Brain Games for Dogs-UPDATE
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- čas přidán 16. 09. 2020
- It has been a little over a year since I posted my first video talking about brain games and mental enrichment for dogs. Today I have an update on some new puzzle toys we have been loving!
I have a mix of easy, intermediate, and hard level toys in here. So there is a little something for everyone no matter where your dog is at in their puzzle toy journey. I hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments below!
See lists of my favorite training tools, treats, enrichment toys (including all the ones mentioned in this video), and other dog-related gear on my Amazon Storefront:
www.amazon.com/shop/sarahwals...
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Containers set on a pole across this thing. It’s the technical lingo that makes this video great 😂😂😂
I have a 16yo Maltese asleep at my feet, he has never been a player with toys ect, but at the very end of this video he woke up at the sound of the squeaker toy. I think maybe I need to buy him some squeaker toys
My puppy was asleep and he woke up to that sound too. The funny thing is that I had ordered that toy right before watching this video!!
The blue cong ball w the red ring around it comes apart?!?!? Whaaat!! Been filling it through the little hole🤣🤣
Haha oh man! I'm glad I could be of help that way!
Thank you for such a great video, sharing all those options are very interesting, a lot of them I didn't know, great idea about the toy to teach the dog to go inside the crate!!
Thank you for making an updated video! My Shiba Inu loves puzzle toys.
Those squirrels in the log my 2 dogs LOVE them! They will squeak them for hours and they have lasted me a long time without needing replacements. I highly recommend to anyone just make sure to get the correct size for your dog.
Haha, yes those are among Wrigley's favorites as well!
Thanks for posting videos of your pup playing with each of the toys as you were talking about them.
You are very welcome! Every dog interacts with all of these a bit differently but I agree it is helpful so you can see what they are really about.
Love this! My six month old puppy is way too smart for my own good, lol. I have a couple puzzle toys and he's already mastered them so I've been searching for more!
Awesome, so glad I could provide you with some more options!
Same! I have a 6 month old toy poodle. He started playing with treat balls, a puppy kong and a licky mat as soon as we got him. He especially loves kongs. Now I’m ordering him harder interactive toys as well as puzzles because he can empty his kong in a matter of a few minutes.
Thanks for sharing these ideas!
Thank you for watching, Sami!
Thanks
Thanks so much for sharing this. Love to see the puzzles in actual use by your adorable dog. Very informative.
Thanks for the feedback, and for watching! I appreciate it!
I have to say years ago the buster cube was about the only thing other than a Kong on the market. One of my clients had a Golden Retriever who had so much energy and the 12 year old kid was afraid of the dog. They had him on a tie out with a choke chain. So of course the kid was out of reach of the tie out so when they would let the dog off, the dog was on mission to get the kid. When he would turn around if the dog jumped, the dog would start pulling the coat off. I said, from now on, this is how the dog has to eat - out of the buster cube and you have to use a regular buckle collar. The next week they came back and said they never would have believed it if they didn't try it. The kid even walked the dog into class - amazing! Sara Ondrako also has a great video of how to make a snuffle mat with a pocket and can use old blankets, sweat pants, sweat shirts, etc. Great video! My younger Dobe loves the log/squirrel toy so we stuff his favorite toy (a ball within a ball) in there. As soon as he gets it out, he either brings it to us to restuff it or he tries to do it himself.
This is an awesome story! Thank you for sharing!
THANK YOU!!!!!!! Your videos help me so much!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much Lizzy!
Thankyou your hard work is appreciated.
I appreciate you saying that! Thank you!
I have a dog and I bought some of these, she LOVED it!
That's awesome! I am so glad some of them worked out for you! :)
I made our snuffle mat last night and will use it today. Thank you for sharing!
Love it! I hope it works out well for you!
Just got my pomsky the squirrels in the log toy and it's her new favorite. Thanks for the reviews and videos
Oh yay! I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for watching :)
I hide treats in the logs. They have to pull the squirrels out to get to the treats. My Shepherds enjoyed it. I used the squirrels as toss toys.
This is a great addition!
Years ago, I bought my young English Cocker Spaniel a blue Buster Cube. After demonstrating for him how to butt it around (yes, I used my head) and swat it around to get the kibble out, he still didn't get it. After a few days of trying, I decided the Buster Cube was a fail for my dog. ....BUT WAIT.... One day, a week or two later, I went to work, leaving him home as usual on my secure, enclosed patio. Next to his water bowl, I placed a kibble-filled Buster Cube. What the heck, why not? When I arrived back home at the end of the day, the cube was *empty* . Yep. Boredom and hunger motivated my little guy to get that darned kibble out of the cube. After that, he loved having several meals a week "served" via his Buster Cube.
My other go-to "toy" was a sturdy Kong filled with kibble, topped with peanut butter, and left overnight in the freezer. In the morning--by this time my dog was able to be left alone in the house, uncrated, while I was at work--I would pull the Kong from the freezer and let him enjoy it while I went quietly off to work. No muss no fuss.
