People are always perplexed and amused when they learn that I make my dogs, and dogs I foster/dogsit, work for their food.
Well, you know what? I'm perplexed that most people don't! When my dogs have their meals in their toys, it gives me those extra moments of not having to worry about whether they're getting into some kind of trouble. Okay, I don't really have to worry about Zoe, but Clyde is generally busy doing something (except early in the morning/afternoon). If I don't hear or see him, I have to assume he's doing something bad. ;) Some people comment their dog would have no clue what to do with the toys. That may be true at first if your dog isn't used to the idea but you might be surprised how quickly they get it. If Lilly the pomeranian can figure it out, so can your dog. ;)
No, it's not really all about me and wanting to keep the dogs occupied just so I can relax. It's also another outlet for your dog to do something other than sit around the house all day (assuming you're the typical full-time working professional type). They say it stimulates the dogs' brains, making them work and think a little more to get their food.
...of course, if you actually gave them the choice, they would probably choose eating out of a bowl than spending half an hour slowly working food out of a toy. ;)
Sometimes I'll go all out and make it extra challenging. I'll stuff the food toys, wrap them in something else (newspaper, towels, etc), stuff them into empty boxes, throw more food in and finally, tape the box up. So then my dog basically has to rip open the box(es) and also get into the food toys. I'm kind of ridiculous, I know.
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| Clyde gettin' right into that box |
Generally, I wouldn't recommend this route for most people (the cardboard boxes and whatnot). For one, it gets kind of messy when they rip them apart (I keep Clyde in his crate). But another thing, if you have a smarty pants dog, you might find that you've taught your dog to rip into any cardboard box she encounters.
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| Milo, finding his way in! |
A few years ago, I came home to find a brand new package of (expensive) insoles had been ripped open (by Zoe). Thankfully, she had absolutely no interest in the insoles but she did a darn good job tearing open the box and leaving the insoles untouched on the floor for me. ;)
Therefore, I would recommend most people get dog toys designed for dispensing food/treats.
Next on my wishlist:
If your dog chows down too quickly on his kibble, this "dish" would slow him right down. Unfortunately this is $30 and I'll be debating on that one for a bit. What? I'm cheap (even though I have a dozen other dog toys that all together aren't cheap)!
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