Best Dog Puzzle Toys to Keep Your Dog Entertained

Understanding What a Dog Puzzle Toy Is

A dog puzzle toy is a toy that comes with some kind of puzzle built in that encourages your dog to move it around to manipulate it in some way in order to get a reward. These puzzle toys are meant to serve as a distraction to your dog to keep them entertained when you're not around to entertain or interact with them.

These types of toys are popular with dog parents who have dogs who don't do well on their own or who start to display destructive behaviors like chewing on furniture or shredding fabric. They're designed to help relieve any anxiety or stress your dog has by keeping them mentally stimulated.

Benefits of Dog Puzzle Toys

There are several great benefits that come with giving your dog puzzle toys. We've picked up the top benefits and laid them out for you below.

1. Stimulation

One of the biggest benefits of this type of toy is that it challenges your dog on both a mental and physical level to work to get the food or treats out of the toy. This is particularly useful when you have a rambunctious puppy who wants to be doing something every second that they're awake.

Having the toy around gives your dog something to focus their attention on and distract them from the fact that you're not directly by them to pay attention to them. This can also help to encourage problem-solving skills and development.

2. Exercise

If you live somewhere where it gets very hot or very cold, you may not want to take your dog out to exercise as much as you normally would. This can lead to weight management problems and weight gain if you continue to feed your dog the same amount while their exercise levels decrease.

These puzzle toys encourage your dog to get up and move the toy around in order to get the reward. When you combine this by restricting the amount of food you feed them to match their decrease activity levels, you get an great way for them to exercise indoors and maintain a healthy weight.

3. Prevents Destructive or Unwanted Behaviors

Destructive or unwanted behaviors are behaviors that your dog participates in as a result of things like boredom, anxiety, stress, and for attention. This is common with breeds whose owners don't have enough time to spend with them each day wearing them out both mentally and physically.

A puzzle toy is a effective and safe way to divert your dog's attention from these unwanted behaviors and to distract them from the fact that you're not around. They encourage your dog to focus their behaviors on the puzzle instead of on your furniture or items.

Types of Puzzle Toys

One of the first things you'll notice about puzzle toys is that there are several different types available. Picking one or two is a great way to narrow your choices down right from the beginning of your search so it won't seem so overwhelming.

• Comfort Toys - Comfort toys are designed to allow your dog to cuddle with them because they're usually plush, soft, and stuffed. However, these toys won't be able to hold up against hard play.
• Distraction Toys - When you don't have time to play directly with your dog, a distraction toy can help to keep them occupied. These types of toys are usually food or treat delivery toys, hard rubber toys with multiple pockets, or rope toys.
• Interactive Toys - Interactive toys are toys that require both you and your dog to play at the same time. Things like toys you throw for your dog to fetch or certain rope toys that allow you to play tug of war are good examples.

Important Factors to Consider When Shopping for a Puzzle Toy

There are several different things that you want to keep in mind when you're shopping for your dog's new puzzle toys. The following considerations will help to ensure that you get a safe toy for your dog to play with.

Durability

Although puzzle toys are relatively inexpensive, you do want to make sure that you get a toy that is going to last for at least a few weeks or months without breaking and falling apart. Double check the toy's durability, see if the manufacturer has a guarantee, and don't be afraid to check product reviews for more information.

Material

Your dog toy's material will depend on the type of dog you have. You can get toys that come made out of hard plastic, rubber, or other materials that are built to withstand chewing or rough play. If you think that this will put your dog off, you could try a toy with a softer and more plush material.

Safety

Since safety is such a driving point when you give your dog a new toy, you want to ensure that it comes made out of safe materials. Look for dog toys that are BPA-free, non-toxic, free of dyes, heavy metals, chemicals, and other products. Also, check for previous recalls with the manufacturer.

Size

These puzzle toys come in several different shapes and sizes that allows you to get a good fit that helps it match your dog's size and weight. You want to find a toy that is large enough for your dog to interact with without being too heavy for them to move around or manipulate as they play with it.