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Mental stimulation is a must for your dog. It can be challenging, particularly in the winter when the walks can get shorter and there's less opportunities to play in the garden.
Keep dog boredom at bay and prevent destructive behaviours by adding some engaging enrichment toys to your routine.
Why choose enrichment toys?
Brain boost: Keep your dog mentally sharp
Stress buster: Reduce anxiety and promote relaxation
Training partner: Make learning more fun and engaging
By providing your dog with enrichment toys, you can help them stay happy, healthy, and mentally stimulated.
👀 Top Tip - Consider your dog's age, size, breed, and personality for the best toy match.
We've tested a selection of enrichment toys to help you find the perfect fit for your pup. In no particular order, discover treat dispensers, snuffle mats, puzzles, chew toys, and more!
UPDATE : NOVEMBER 2024 - We've added the Treat Dispensing Toy from Earth Rated to our selection |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our Verdict
Our Picks of the Best Enrichment Dog Toys
1. Innovative Enrichment Dog Toy
Rylo - Paws in Earnest
Durable treat dispensers are a super simple, cheap yet innovative idea to keep your dog entertained. Acting as the perfect boredom buster, they are principally designed to fill with your dog’s favourite treat or food.
Rylo from UK brand Paws in Earnest, is a unique shape which challenges your dog to navigate and retrieve their treats. It encourages problem-solving and promotes cognitive development.
Super versatile, you can fill the Rylo with a variety of goodies, from kibble and wet food to liquids. You can even freeze it for a cooling treat on hot days.
Made from durable natural rubber, Rylo is built to last and withstand your dog's enthusiastic play.
One of Rylo's standout features is its innovative tube technology. The central tube ensures the toy remains leak-free, even when filled with liquids, meaning less mess.
Not to mention, the air path within the tube is a crucial safety element, minimising the risk of choking. This thoughtful design guarantees a safe and enjoyable experience for your pup.
In testing, we found that the Rylo's cleverly designed compartments made it challenging for our dogs to reach the last bits of treats, extending playtime and keeping them engaged for longer.
Our Verdict - We think that Rylo is a well designed, fantastic enrichment toy that offers endless fun and benefits for your dog or puppy. |
Reasons to Buy
+ Simple puzzle
+ Promotes calm behaviour
+ Lasting distraction
+ Tough
Reasons to Avoid
- Not the cheapest option
Buying Options
For 10% OFF enter coupon code: SMARTBARK
2. Best Kong Alternative
Honey Pot - SodaPup
Winnie the Pooh would love this Honey Pot from SodaPup and we think your dog will too. It's a great alternative to the classic Kong, but don't be fooled by its simplicity!
This Honey Pot will provide a tasty and fun game for your dog as they work around the pot to seek out every last titbit with their tongue.
The benefits don't stop there. If you have a greedy guzzler that can inhale their food, you could serve their whole meal from the honey pot to provide more of a challenge and to ultimately slow them down.
We love the Honey Pot design because it is incredibly easy to clean (much easier than a Kong). You can fill it with kibble, wet or raw dog food , sticky peanut butter plus add treats and supplements, knowing it's simple to keep clean.
We've found for best results, mix some wet and dry foods. Peanut butter, Pure Paté and yoghurt act as excellent glues for dried foods and supplements.
Our Verdict - We think that this Honey Pot Treat Dispenser offers a great puzzle for older dogs and the perfect distraction for young dogs and puppies. |
Reasons to Buy
+ Great Kong alternative
+ Durable
+ Easy to fill & clean
Reasons to Avoid
- Doesn't have airtube
Buying Options
3. Brilliant Boredom Buster
Roolo - Play9
Meet the Roolo, a UK-designed toy that'll have your dog chasing its tail with excitement.
This unique, pyramid-shaped toy rolls and wobbles unpredictably, just like prey. Plus, it dispenses treats as it moves, rewarding your dog for their problem-solving skills.
Food-motivated pups? A treat-dispensing toy like the Roolo is the perfect way to satisfy their natural instincts and keep them mentally stimulated during playtime.
