A dog, by nature, is a pack animal. It has to be trained to be by itself and just be relaxed about that. It’s not natural for a dog to be alone for longer periods of time, as is the case with cats. Usually when you start with a young puppy you increase this time alone with 5 minutes only so you’re training it for success (not failure so don’t run off for a whole hour the first time your pup is alone).
Dogs were meant to forage for their daily meal. Hunting is both physically and mentally challenging. Eating meat off bones also keeps their teeth clean. As our companion dogs usually don’t have to work (really work!) for their food, they tend to get bored and inactive. This can also result in behavioral issues such as excessive barking and destructive chewing or separation anxiety.
Zoo animals get their food in a big icecube or hidden in a kind of puzzle to mimick the hunt for food in the wild. They get mental stimuli and it usually takes a couple of hours to ingest their meals instead of just 5 minutes.
As for your dog, toys can help in relieving boredom and stress. It’s not a cure; it’s just a little tool that will help a little. Toys can also help to make your dog work for his food keeping his brain alert and his body fit. Along with physical exercise you need to provide your dog with a daily portion of mental stimulation to keep Fido healthy and happy.
My Japanese Akita dog with stuffed black rubber Kong
Dog food and dog treat dispensers come in various shapes and sizes, just as dogs! Pick the one with the best fit based on your dog’s size and chewing temperament.
PUZZLES with hidden dog treats
Start with an easy puzzle so as to not discourage your dog (remember: train for success) and keep him interested in solving the puzzle.
KONG stuffed with dog food, dog treats or a delicious home made dog food meal
On the Internet you can find multiple Kong recipes, some simple some more complicated (for your dog that is not for you). As your dog gets better at this try filling up the Kong with cheese then melt this in the microwave so everything just sticks together. In hot summers you can also freeze the contents.
TREATSTIK filled with dog treats of various sizes
TreatStiks are available in two sizes and are designed to play with or to chew on just like Kongs. A tip for longer playtime is to put in kibbles that are small enough to be released through the hole and to add also larger dog treats that won’t come out. This way your dog will get rewarded upon playing with the TreatStik and ones the kibble is all eaten he will continue playing because he sees and smells that there is still more inside. You could see this as an IQ test for your dog
And finally… some playing rules (as every game has rules):
- Most dogs will need to learn how to play with the toy in order to get to the reward. So play together at first.
- Keep an eye on your dog so you know whether this new toy can withstand his sharp teeth. Don’t leave him without supervision until you are confident you have found the right food toy for your dog.
- Reduce your dog’s bowl feeding when you offer meat and treat dispensers, stuffed TreatStiks, stuffed Kong’s or puzzles with a food reward. Dog obesity is the number one food related disease in dogs.
Do you want to stay in touch and learn more about dog food, then visit BestDogFoodGuide.
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Barbara thank you! I simply love your blog and will be pointing every dog owner I know your way. I appreciate your academic approach to dealing with pet nutrition and for helping people realize that by feeding their dogs from puzzle toys, they will be happier, healthier and more calm dogs. On my blog, we have a section dedicated just to talking about these toys which we call work-to-eat toys. They are a great investment for any dog owner and I’m glad to see they are gaining popularity.