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What are puppy puzzle toys?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Puppy puzzles or puppy intelligence toys are toys that you can hide food in for your puppy to work out how to find. Sometimes we refer to them as puppy brain games; where they might have to do all kinds of things like push and pull levers, flaps to lift up, sliders that move across, or fabric to forage and snuffle through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So\u2026what are the benefits of puppy puzzle toys?<\/h2>\n\n\n\nPuzzle toys are brilliant at slowing down fast or gulping eaters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you have a puppy who likes to gobble down their food, a puzzle toy will help them slow down and avoid inhaling their meals like hoovers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might want to prevent them from eating too quickly because it can cause problems in some puppies, though it\u2019s always worth checking that you\u2019re feeding your pup enough<\/a> as they grow older. I know how quickly I eat when I\u2019m hungry\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Life with humans alone can get very boring. No more littermates to play fight with or mischief to get up to. But life with humans also includes puzzle toys, which helps keep their brains busy and entertained, so they stay out of trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some puppy puzzle toys allow your puppy to get really up on their feet, which can help with pent up frustration. Other puppy puzzles can help with mental frustration. These work by making your puppy learn to cope with not getting what they want whenever they want, by helping them delay that immediate gratification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs spent thousands of years scavenging and foraging for food and scraps before puppy chow was invented, which means they\u2019ve got the genes to keep doing it today. By using puppy puzzle toys, we can help to satisfy those instincts instead of having them scavenge away at your sofa, or simply handing treats over to them on a plate\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Puppy puzzles get your puppy to work on their brain juices by problem-solving. This means they get to practice thinking about how to earn rewards based on their actions, which is also super helpful for when you\u2019re training them! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Encouraging your puppy to play with puzzle toys can be great for building your relationship and working on your bonding. It can also help pups who might not be too confident with new toys or novelty approach them with a boost of bravery when you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know it sounds a long shot, but novelty and curiosity seeking activities can help dogs be more optimistic about the world. Maybe we should have gotten puzzle toys as young toddlers, perhaps the world would have been a lot different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When choosing a puzzle toy for your puppy, we suggest starting with easier ones first. This is because we want our puppies to feel confident playing with them; if we make it too hard for them too quickly, they\u2019ll give up, and all the fun will evaporate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n K9 connectables<\/a> or the Buster Activity mat<\/a> are puzzle toys that can be added on to a larger one to pimp them out. They can make them either easier or more difficult, depending on which components you choose for your puppy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No, you don\u2019t need to use puzzle toys for every meal. Imagine if you had to do crossword puzzles for every scrap of food you got! That would feel a bit much, wouldn\u2019t it? If you have a gulper puppy, slow feeders<\/a> and wobble bowls<\/a> are fun puzzle toys you can use to slow them down without being irritating. Especially if you\u2019re starting to nickname them Dyson, this may work for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Snuffle Mats<\/a> are excellent for pretty much all dogs as they work on their sniffing abilities. All dogs can forage; from French Bulldogs to Flatcoated Retrievers, so they\u2019ll find them rather fascinating. They are currently available in classic snuffle mat design<\/a>s; or would your puppy prefer a snuffle mat flower<\/a>? There\u2019s quite an array of choices when it comes to snuffle mats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other breeds such as Boxers really like using their paws to do things, so games like the Nina Ottosson Tornado<\/a> sit just right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the Nina Ottosson puzzle toys<\/a> are now made of dog-friendly plastic and can be washed. Isn\u2019t that amazing? Yes, we loved the original wood ones too, but our dogs also liked to chew them, which couldn\u2019t be cleaned so easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some soft puzzle toys can also be washed or wiped down. We like the look of this foraging worm<\/a> or a yard foraging mat<\/a> – either way, they\u2019ll be busy with something else rather than your shoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you own a giant dog breed like a Great Dane or Mastiff, they\u2019ll love a more robust toy like the Lickimat Tuff<\/a> series or the Lewondr indestructible dog treat dispenser<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some breeds need to have that feeling of destroying and dissecting toys to feel satisfied, so a DIY option like we\u2019ve suggested below can sometimes be cheaper in the long run! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good for the environment and the bank balance, DIY enrichment or puzzle toys are all the rage these days! It\u2019s incredible how much fun a puppy can have with some toilet roll inners in a cardboard box with some treats thrown in. Check out our article on 50+ puppy training games<\/a> for ideas of puzzle toys you can make at home. Easy peasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can introduce puzzle toys to your puppy once they are happily settled into their new home. We suggest you choose super easy ones at first. After all, getting food shouldn\u2019t be like solving today\u2019s wordle puzzle every day, should it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s not always make it hard to solve puzzles. It can be too frustrating and confidence crushing for a young puppy. Before fun and games, we want them to eat plenty and get the correct nutrition for puppies<\/a>, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puppies should learn to explore novelty with the support of you around. Doing it this way means they won\u2019t get spooked by any moving parts or noises the puzzle might make. You can also help them by showing them that there are treats inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re using a new toy, you can sprinkle some treats or pieces of dry food on top, just to show your puppy that the puzzle is worth investigating and to increase its value to your puppy straight away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once your puppy has got used to using the puzzle toy over a few sessions, you can then start to let them use the puzzle on their own. They master things pretty quickly, the clever little things, so you probably won’t have to wait very long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many puppy puzzle toys can be made more difficult by freezing the contents so that your puppy has to lick more to get the food out. You can also use less food so that your puppy has to work through more secret compartments to find the goodies. Don\u2019t forget, if it\u2019s too hard, your puppy can easily give up. Puppy puzzles are meant to be fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there you have it, an excellent introduction to puppy puzzle toys and how you can use them! Hope you\u2019ve managed to learn a bit about which ones your puppy might enjoy. Beware! Your puppy will become addicted to it, so they will forever be thankful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While you\u2019re here, you may as well start teaching your puppy some tricks<\/a>. They\u2019re another great way to stretch the brain cells and problem solve, and yet another way to show off at the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for more puzzle ideas and perhaps a training program based on your puppy\u2019s age and breed type, look no further than the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a>. You\u2019ll find everything you need there. We also have a team of puppy training coaches<\/a> ready to help you with whatever puzzles about your puppy you find yourself trying to solve!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Puppy puzzle toys help ease your puppy\u2019s boredom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Puzzle toys help with frustration and stress relief<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
They give our puppies an outlet for their natural instincts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Puzzle toys help to improve problem-solving skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Puzzles can be a great bonding experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Puzzles can help pups be happier about life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Which puppy puzzle toys are best?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Look for puzzles that can be linked together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use slow feeding bowls if your puppy is a gulper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Look for puzzle toys that stimulate their natural instincts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Look for washable puppy puzzles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Choose a robust puzzle toy if your puppy is a \u2018ruff\u2019 player<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make your own puppy puzzles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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When do I introduce puzzle toys to my puppy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to introduce puzzle toys to puppies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Introduce the puzzle toy to your puppy with you sitting near <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use puppy treats strategically<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let your puppy use the puzzle toy by themselves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make your puppy work for it while keeping it fun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n