Are you struggling to keep up with your high energy puppy? Interactive, puzzle toys are a great way for your dog to occupy himself and get out some energy.. The mental exercise can be just as stimulating as physical exercise. Puzzle toys are great to leave with your puppy while at work or to distract him while working from home. Below are three of my favorite puzzle toys that my pup Rye Lee loves too!
1. Starmark Treat Dispensing Bob-a-Lot Dog Toy
I use the Starmark Bob-a-Lot (size small) for dispensing a portion of our pup Rye Lee’s kibble for his morning and evening meals. The yellow cap easily unscrews so you can dump a scoop of kibble or treats in all at one time. You can adjust the opening from the top to bottom sections as well as the opening on the outside of the green section to make the difficulty level easier or harder. I also love the Bob-a-Lot for its durability. We bought a few other treat dispensing balls that Rye Lee broke after a few weeks because he hit them hard against the wall. We’ve had the Bob-a-Lot for about a year now and it still is in great shape. You can find the Starmark Treat Dispensing Bob-a-Lot Dog Toy on Amazon or Chewy.
2. Sniffiz SmellyMatty Snuffle Mat
The Sniffiz Snuffle Mat is my second favorite puzzle toy for dogs because you have many areas to hide treats or kibble. The outer, grassy portion of the mat is low difficulty. For added difficulty and increase mental stimulation, you can hide treats in the folds of the red, center portion. This mat is also very durable and easy to wash. You can throw it in your washing machine and it comes out looking good as new. Another pro is that the mat is soft and stays in one location, which means it’s QUIET! The average treat balls are very noisy since you’ll hear the treats ratting around inside or the ball banging against the wall. In addition to the mat, Sniffiz includes five extra stimulating puzzles like a treat ball that goes inside three pockets. You can purchase the Sniffiz SmellyMatty Snuffle Mat on Amazon or on the Sniffiz website.
3. Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Plush Dog Toy Puzzle, XL
The Hide-A-Squirrel dog toy made the top 3 because it’s an absolute favorite for my dog Rye Lee. He loves digging the squirrels out of the tree bark and then playing fetch with them. The set includes 6 squirrels. Rye Lee also loved to hump the tree bark before he got neutered. The only con of this toy is that it is not indestructible. Rye Lee chews through the plush squirrels in about a month or two. We’ve bought it three times over the past year though because Rye Lee loves playing with it so much. You can find the Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Plush Dog Toy on Amazon and Chewy.
What are your favorite interactive, puzzle toys for dogs? Comment below!
Rye Lee and Me 