Community Corner
Animal House: Food Dispensing Toys Help Stimulate Your Dog’s Mind, Appetite
Food dispensing toys can help keep a dog entertained.
Take a look at the flyer posted in the media gallery for a lost dog. Call 774-219-5659 if you have any information.
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Does the idea of staying home all day, without a care in the world sound good to you?
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What if I said you were not allowed to use a computer, cell phone, or even watch T.V. Would it still sound good?
For most of us we wouldn’t mind a day or two like that, but day upon day of it we would be bored out of our minds. In fact, we would probably start getting ourselves into a little bit of trouble, just to entertain ourselves to combat the boredom.
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Hmmm…this sound like what happens to our dogs when we are not home.
Speaking from experience, I have one dog who when left to his own devices will find something to occupy his time when left alone. His most recent joy has been my son’s toys! My other dog, Ferris, has yet to meet a trash can he didn’t like.
The truth of the matter is simple—dogs are living, thinking beings. If left alone with nothing to occupy their mind, they will find something to cure the boredom.
Unfortunately, this generally means they will occupy their time with something other than what we would be happy with.
Dogs love play and play is more than just physical action, it is mental action as well.
The idea is to stimulate the mind and body and allow the dog to use energy. How exhausted were you after you did your taxes? A dog that has the ability to actually stay occupied both physically and mentally is a happier, healthier and more easily managed dog.
The simple answer is to give your dog food dispensing and puzzle toys.
No, dusting off a Rubik’s cube isn’t going to work.
There are several food dispensing toys on the market and many I am fond of and recommend. One in particular is called the “Kibble Nibble.” I like this one as it is a durable product, can be washed easily in a dishwasher, and offers your dog both physical and mental stimulation.
The “Kibble Nibble” is an egg shaped ball with a hole on each end. It is filled with dog food and the dog has to use its nose and paws to get the food to come out. This keeps the dog very entertained and is stimulating. Similarly, there are toys like Kong’s, or Tug-A-Jug’s that offer similar benefits.
When I recommend an item like this, I look at the product quality versus the cost. Will this item be worth the money or will the dog destroy it in a matter of hours or days? I like these food dispensing puzzle toys because they are well worth the money, easy to clean and offer a high reward for the dog.
So, if you feel bad leaving your dog home while at work or have a dog that tends to find the wrong things to keep themselves occupied, take a look at these toys!
Please keep the questions coming!
These toys can be seen on my YouTube video in the media gallery and here:
