Treat Dispensing Toys

[icelore]

Hi all, I'm looking for some opinions and recommendations on treat dispensing puzzle toys.

I'm looking for some good toys to keep my younger dog busy. On a whim we bought the Hol-ee Treat Ball today as our first attempt at a puzzle treat toy, and while it was a super success in that my dog was very interested in it, is was also a big failure in

Comments

[varushka]

One of my friends and her dog love the Omega ball. He's a pit mix and hard on some toys, but he's figured out it pays off to be gentle with this one. They live in an apartment with carpeting and it works fine.

Not on your list, but in my household, I've used the Tug-a-Jug with success. It's definitely a more challenging toy because it requires more than just rolling around to get the treats out, and it gets more difficult to do later on when there are fewer treats in there. I used to feed a large portion of their kibble meals out of it (because only about 2/3 of their meal would fit), so there was some strong motivation to keep working at it. It's made from a ballistic grade plastic, so it's pretty impossible to break. Some dogs like to swing it around and toss it by the rope to dislodge the treats, so it could be harder on your things and your shins than the rolling treat balls if your dog picks it up by the rope and tosses it around. I made it a crate toy when that happened with one of my dogs, so there wasn't space to throw it much and the toy wouldn't break anything if he tossed it. The rope gets kind of gross over the long haul, which is why I threw mine out. Some dogs (not mine, luckily) will chew up and destroy the rope and that makes it too easy for the treats to fall out, but it will still work, especially if you put a golf ball or two inside to help slow things down (which you can do from the get-go as well, for extra challenge). The manufacturer switched to a plastic molded rope-like thing instead of real rope for a while, but it looks like they went back to real rope.

We also have had good results with the Squirrel Dude food puzzle toy. It's not an upright wobbler but kind of the same idea, move it and roll it around and a bit of kibble or treat will fall out of it. It's sort of a football shape when it's on its side. It's super sturdy and my pit mix chewaholic can't seem to put a dent in it. You can make the game easier by cutting any of the four flexible tips in the hole of the toy with a scissors (or you might need to do that if your treats are big). The thing about this toy I don't like so much is that there isn't a fast way to put the goodies in, you have to put them in through the same hole they come out of. The Tug-a-Jug's bottom, on the other hand, screws entirely off for refilling. Our Squirrel Dude doesn't hold as much as the Tug-a-Jug, and I think we have the largest versions of both toys.

[icelore]

I was going to get the Tug A Jug, but the younger dog likes to chew ropes. :(

Thanks for the recommendation on the Squirrel Dude though! I haven't seen that one before.

[wavescrashdown]

I had a version of the tug a jug where the "rope" was rubber. Would that work?

Of course, my dog managed to slam it down on our tile floors and crack the thing open, the little booger...

4 minutes is as long as we've ever gotten out of a toy in my house, and we've tried zillions. I use them as a way for her to slow down her eating, but not necessarily as entertainment. We've pretty much settled on the kong wobbler for ease of filling (and the fact that it doesn't roll under sofas!!)