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Dog enrichment toys are all about stimulating your dog both physically and mentally. For excitable breeds Such as Jack Russell Terriers and Patterdale terriers, this is essential. They are bred as hunters and need to satisfy their working instinct, especially if they are not working dogs. But it’s not just for troublesome or working breeds, all dogs can benefit from enrichment.
There are many different ways to provide enrichment for your dog. It usually involves encouraging your dog to work for their food. Dog puzzles are also now becoming an increasingly popular for enrichment for your dog. We love the Nina Ottersson puzzles For dogs because they are well-made and designed to challenge your dog. They also come in many different levels of difficulty. Here are some of the best dog Enrichment toys that you can buy online today.
Snuffle mats are great for sniffing activities where they have to you find the treat in the fabric. You can also get Licky mats that you can use to spread their food or treats such as peanut butter on them and your dog has to lick it off. It makes food and treat time last longer. Dog puzzles are also now becoming an increasingly popular for enrichment for your dog. We love the Nina Otterson puzzles For dogs Because they are well-made And designed to challenge your dog. They also come in many different levels.
Advantages of using Dog Enrichment Toys and products
There are many advantages to canine enrichment and interactive dog toys for your dog…
- Keep your dog Entertained
- Makes his food last longer
- Mental stimulation from learning new things
- Develop your relationship with your dog when you do the dog puzzle together
- Makes him work for his food Which will satisfy his hunting instinct
- Can distract him from stressful situations such as fireworks or strange visitors
- And help him to be comfortable when you leave the house
If you haven’t already got your dog on an enrichment program do consider starting something straightaway. The rewards are immense. Here are some of the best dog Enrichment toys that you can buy online today.
Dog Enrichment Toys – Puzzles
Dog puzzles are great to train your dog how to do sequential actions. With most dog puzzles, you can hide treats in different compartments. The idea behind them is that the dog will search for the treat and learn to slide, rotate or pull out pegs to reveal treats underneath.
I’ve already mentioned my favourite brand Nina Otterson puzzles.They are the best designed and most durable dog puzzles on the market. But what I really love about them Is that they come in three different levels of difficulty – Easy, Medium and Hard. There is even now a Level 4 multi-puzzle with up with 24 compartments for your dog to reveal. When your dog is a bit of a beginner It’s a good idea to start with a level one puzzle.
The easiest dog puzzle to start off with Is the dog Smart composite. In this level 1puzzle your dog will need to lift pegs up and move them aside to reveal his Treats.
- Level 1 Beginner dog puzzle perfect for puppies and dogs with no puzzle experience; a great way to introduce dog puzzles to your pet
- Provides mental stimulation for dogs; 15 minutes of mental stimulation is equal to 30 minutes of physical activity
- Helps reduce dog anxiety and redirect unwanted behaviors like excessive barking, chewing, and digging in a fun and exciting way
Once your dog has mastered the basic level one puzzle, he can move up to level 2 which often involves more than one action such as sliding and lifting.
The Dog Brick
The brick is an excellent level 2 puzzle as it requires your dog to slide to reveal pegs that then must be removed to find the treat underneath.
The Dog Tornado
The tornado is a rotating the dog toy where your dog must rotate and lift to get his treat. It’s one of the most popular level 2 Dog Puzzles by Nina Otterson.
The Twister
When your dog has mastered several level two puzzles he is probably ready to progress to level three difficulty. The Twister is a more complex dog puzzle because he needs to pull the white lever to unlock. Only then can pay slide the top panels to reveal the treats.
And don’t forget, If you really want to give your dog a challenge go for the level four multi-puzzle!
Treats Dispensing Balls and Feeders
Treat dispensing balls can also be used to slowly feed your dog the usual intake of kibble. You can also put Treats in for a special reward. Your dog will need to bop The egg or dog treat ball with his nose or paw To dispense what’s inside.
Snuffle Matts
Snuffle Mats for dogs have many layers of fabric that you can hide treats in. Bury your pooch’s favourite treats deep in the Snuffle Matt And he or she will have to sniff them out. It is possible to buy a Snuffle Matt for between £20 pounds and £30 on Amazon. Here are some of our favourites…
AWOOF Dog Puzzle Toys, Pet Snuffle Feeding Mat
- Motivate Natural Foraging Skills: It is a unique snuffle mat for dogs that allows your dog to find treats or dry foods hidden Inside the snuffle mat. It can also be used as a Slow Feeder to help to train dog's sense of smell, consume dog's energy and lose weight in a healthy activity. Keep your dog occupied and avoid dog engaging in destructive behavior.
- Dual-use Design: The sniff mat can be shrunk into a bowl. Dogs will like it more than ordinary food bowls! Because it's really full of the green tufts so there's plenty of places to hide a big handful of food. You can put anything in the dog feeding mat. Lay it flat on the ground as a sniffing exercise for puppy or large dog to forage the food. Effectively perform some mental exercises, relieve boredom and provide stimulation at the same time.
- Durable and Easy to Clean: The fabric of the sniffing mat for dogs is felt, which is Dirt-Resistant, easy to clean and supports machine washing. We all know that dogs love to chew on things, but with our dog feeding mats anti-tearing feature, your Pet puppy will have a satisfactory Chewing Session with the dog feeding toys. It is machine washable and dryer safe.
Licky mats
Licky Mats great because you can smear a tasty treat on them for your dog to lick off. You can use their usual wet food and smear it on the mat and then freeze to make its last even longer. These are excellent distractions during stressful situations such as fireworks or visitors. It’s also great to give your dog a lick mat when you are eating to stop him staring and begging for food.
- spoil them with a lick mat, ideal for cat, puppies, small and medium dogs
- Keep your pet entertained with tasty treats
- Spread you pet's favorite healthy soft treat over mat surface which will sooth and calm your pet through licking. Keep your pet entertained with tasty treats. Enjoy small treats without overfeeding
It’s not just a dog food that you can put on your lick mat. Other ideas include yoghurt to freeze, peanut butter or cottage cheese. Blake completely adores his Mutt Butter which is specially formulated peanut butter for dogs. You can also get dog lick mats with suckers to go on the side of the bath to keep him occupied while he is getting washed!
Kongs
Kongs are extremely popular because they are so hard wearing and so even the biggest dogs and the worst chewers can you use them. Kongs are are basically rubber dog toys that are durable and can be filled with food and treats inside. Your dog will need to use his paws and his mouth to get at whatever tasty feeling you have decided to use. You can be creative and Layer your dog’s Kong with different types of food Including normal wet food, cheeses, yoghurts And pastes or spreads. Chicken liver paste and dog yoghurt are popular options. We have safely left Blake alone with his Kong and he then spent time trying to get his tasty treat out in the middle instead of barking, chewing something he shouldn’t or getting stressed.
There are different types of columns for different dogs. Most dog owners go for a small, Medium or Large black Kong. These are the toughest ones. The red Kong are for medium chewing adults dogs. There are purple for senior dogs and pink or light blue for puppies.
If you enjoyed this article today you might also like to read my top 5 Reasons to get a Dog.