting instincts.
Bonus! You can use the puzzles as slow feeders at mealtime to improve your dog’s digestion. Combine nutritious and high-value treats or dog food with interactive puzzle games to get started with enrichment your dogs (and cats!) will love.
We’ll cover the difficulty levels and features of the following interactive dog toys:
- Level 1 Wobble Bowl
- Level 1 Dog Smart
- Level 2 Dog Brick
- Level 2 Puppy Tornado
- Level 3 Challenge Slider
- Level 4 MultiPuzzle
Before we get into the best dog toys for enrichment, don’t forget to play it safe! Especially if your pup is an aggressive chewer. No bowl, dog chew toy, tennis ball, squeaky toy, or puzzle is indestructible. Dog owners should not leave their pets unsupervised.
WOBBLE BOWL
Like a snuffle mat, the Level 1 Wobble Bowl can be used as a treat puzzle or a slow feeder for full meals. This is a great beginner puzzle for both large and small dogs new to dog games and food dispensing dog toys.
Fill it with your dog’s kibble or favorite treats by removing the plug on the top of the lid and pouring the food in. Place the plug back in the lid, and show your dog how to rock and wobble the bowl to get the goodies out. The clear lid makes it easy for your pooch to see the treats inside. It’s also washable and easy to clean!
Wobble Bowl Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, Multi
It’s fun. It feeds. It’s a challenge your dog needs! Nina Ottosson Treat Puzzle Games fight boredom, help reduce destructive behaviors & exercise your dog’s mind. Use the Wobble Bowl as a puzzle game to provide fun physical and mental stimulation. Or use the Wobble Bowl as a slow feeder to slow your dog’s eating pace and prevent bloat and indigestion. The Wobble Bowl holds up to 1 cup of food…
Outward Hound
ChewyDOG SMART
Great for large dogs, small dogs, and pups of any shape and size, the Dog Smart Interactive Puzzle is another great beginner food puzzle for bored dogs. This level 1 interactive dog puzzle toy is an entertaining dog treat dispenser that will challenge your dog’s brain and keep them engaged! There are nine removable treat-dispensing compartments that your dog can remove to reveal the hidden treats. It’s like hide and seek, but with treats!
Dog Smart Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, Orange
The Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Dog Smart interactive dog puzzle is a fun way to get your dog excited about problem solving games! This level 1 dog puzzle toy features nine treat hiding compartments that can be filled with your pup’s favorite treats and covered with nine dog bones that release the tasty scent of treats through the top hole. Place on the ground and watch your dog use his noggin as he…
DOG BRICK
Dog trainers love doing what they call “nose work” with dogs who need an outlet for all that energy! Doing nosework in dog training is an excellent dog enrichment activity. The popular Level 2 Nina Ottosson Dog Brick is one of the best dog puzzles for sniffers and has three different treat feeding features.
The red treat compartments have lids that flip up to reveal treats. Slide the blocks on the flip board to reveal even more hidden treat compartments. Add the removable bone covers to the center if your pup needs even more of a challenge. This way, your dog will have to remove the bones before they can move the sliding red blocks.
In addition to treats, you can fill the compartments with your dog’s food, chewy snacks, or drool-worthy peanut butter!
Dog Brick Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, Blue
The Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Dog Brick level 2 puzzle dog game will keep your dog entertained for hours as they use their natural hunting skills to seek out the hidden treats! This toy comes with 3 easy-to-fill compartments to hide your dog’s favorite treats and snacks in. Flip lid compartments open up to reveal the first compartment and can also slides to reveal a hidden second compartment…
PUPPY TORNADO
The Outward Hound Level 2 Puppy Tornado is a spinning dog treat dispenser game. It features three tiers with 12 compartments for snacks or kibble. Encourage your pup to spin the layers to reveal the rewards. Up the challenge!
Make this mental exercise even tougher with the three bone-shaped covers — your dog will have to really work their brain to figure out how to remove the bones in order for the Tornado to spin.
Puppy Tornado Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, Pink
The Puppy Tornado level 2 interactive dog puzzle from Nina Ottosson is the ideal toy for bored dogs and will keep them occupied for hours! This intermediate level toy features three tiers with twelve compartments for dog snacks or kibble. This mentally stimulating and entertaining dog game encourages your pup to spin the interactive puzzle tiers to reveal the rewards – three bone shaped covers can be…
CHALLENGE SLIDER
The Level 3 Nina Ottosson Challenge Slider is already a fan favorite among puzzle dog toy lovers. 23 moveable tiles slide around to reveal 24 treat slots. Dogs move each piece left, right, forward, and backward to get to the rewards.
With 24 compartments, it must take forever to set up, right? Not at all! Slide open the tray underneath to load treats into each slot and slide it back in — you’re all set! Place the game in front of your dog and let the brain games begin.
Challenge Slider Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, Multi
The Challenge Slider dog puzzle from Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound is an advanced level 3 game designed for pups who have mastered levels 1-2. This dog toy will promote the mental wellbeing of your dog by keeping them active and engaged while sniffing, nudging, and pawing for hidden treats! A sliding tray pulls out from underneath with 24 compartments that can hold up to 1 cup of food total…
MULTIPUZZLE
We created a whole new level for all you puzzle masters! Level 4 is for Experts. The Multipuzzle’s tiles move back and forth on the outside of the board. The center requires your dog to align each of the round orange pieces precisely with the spinner, requiring strong problem-solving skills. It’s a tiring and rewarding dog activity.
MultiPuzzle Interactive Dog Treat Puzzle Toy, Blue
The Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound MultiPuzzle level 4 interactive dog puzzle toy will keep your dog entertained for hours as they use their natural hunting skills to seek out the hidden treats! Your pups’ favorite dog treats or kibble can be hidden in the outer and central compartments by sliding the puzzle pieces and let the games begin! This puzzle is ideal for dogs who have already mastered levels 1-3…
HONORABLE MENTION: HIDE A TOY PLUSH PUZZLE
If your dog isn’t into treat toys, the Outward Hound Hide a Squirrel is a plush toy puzzle that is perfect for your best friend. Plush enrichment toys are also a great body and brain workout. Your dog has to sniff out the toys hidden inside, then you can toss the squeaky toys for a game of fetch! This puzzle game plush dog toy is available in multiple characters with squeakers.
Hide A Toy Plush Puzzle Toy
Outward Hound’s Hide A line of hide and seek plush dog puzzles was designed specifically to eliminate boredom, encourage positive play, and feed your dog’s natural hunting instincts. 2-in-1 interactive play means double the fun with options to play fetch or hide and seek to keep your dog mentally-stimulated. For dogs who can’t get enough of these plushy animals, check out our replacement 3-packs! Bound to…
Want to know which high-value treats are best for your furry friend’s puzzle toy? Check out:
High-Value Treats & Their Benefits
You can find Nina Ottosson and Outward Hound stimulating toys and treat-dispensing toys for dogs on our website, Amazon, Chewy, and more!
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