When you live with a puppy or a high-energy dog, this question might be on your mind almost daily, and we often fall into the trap of thinking that to tire them out, they need more exercise . That's when we go down to the park to throw the ball again and again until our dog collapses from exhaustion.
As we have written in previous articles on our blog, physical exercise is very important in our dog's life, but if this exercise is not accompanied by mental stimulation, we will be turning our dog into a running and fetching machine that will require increasingly larger doses of exercise to get tired.Interactive games for dogs are great tools that can provide that dose of mental work and calm that, along with daily physical exercise, they need to be balanced dogs.
Refillable interactive toys (Kong type)
Of all the interactive dog toys on the market, the Kong has become a favorite among dog owners. The idea is simple: fill the toy with something tasty and give it to your dog to figure out how to get it out. The biggest drawback of this interactive dog toy is that over time, your dog can become more adept at getting the food out and empty it in five minutes. Therefore, it's essential to get creative with the filling: for example, using foods like pâté, yogurt, canned meat, or freezing it before giving it to your dog.
There are many variations of this toy on the market, both within and outside the same brand, at very different prices. However, it's very important to know that only some brands guarantee that the material is resistant to bites. But as with everything, there can always be exceptions, so for safety, we always recommend doing several tests while observing your pet before leaving them alone at home with any of these toys.
Interactive dog toys where you have to solve a small problem
A large number of brands are now distributing interactive dog toys in Spain, with varying levels of difficulty. Generally, almost all of them aim to help your dog develop strategies to get the treat inside: turning a tube with their paw or snout to release the treat, using a string to pull the lid off a small container, and so on. It's best to start with easier games and gradually increase the difficulty. This will prevent your dog from becoming frustrated and exhibiting unwanted behaviors such as barking, biting, or throwing the toy.
Buster Activity Mat
This is a practical mat to which you can attach different interactive games, all designed to challenge your dog to retrieve the treats you've hidden inside. It comes with a handy bag for travel and three different games, though you can purchase the rest separately. It's one of the most popular interactive dog toys in the United States, and while it's still difficult to find in Spain, some pet supply retailers are starting to carry it.
DIY Interactive Dog Games
The best thing about interactive dog games is that you don't need to spend a penny to give your dog a good dose of mental stimulation and entertainment. With some materials you have around the house, you can create great mental puzzles. While the possibilities are endless when you use your imagination, here are some ideas you can try:
The bottle game
This is one of the interactive dog toys that has gained the most popularity on social media in recent months thanks to this video, and building it will require a bit of DIY skill. The idea is to construct the gear that appears in the video, and for this, we'll need three wooden planks, one or two thin tubes, and a plastic bottle. Once built, we'll put small pieces of treat or kibble into the bottles, and our dog will have to figure out how to turn the bottle upside down so the treats fall out. It's essential that when building it, we use a good, heavy plank so the toy rests on it and doesn't fall over every time our dog paws at it, especially if we have a large dog
The muffin tray
For this game, you'll need a muffin tin (the more cavities, the better), the same number of balls per cavity, and a good supply of strong-smelling treats, such as small pieces of sausage or cheese. You can also use dog toys that are safe and suitable for interactive play. It's important that the treats are quite small so your dog doesn't get too full or gain too much weight, especially when playing several rounds, as dogs pick up the game very quickly. Place a treat in some of the muffin cavities and put a ball on top of each cavity. Then, place the tin on the floor so your dog can retrieve the balls and find the treats. Once finished, repeat the exercise, this time placing treats in different cavities, but not all of them. Your dog will use their sense of smell and memory to guess where the treat is hidden each time, making this activity a fun and engaging addition to their dog toys collection.
