Brain Toys for Dogs on the Road to MENSA-Status

As a pet parent, you know your dog needs nutritious food, regular exercise, and mental stimulation to live a healthy life. But does “mental stimulation” for dogs even mean? It’s not like they’re trying to build their college applications or join MENSA.

However, when it comes to dog enrichment, mental stimulation taps right into their instinctual nature. You probably know that many dog breeds were bred to hunt, herd, or at least be a constant companion. Yet, in today’s world, many of our pets spend hours a day alone and sighing because they’re bored.

Doggie boredom can lead to problems like nuisance barking, anxiety, or chewing on furniture. Maybe you can relate to my experience with a past roommate’s lab mix, Jakey, who set himself to the task of couch destruction one sunny afternoon. 

Jakey would have benefited from dog enrichment like puzzle toys. Dog puzzle toys and brain games can give your pup something fun to focus on and curb that boredom. 

Benefits of Interactive Dog Toys 

You know how you’re tired after a long day of thinking and decision-making? It turns out that mental stimulation tires your pup too. Dog experts like dog puzzle maker Nina Ottosson say, “15 minutes of brain games will tire your dog out more than a 30-minute game of fetch.” 

If you have an active pooch, that may sound far-fetched, but there’s science behind this claim.

There’s a phenomenon called contrafreeloading where animals choose to work for their food. A 1963 study of 200 rats found they preferred to press a bar for their food rather than have it freely available on the floor. And while rats aren’t dogs, scientists have studied similar behavior in all types of animals – including our furry canine friends. 

If you think about it, it could be the genesis of the snuffle mat or peanut butter-filled kong toy tossed to a pup to keep him licking and sniffing for a few minutes of fun. However, there are many more choices for fun interactive dog toys these days.

9 Top Interactive Brain Toys for Dogs

Do you know how your dog loves shoving his nose into all kinds of goop and dirty crevices? That’s because he’s picking up on all sorts of stories told through scents.

Your dog can smell 10,000 times more intensely than you. This ability to pick up on slight whiffs makes dogs excel at sniffing out drugs or cancer.

While your dog may spend more time chasing a tennis ball than sniffing out trouble, you can help them hone their problem-solving skills for dog enrichment.

Here are some favorite dog puzzle toys for playtime, mental stimulation, and a bit of dog training. 

1. Level 1 Treat Tumble Interactive Puzzle 

Fill the yellow and blue ball with small dog treats or kibble. Give it to your pup and watch him delight as he rolls it around and figures out how to make a treat fall out of the treat dispenser.

You can play together by rolling it for your dog or giving it to your pooch to entertain himself while you take your next Zoom call. 

2. Level 1 Puppy Smart Interactive Dog Puzzle Toy

Tuck a few pieces of kibble under some (but not all!) of these dog bones and let your pup work that sniffer for a treat. Those susceptible olfactory glands will pick up the scent, and your dog will enjoy figuring out where the goodies lie.

As your dog learns the game, you can vary the difficulty by the way you place the bones. It’s a good food dispensing toy for hours of entertainment.  

3. Level 2 Dog Brick Puzzle Toy

When your pup it’s ready for a new challenge, try a level 2 Nina Ottosson dog puzzle toy. This one encourages your dog to develop his natural hunting ability by sliding, nudging, and pawing open the different compartments. You can also add favorite treats and see which ones your dog finds first. 

4. Level 3 Dog Casino Puzzle Toy

Each dog puzzle toy gets more challenging to keep your dog engaged as he levels up. The Casino toy has six treat drawers, and you can twist the bone-shaped handles for an added difficulty level to keep your pup engaged with the food puzzle as he works for his hidden treats. 

5. Level 4 MultiPuzzle Interactive Dog Puzzle Toy

It slides, it spins, and your dog can play hide and seek with the treats. This is an advanced dog puzzle game to challenge your dog’s brain and make them work for their treats. Thanks to the design, you can make it more complicated as your super smart dog solves the challenge.

This level 4 puzzle toy is the toughest difficulty level! For best results, start your pup with a level 1 or 2 difficulty-level dog toy to work their way up for best results.

6. Hedgehog Chew Toy

Chew toys aren’t as interactive as treat dispensers and dog puzzles, but many dogs are chewers. They love (and need) good-quality dog chew toys to exercise their jaws and improve their dental health. This Hedgehog chew toy is adorable, and it bounces and floats too! So if you play with your dog near water, it won’t sink. 

7. Dog Bowl Slow Feeder Puzzles

If your pup inhales the kibble faster than your Hoover, they could be at risk of dangerous stomach bloat. Dog bowl puzzles like the Slow Feeder or Wobble bowl have a maze-like shape that forces your dog to slow down and work a little harder. 

8. Outward Hound Hide a Squirrel

One popular plush dog toy is the famed Hide a Squirrel. You can play hide and seek by tucking the plush squirrels around your house and letting your dog find them.

Another fun dog activity is letting your dog pull the squirrels out of the plush “trunk” and playing a game of fetch. If your pup is the type to chew on the squeaker toys and rip them apart, no worries; squeaky replacement toys are available. 

9. DIY Hide and Seek 

You can play DIY games, too, like a good old-fashioned kind of hide and seek with your dog where you crouch behind a chair and pretend you don’t know where your pup is searching. You can also play hide and seek with your dog’s food or their favorite toys. 

For example, you can blend hide and seek with mealtime by making a diy treat puzzle out of where’s the food? You can put a handful of dog food behind a chair, another handful on the back patio, and another handful on the kitchen floor, etc., and lead your dog from place to place until they’ve finished their dinner. 

Brain Toys for Dogs are Essential

With these enrichment toys, your pup will no longer be a bored dog. Treat puzzles are suitable for small, medium, and large dogs. If your dog has never had a puzzle toy before and you want a try a Nina Ottosson enrichment toy, choose a level 1 to start them out. 

Besides being fun brain games, some dog owners choose to use a treat dispenser toy or puzzle toy in place of mealtime. That way, you’re not only helping to keep your pup at a healthy weight, but you are also contributing to that contrafreeloading instinct where they want to work for their food.

These are some of the best dog toys for pups who want to have fun, and you can’t go wrong with treat dispensing toys. Which puzzle toys for dogs will you choose? 

Find these and more on our website, Amazon, Chewy, or your local pet shop.

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