Source: Pet Connection by Gina Spadafori and Dr. Marty Becker
The pleasure we get from spending time with our dogs is one of the reasons we have them. But as much as we would love to take them everywhere, the reality for most of us is that our dogs spend a lot of time alone.
Dogs aren't really designed to stay by themselves, and many times they get themselves into trouble. One helpful tool for avoiding problems is to leave your dog with a treat-dispensing toy to keep your pet busy when you go.
One of the original treat-dispensing toys, and a regular presence in my dogs' toy box, is the Kong www.kongcompany.com). The toy is made of a hard rubber, and although I've heard of a few dogs destroying the Kong, most do not. The Kong can be filled with dog treats, kibble, peanut butter, soft cheese or some commercial treats made expressly for this toy. Some dog owners fill the Kong with peanut butter and then freeze it. The Kong works because it takes time for the dog to get all the treats out from inside it.
Another treat-dispensing toy that has been on the market for a while is the Buster Cube www.bustercube.com). This is a cube-shaped hard plastic toy with a hole in one side. Treats or kibbles are put in the cube, and then a dial around the hole can be adjusted to let a few treats out at a time or just one. The dog has to flip the cube to get the treats out. I always have a Buster Cube around, but I have to admit the Buster Cube can be noisy if the dog is flipping it around on concrete or a tile floor.
Busy Buddy makes a toy called Twist'N Treats www.premier.com). The top and bottom can be unscrewed so that treats can be placed inside. Then the difficulty of getting the treats out can be adjusted by how closely together you tighten the top and bottom. While testing this toy, I found my Australian shepherds figured it out very quickly, got the treats and then got bored. But my business partner at Kindred Spirits Dog Training, Petra Burke, said her Pomeranian, Keely, loves this toy and continues to play with it even after the treats are long gone.
Busy Buddies also makes Tug-a-Jug. Ever put a handful of treats in a plastic water bottle for your dog to play with? This toy is along those lines, except that the bottle is too hard for the dog to chew up, unlike the water bottle. In addition, there is a stopper in the Tug-a-Jug bottle, a hard rubber rope with a larger end inside the jug. If the stopper is pulled out away from the bottle, no treats come out. If the stopper is pushed into the bottle, treats will come out. Bashir, my 5-year-old Aussie, loved this toy. He could think about it, puzzle it out, carry it around and get the treats. He worked at it for an hour and a half before I took it away so I could try it with another dog. However, Petra's Aussie, Logan, chewed off the rubber stopper. This could have been dangerous had he swallowed it.
Designer Nina Ottosson www.nina-ottosson.com) offers the Dog Pyramid. Treats go inside, and a hole is near the top on one side to release the treats. The dog needs to knock the toy over to get the treats, but once knocked over, the toy always rights itself because of the heavy bottom. One of Kindred Spirits' trainers, Connie, has a 12-week-old puppy named Peaches. Connie said she began giving Peaches her morning kibble in the toy. It kept Peaches occupied so Connie could begin her day.
One of my dogs' favorite treat-dispensing toys is a kiddie pool. I get an inexpensive plastic kids' pool and fill it with water. I then drop a big block of ice in the middle as well as a handful of baby carrots and apple slices. The dogs can drink, play, splash, chew on the cube of ice and dunk for the treats.
When you introduce a new toy, always do so while you're there to supervise. Some dogs can be amazingly inventive or destructive, and you don't want your pet to hurt himself on a new toy.