Keeping your puppy busy and out of trouble isn't always an easy job! Even after an hour long jog and a rousing game of tug, some dogs aren't even panting let alone ready to lay down for a nap (if you own a vizsla or a german short hair you know what I mean). It's extremely important to get all of the different types of pent up energy out of your dog- physical energy, mental energy and chewing energy. The best combo is to take your dog out for an off-leash romp with other dogs for at least an hour, play a training game with him, and give him something to chew on. You will finally have a tired dog that will want to take a long snooze. However, sometimes this just isn't realistic in our busy hectic human lives so to cut a few corners and to add some extra fun and entertainment to your dog's existence you can get some smart dog toys. Smart dog toys combine chewing with thinking, which knocks off two of the energies that dogs need to get out in one punch. All of the following smart toys are available at Noah's Natural Pet Market. Here's a product review of several smart dog toys that passed Daisy and Taj's lab tests...
#1- Bob-a-Lot by Starmark
This toy rock and rolls literally! Daisy and Taj had so much fun playing with this new cylindrical toy that babbles and waddles around as they pushed it with their noses. Pieces of kibble fall out of the little hole on the side of the container and it can be adjusted to make it harder or easier for the dogs to get it out. This is the only toy that
actually keeps dogs entertained for longer than ten minutes. The food not only comes out, which reinforces the dogs desire to keep playing with it, but it also moves around a lot and keeps them chasing after it. This toy is great for keeping your dog busy, and it's also good for dogs that inhale their food. You can load up the Bob-a-Lot with your dog's breakfast and the food will fall out little by little. It's a little pricey, but worth every penny. It also passed Taj's chew test. This toy gets five paws!
#2- Genius by Kong
This Genius toy is very similar to the traditional kong, but it's more of a long tube and it's bigger so you can fit more
food in it. This was Daisy's first choice because she could easily carry it around and
she liked the softer rubber. Kibble comes out of it f
airly easily so she was able to quickly figure out how to get her goodies. She learned very fast how to tilt the toy up and her food would fall out. Not quite as fun as the Bob-a-Lot, but it still kept her entertained for as long as there was food still in it.
#3- Tug-a-Jug by Premier
The Tug-a-Jug is a lot of fun especially for dogs that like to carry things around with them. It looks like a jug that has a rope sticking out of it an
d it can be filled with kibble. As your dog rolls it
around and chews on the rope, the food slowly falls out. It's not quite as satisfying for some dogs as the Bob-a-Lot because the reward is not as frequent and there's a frustration factor involved. However, overall it's a clever idea and will keep your puppy safely preoccupied so that you can take your eyes off of him for a little bit.
#4- Busy Buddy by Premier
The Busy Buddy is a ton of fun too, but it's not as sturdy as the first two toys mentioned. Daisy was able to chew it up into little pieces. However, if you don't have a voracious chewer, the Busy Buddy is much more convenient than the traditional round Kong because it can be unscrewed and placed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. It's great for little pupp
ies and can keep them
busy for a long time.
#5- Traditional Kong
The traditional round, red Kong is a good standby smart dog toy because it's safe and hardly any dogs can chew it up. You can load a Kong up with all kinds of goodies, like kibble, wet dog food, treats, pieces of chicken etc. and freeze it to keep
it on hand for giving it to your dog before you leave for work or for a long period of time. It's a good way to keep your dog preoccupied without worrying about them choking on anything. The Kong is always a great option for keeping your dog busy and is the perfect thing to leave with a dog that has separation anxiety, chewing, or barking problems. Instead of having a panic attack and unleashing their frustration on your house, your dog will be more than happy to see you leave because he'll be excited to chew on his yummy Kong.