Enrich His Mind and Save Your Shoes

We enrich our own lives everyday. We take ourselves out to movies, restaurants, museums and gyms. We play board games with friends, ride our bikes and ski in the winter. Sometimes we make our lives so busy that our minds barely have time to rest! While we’re out, however, our companions often get left home. How can we enrich our animals’ lives? They crave intellectual and physical challenges too, and they depend on us to provide new experiences and activities. One of the best solutions to a bored dog is a treat-dispensing toy. These toys allow your dog to use their mind as well as their brawn. Remember, dogs are scavengers by nature and puzzle toys are a great way to give them mental exercise. A few of our favorites are listed below. You can find them at our Animals Antics retail store here at the Wisconsin Humane Society.

KONGS www.kongcompany.com
There are a myriad of oddly-shaped Kongs, all with primarily the same idea. Kongs are made of a flexible material and can be used by your average dog (the red Kong), a teething puppy (marbled blue), or dogs that are strong chewers (black Kongs).
These versatile toys can hold anything you can imagine (from frozen hotdogs to plain yogurt). Kongs can also be stuffed in layers, for example, putting kibble on the bottom inch, then a little canned tuna, then shredded cheese, then dry treats and finally peanut butter. Kongs can also be filled with a high quality canned dog food or canned meat and then frozen to soothe a teething puppy. Freezing foods inside a Kong also extends play time.

BUSY BUDDY www.busybuddytoys.com
Twist n’ Treat (they have a wide variety)
This toy also comes in three different sizes for dogs of all breeds. Because the Twist n’ Treat unscrews into two pieces, it’s also a breeze to wash in the dishwasher!

There are many different types of treat dispensing toys out there; be a smart pet owner and know which ones will occupy your dog. Always supervise a few sessions with any new toy or treat to make sure they will be safe. Get creative with how you fill these toys and don’t forget that a dog with something to do is a happy dog.