ACTIVITY TOYS - DIFFICULTY
The best type of mental activity for a dog is one where the brain is working on solving a problem which it has chosen to do by itself (especially activities where it is also using its amazing sense of smell such as those in Mind Games; Mental Stimulation toys such as those shown in our Shop; or using the dog's sense of taste by giving it a Kong).
However, it is very important to choose the correct level of difficulty of activity toy for your dog, so that it feels that it has "worked" for the treats inside it without becoming frustrated or loosing confidence in its ability.
"Easy" activity toys either have large holes so that the treats fall out very easily (particularly if the treats are small), or there are no chambers or spaces inside the toy which prevent the treats from moving around to the hole. If your dog has never been given a toy with treats inside it before, it is important that it starts off with an "Easy" level of difficulty so that it is able to get the treats quickly and builds up confidence in what it is doing. For some dogs this level is sufficient to keep them amused and fulfilled for long periods of time, and they do not need to given more taxing levels of difficulty. Other dogs may become bored or stressed using such simple toys and may require higher levels of difficulty to keep them amused and calm.
Activity toys with "Moderate" levels of difficulty either have smaller holes for the treats to come out of, or are irregular in shape so that the treats get "stuck" in the hollows inside. The dog will either have to pick up and shake the toy, or tip it at a certain angle to allow the treat to go through the hole. *
Toys with a "Hard" level of difficulty have hidden chambers inside them which trap the treats and cause them to be jammed inside; they may also have very small holes so that the treats do not come out very easily. This level of difficulty is suitable for dogs that enjoy stretching their minds, solving problems, and are creative with how they use their paws and how they hold the toy in their mouth. It takes a lot of time and effort to get even one treat out of these toys and the dogs will be kept busy for a very long time! *
* These levels of difficulty are not suitable for -
- Inexperienced dogs who have not built up the confidence or experience with the "Easy" activity toys.
- Those with high levels of excitement or stress and/or low levels of concentration.
TREAT SIZE
Another way of changing the level of difficulty of any of the activity
toys is by choosing the size of the treats that are used. It is far easier for
a dog to get small treats out of these toys than it is when larger treat shapes
are used.