Also fun: Let your dog sniff the peanut buttery Kong, then put your dog on a down-stay in the kitchen while you hide the Kong in the living room (or wherever). Then go back to your dog and say "Go find it!" My dog was giddy with anticipation as he waited for those magic words. BTW, the Hide It game works great with bully sticks, too.
Ha, love it! I actually know quite a few dogs that if you just leave them alone with the toy and let them take their time to figure it out, they do better with that. I'm so glad yours was able to figure it out and enjoy it! Those also sound like great enrichment hide and seek games!
@@sarahcertified Here's my little Buster Cube pro in action: czcams.com/video/lCBwmf6H-vI/video.html
So helpful to have these vetted by a trainer! Thanks!
Absolutely! Thank you for watching!
We have two Poodle/Shi Zu mixes who are about 10-11 years old and they're always food motivated. Been looking for more enriching toys for them along with our cats. I've found our dogs prefer chews and some toys while our cats our more play motivated. Thank you for giving me ideas for Christmas gifts for our pets!
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing, Hanna. So glad I could help out with some more ideas
Is your dog named “lou” lol! Sublime for life lol. Nice shirt. Awesome videos!
Just subscribed! Loved both of these videos… I have a very food motivated Pomeranian. He has a kibble dispensing ball.. a Xmas tree with balls/ornaments (like your squirrel one) and a puzzle toy that he has to open each compartment.. as he’s gotten older I’ve stopped using them.. so I’m going to pull them out for him today! Thanks.. oh btw we have those ones that twist together tightly with the discs you can buy…. I’m not sure if we can find the discs anymore… that’s the bad part about buying some of these puzzle toys - some companies stop selling the discs or treats that fit inside them…. Plus we had to switch my Pom’s food about a year ago because he developed a food allergy, so his kibble isn’t tiny or round anymore which is really annoying..
I may try making a snuffle mat… Nugget would love one… He eats way to fast.. we already use a slow eating dish with the spiral…. The snuffle mat would be great..
Thanks Robin! I'm sure your Pomeranian would love it if you pulled those toys back out! Definitely give the snuffle mat a go, well worth it in my opinion.
This is great! HOWEVER, I thought I'd put out a warning for some of these. Speaking from experience, the Kong Wobbler, Kong Gyro, JW Treat Tower, Tug-a-Jug, and any other hard plastic-y toys do not stand up to heavy chewing. So if your dog (like mine) is more inclined to try and chew through a toy to get the food I would supervise them CLOSELY. I find that more rubbery type toys work best for mine. The original Kong, the Sodapup can, and the more flexible toys seem to hold up pretty well.
I find the key is not leaving these toys out, and taking them away as soon as they stop playing the game and chewing on the toy. One of my dogs would never consider destroying anything while the others cannot have access to a lickimat because she will eat the rubber!
@@hype9999 Yes, that is a very important thing to do as well. My dogs' interactive toys live in a very high up cabinet when it isn't mealtime. These toys require intense supervision during the time a destructive dog is using them. They wear down quickly.
@@ambercannon7828 One of my dogs is just not allowed to have most things at all because she is so rotten! Wobble Kong and regular Kong is all she can do. I otherwise put food in cardboard boxes and let her destroy :-)
I was wondering how many dogs had to have a trip to the vet to remove ingested plastic from these toys. Thanks for putting the warning out as “leaving the toy while you go to work” is the worst advice. That was from the previous video and I’m sure some people have actually tried doing this with dire consequences. I only use the original Kong and Jack toys, as they hold up for my dog. Thanks for tip on soda pup can, I have seen it and will now buy it.
I was wondering how many dogs had to have a trip to the vet to remove ingested plastic from these toys. Thanks for putting the warning out as “leaving the toy while you go to work” is the worst advice. That was from the previous video and I’m sure some people have actually tried doing this with dire consequences. I only use the original Kong and Jack toys, as they hold up for my dog. Thanks for tip on soda pup can, I have seen it and will now buy it.
you’re fucking awesome, thank you so much!!!
What is the outward hound Frisbee treat dispenser thing (the lime green yellow and purple color toy)
Is there a certain amount of time we should be dedicating to puzzle toys/mental enrichment activities each day?
Hey Kelsey! It depends on your dog, I try to get in some form of mental enrichment every day. Usually for Wrigley it involves some sort of sniffy activity outside, and meals out of one of these toys. But on a good day we will also do some trick training.
I have a 6 month old puppy and I portion his food in a way that I can give about 1/3 of it during the day when I’m busy. We have a kong, a licky mat and a treat dispensing ball. Now I’m going to invest in another kong toy (maybe the wobbler), a snuffle mat and a level 1 puppy puzzle. I do trick training with him everyday and that is tiring him out too. He now finished everything in his kong so quickly and that shows me that we can try something more challenging with him. If you are crate training your dog, treat dispensing balls and kongs work great to keep them occupied in there.
What a great video! How long do you have her work on puzzles every day?
It ranges! Anywhere from 1-30 minutes on average! It really depends on the day, what time I have, and how she is feeling.
lol my pup woke up when she squeezed the squirrel
Hi! I have a question about the snuffle mats. I was told that they are not good for puppies because the puppy tends to just tear the felt apart. Have you had any experience with them with young puppies?
I would supervise with younger puppies, and make sure it doesn’t turn into something that they try to shred. It depends on the puppy really :)
@@sarahcertified Thanks for your prompt reply. While I am a life long dog person (also raised and trained horses for years prior to my career and horse handling ending spinal cord damage, and no, it was not a horse related injury. People often ask) I have only trained dogs to your basic pet standards. I am excited but also nervous to be moving forward with getting a Standard Poodle puppy to train as my mobility service dog. It's not just an investment of money and time and love but also of hope in having my independence and confidence back. I'm trying to be like a sponge and soak up all of the knowledge I can before I get my girl at the end of January.
I’m so excited for you! Definitely follow me on Instagram for even more day to day things 🤗
Any ideas on if your dog refuses to eat dry kibble? Mist enrichment toys requires dry kibble so I either have to use freeze dried fish bits or stuff moistened kibble in kong-like toys
My younger guy is not a kibble fan either, and he actually doesn't eat any kibble in his diet. I use mostly snuffle mats and puzzle bowls with him because of this. So switching to a non-kibble based diet is always an option. But you could try putting their kibble in a ziplock bag alongside something like some chunks of steak or a strip of bacon, and leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, take the extra bit of high value food out, and the kibble will have absorbed the scent and taste of that extra thing. It may help in making the kibble more high value to your dog!
The tornado from the previous video works well with wet/raw food as you can take it apart for cleaning. Just make sure you put the right one at the bottom when you reassemble.
I also use egg cartons (not plastic ones) if it’s too easy then use painters tape and tape them shut. Just dump them in the recycling after. Obviously you’ll need to supervise so they don’t eat/swallow the cardboard.
You can also use TP-rolls. Fold one end shut. Stuff them with the food. And fold the other end. Give as is to your dog or make several and put in a box with or without other empty folded rolls and let them find the right roll(s). Again, supervise. It won’t take that long for them to figure it out, but it will tire them out a bit.
If your dog have a hard time with kongs and you think the wobblebowls are too easy try a toppl (from zogoflex?). I use them both as is and frozen. Stuff them sort of like a Kong. I mainly use the XL one as it works perfect as a food bowl for my corgi. He has a hard time holding on to stuff with his short legs so kongs frustrates him to no end… There are several sizes of toppl and they nest into each other and makes it harder if you want to. The best part is that you can throw them in the dish washer (just like kongs) and it makes things hygienic and easy to handle.
There’s also the “licking layers” from outward hound/ Nina Ottoson that I think would be excellent. A friend has it for her dogs and she loves it. I think she takes it apart and freezes one or 2 layers before reassembling and giving it. (Now that I think about it… I might try that with my “Tornado”.
Me watching this like, “yep, she’ll destroy that in a minute. Yep that one too”
I have an adult (7) dog. He was never taught to fetch or really play. I want to help/teach him. But he’s kind of lazy. Do you think these things would work? Any advice for helping him? Most people show for active puppies to teach how.
I might start with getting a variety of non food related toys first and seeing if you can find some that interest him! Definitely try getting really into the toy yourself. A lot of times if you make it seem like the toy you have is the coolest thing on the planet, your dog will also believe that!
They’re three sizes of the purple barnacle. Which size is in the demonstration?
It is the medium!
Would I be able to find most of those toys on chewy or PetSmart or pet valu
Yes! I have links to them in the description of the video.
wehat type of food should we put in it
I usually put Wrigley's kibble in all of these toys. But if you want to use treats I recommend small pea sized treats like Zukes training treats.
I got my shih tzu the one that looks like test tubes and she did not like it. She was scared of it actually lol
Haha, that one can be scary looking! Maybe try something smaller and easier, like the snuffle mat!
My beagle pup tore apart the squirrels within minutes if us giving it to him **eye roll**
Haha, a lot of dogs like to do that! Shredding is still enrichment! But also good to know about him for things you buy him in the future :)
My puppy destroyed that green and purple saucer in less than a day. 🤦🏽♀️
"the one with 3 containers set in a poll" is not good at all! whether you put a small or smaller treat, it gets stuck inside, frustrating your dog
I like the snuffle mat in concept but you have to ask yourself what are your dogs INHALING when they do this??
I wonder how Safe this is long term
Interesting thought...I wash mine after a few uses, it is safe to put in the washing machine. In that way, it is just like clothes for us or blankets. I also replace mine when they start to get a little too old or torn apart.