Why are enrichment and puzzle toys important for dogs?
Dogs are very smart, and we like to give them things to do when they can't exercise, especially on days that are rainy or snowy. It's nice to have activities like this to keep them engaged.
What is the most popular type of dog enrichment toy?
KONG toys are the most popular type. I have my little dog Ernie here, and he's going to help us demonstrate these toys. He's definitely very good at getting the stuff out.
Can you describe the traditional KONG toy and how to use it?
This is our traditional KONG. They are sized according to the dog's size, so this is the size recommended for Ernie because he's about 15 lbs. When you order them online or go to the pet store, they'll have a weight range on the tag. I used to use a bigger one for my dog that was the same size as Ernie, but she was really good at getting the stuff out. Ernie is a little more novice, so I chose the smaller size for him. I've filled it with some little treats. You can use kibble if your dog eats kibble or little freeze-dried treats that are easy to break up and not messy. KONG makes peanut butter or cheese sprays that you can spray in the top for extra flavor. You can also take canned food and freeze it inside. Initially, when your dog is getting used to KONG, you want to make it easy for the stuff to come out. They might not play with it if they don't understand that this toy holds food. But if you make it easy at first, then as they become more advanced, you can make it more challenging by wedging the food in there.
What other types of puzzle toys do you recommend?
This is another type of puzzle toy I've gotten for Ernie. They have little strips where you can take a piece of kibble or treat, roll it up, and shove it in the holes. I've already prepared the other ones here. Ernie will have to pull out these little fabric strips from this ball, and each one has a treat inside, so that's going to take him a while to do.
Are there more complex puzzle toys available?
Yes, there are. These toys are more like real puzzles and come in different levels of difficulty. When I first got it, I just slid back the compartments and put treats inside. There are also treat compartments on the side. When a treat goes through a hole, it slides out and comes from the other side. Ernie has to push them around, and the treat comes out when the thing moves over. It stimulates their brain and is an enrichment activity, better than just lying around or being bored. If your dog is not good at it, it will occupy them for a long time. The dog I had before Ernie would never give up until every crumb was out of a toy. These toys can last a long time, keeping them occupied.
Can you show us how Ernie plays with these toys?
Yes, I'll show you what it looks like to have a dog play with these. We'll start with the puzzle toy. Ernie's going to start working on it. He knows there's food inside. You see, he's already lifted up the little compartment and got some of the treats from the side. Now he's moving on to moving these pegs around to get the food out that way. He gets pretty aggressive with it; you can see some bite marks because he's already worked on it.
Are there any other features or toys you'd like to mention?
Since Ernie did scratch the toy, it's a good time to mention that they make platforms with nail file material. You can hide food in the platform and teach the dog to dig at it, filing their nails at the same time. I'll probably have a video of that soon, as we're going to teach Ernie to do that since he's not a big fan of getting his nails trimmed. It's a nice way for him to file his nails while getting a treat and some enrichment.
Do you have any final thoughts on enrichment toys?
Puzzle toys and enrichment toys are excellent. These are just a few of what's available on the market. You can find tons of others on Amazon, Chewy, or at other pet stores. If your dog gets good at it, it's something they look forward to. Ernie will go over to this puzzle and scratch at it now and then because there's always one little piece left that he needs to work on. It's something we can revisit throughout the day. Keep watching because we'll definitely put out a video about that nail file thing when we get it.
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