The Ultimate Guide To Nina Ottosson Dog Puzzles

About Dog Puzzles

Outward Hound Nina Ottosson interactive dog puzzles and games challenge your dog’s problem-solving skills. They provide mental and physical exercise by encouraging dogs to search for treat rewards. 15 minutes of mental exercise will tire your dog out just as much as a 30-minute walk, so a quick enrichment activity can go a long way!

Interactive dog toys and puzzles are excellent for creating a positive outlet for your dog’s natural chewing, digging, and hunting instincts. They can also help redirect undesired behaviors in anxious or bored dogs. Bonus! Use the puzzles as slow feeders at mealtime to improve your dog’s digestion.

We take pride in our dog and cat puzzles. We make sure they are of top quality in terms of their ability to provide mental stimulation and their material composition. There are four levels of difficulty, and you can set up many of the puzzles to various levels to tailor them to your dog! Whether your pooch is a small dog or a big dog, a senior dog or a puppy, they can all benefit from some interactive playtime.

All of our Nina Ottosson Puzzles are made of durable BPA, PVC, & phthalate-free material. They are all washable and easy to clean by hand washing with soapy water.

About Nina Ottosson

Nina Ottosson has been creating dog games and puzzle toys for all types of dogs for more than 25 years, and now she has introduced cat puzzles to the mix! Nina received a 2017 Pet Age Icon Award for her development of innovative dog puzzle toys and for raising awareness of the importance of mental stimulation as part of a dog’s health. Read more about her story here.

Quick Guide to Our Dog & Cat Puzzles

guide to outward hound dog puzzles

Don’t forget to play it safe! Especially if your pup is a chewer. No bowl, chew toy, tennis ball, squeaky toy, or puzzle is indestructible. Dog owners should not leave their pets unsupervised. For more information on each interactive dog toy and difficulty level, keep reading!

Level 1 Dog Puzzle Toy – EasyLevel-1 Dog Puzzles

Start your dog’s enrichment journey here. Level 1 puzzle toy games are also made with a simple, 1-step play action that your dog will use to help uncover their favorite treats that you’ve hidden inside the game.

Wobble Bowl

wobble bowl dog puzzle

Mealtime can also be playtime! The Wobble Bowl can be used as a treat puzzle or a slow feeder for full meals. 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 doggy how to rock and wobble the bowl to get the food out. The clear lid makes it easy for dogs to see the goodies inside.

Dog Smart & Puppy Smart

dog-smart
Dog Smart (left), Puppy Smart (right)

Trainers often do nose work with dogs to stimulate their senses. The Dog Smart or Puppy Smart is a simple hide-and-seek game for dogs new to interactive puzzle games that will get those nostrils wiggling! Fill the nine slots with dog food or a high-value treat like peanut butter, then place the bones flush with the board or slightly elevated for different challenge levels.

Dog Smart Composite

dog-smart-composite
Dog Smart Composite Tan (left), Dog Smart Composite Orange (right)

The Dog Smart Composite is also a simple puzzle board for dogs new to puzzles. It’s made of our renewable wood and plastic composite material. This unique composite material has all the benefits of both wood and plastic. It behaves more like plastic (easy to clean!), but the wood gives it more durability than a snuffle mat.

Level 2 Dog Puzzles – IntermediateLevel-2-Dog-Puzzles

Level 2 puzzles combine 1- and 2-step play actions to help your dog retrieve rewards in different ways.

Dog Brick

dog-brick interactive dog puzzle

Our popular Dog Brick has three different treat-feeding features. The red treat compartments have lids that flip up to reveal treats. Slide the blocks 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 it can move the sliding red blocks.

Dog Tornado & Puppy Tornado

dog-tornado interactive dog puzzles
Dog Tornado (left), Puppy Tornado (right)

The Dog Tornado or Puppy Tornado is a spinning dog treat dispenser game. It features three tiers with 12 compartments for chewy snacks or kibble. Encourage your pup to spin the layers to reveal the rewards. Make the puzzle even tougher with the three bone-shaped covers — your dog will have to remove the bones in order for the Tornado to spin.

Spin N’ Eat

After filling the barrel with dog treats or kibble, put the game in front of your dog. Your pup will learn to release the food by nudging or pawing the barrel to get it spinning. The Dog Spin N’ Eat puzzle feeder is made with food-safe materials and is BPA, PVC, lead, and phthalate-free.

Dog Hide N’ Slide & Puppy Hide N’ Slide

dog-hide-n-slide interactive dog puzzle

Each Hide N’ Slide puzzle is made of our natural wood and plastic composite material, which is easy to clean and has added durability. This game has no removable pieces — a great option for pups who like to run away and play with the pieces instead of the puzzle. Place dog treats in the 14 blocks and compartments. Swivel the flippers to cover the tracks and let the games begin.

Level 3 Dog Puzzles – AdvancedLevel-3-Dog-Puzzles

Level 3 dog games challenge your pup by requiring a series of steps to each treat reward hidden within the puzzle. Most of the play actions required to release the treats are two steps and must be made in a sequence in order to release the tasty rewards.

Dog Worker

dog-worker

The Dog Worker interactive dog toy is made of our natural wood and plastic composite material with no removable pieces. To get started, put a treat in the blocks and compartments, then swivel flippers to cover the treats on the flip board and lock the spinning top. The spinning top makes this game a true challenge — dogs have to move blocks out of the way before it spins to reveal hidden treats.

Dog Casino

dog-casino

The challenging Dog Casino features six treat drawers for dog food or kibble which are secured with six twisting bone locks. Your pup has to figure out how to follow sequential steps to reveal the rewards, requiring real problem-solving skills. Solve this game more easily by leaving the bones on top unlocked.

Dog Twister

human helping dog with puzzle

The Dog Twister features nine treat drawers for dog snacks or kibble, all of which are secured with nine locking handles that require your dog to follow sequential steps to reveal the goodies inside. If you want to make the game easier, leave the handles unlocked so your pup only has to move the turquoise blocks on top.

Challenge Slider

challenge-slider

The brand new Challenge Slider is already a fan favorite among treat puzzle 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 game begin.

Level 4 Dog Puzzles – Expert

Multipuzzle

multipuzzle

We created a whole new level for all of 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. Your dog’s brain will get a real workout from this one!

Don’t Worry, We Didn’t Forget About the Cats!

Cat Puzzles

Our Petstages Nina Ottosson cat puzzles are the first of their kind! Choose from three nature-inspired puzzles and two levels of difficulty.

Learn more about the cat puzzles Outward Hound has to offer in:

Remember to always supervise your pets when they are playing! You can find our cat and dog puzzle toys at our website, Amazon, Chewy, your local Pet Supplies Plus, and more!