So what did we think in testing ?
The first major surprise was the movement ! It's completely erratic and with one nudge of the nose or a paw, it tumbles and spins across the floor.
If you want to make it more difficult for your dog to release the treats, simply use larger treats. Interestingly even with larger pellets and treats, our tester didn't become frustrated which is important.
Made from TPR which is incredibly durable, the Roolo is suitable for a wide range of breeds. However as with all dog toys, nothing is totally indestructible, so we'd always recommend monitoring their play.
As the Roolo doesn't come apart for cleaning - only use with dry dog food and treats and nothing too soft and crumbly. You could of course fill it with water every now and again to flush out any crumbs.
Our Verdict - A well-designed and versatile toy to keep your dog busy. |
Reasons to Buy
+ Simple treat dispenser
+ Well designed
+ Doubles as a slow feeder
+ Could make mealtimes fun
Reasons to Avoid
- Dispensing hole one size so not all treats will fit
(break treats in half if needed)
Buying Options
For 10% OFF enter coupon code: SMARTBARK10
You may be interested in our Guide to the Best Puzzle Toys
4. Enrichment Tray
Mandala - SodaPup
This innovative e-tray from the SodaPup range, combines the best of both worlds: a lick mat and a slow feeder.
The unique design of the Mandala eTray (short for enrichment tray) offers compartments in a range of depths and sizes to encourage your dog to forage for their food. This foraging promotes slower eating plus it provides much needed mental stimulation.
If you have a greedy guzzler, the Mandala eTray makes an excellent slow feeding bowl, so you could opt to feed your dog complete meals from this eTray.
Keeping your dog more engaged at meal times helps to prevent boredom and can motivate notoriously fussy dogs to enjoy their food more.
In testing, we found that the SodaPup e-trays were deep enough to feed kibble as well as a whole range of supplements, fruit and wet foods. We loved that you can separate the foods in different compartments for less mess.
These smaller compartments and pockets encourse repetitive licking which is known to calm dogs suffering with anxiety.
The truth is, that in testing the Mandala design was not the easiest to clean even in the dishwasher. We would recommend rinsing by hand to remove any leftover food before it dried on, before tossing it in the dishwasher.
Our Verdict - We adore this popular combination of lick mat and slow feeder. The Mandala is just one of SodaPup's gorgeous eTray designs. |
REASONS TO BUY
+ Slow Feeder/ Lick Mat combination
+ Large individual chambers
+ Dishwasher proof
+ Freezer safe
REASONS TO AVOID
- Trickier to clean
BUYING OPTIONS
5. Best Treat Dispensing Toy
Earth Rated
It's difficult to find well-designed dog toys that look nice around your home as well as make your dog happy. The Earth Rated range is perfect.
Resembling a rubber vase, this treat dispenser wobbles and bobbles around the floor releasing a trail of treats wherever it goes.
Made from responsibly sourced rubber in two sizes, it will stand up to some serious chewing plus Earth Rated recommend sizing up to accommodate any super chewer tendencies!
The treat opening measures 2cm in diameter which is ideal for smaller treats and most brands of kibble (here we're using Scrumbles 60% Chicken dry food).
You'll be glad to know it can be thrown in the dishwasher (top rack) after use and is freezer safe so could be used for frozen treats. Although you could use it with soft treats like peanut butter, we think it would be quite tricky to clean so our advice - stick with kibble or crunchy treats.
If you have a fussy pup, then this treat dispenser will liven up meal times and make the kibble far more appealing.
Our Verdict - Beautifully designed, we love this treat dispenser from Earth Rated's new range of dog toys. |
REASONS TO BUY
+ Beautiful dog toy
+ Simple to use with dry food
+ Will stand up to some serious chewing
+ Dishwasher proof
+ Freezer safe
REASONS TO AVOID
- Trickier to clean if using with wet food
BUYING OPTIONS
6. Best Stuffable Dog Chew Toy
Can Toy - Sodapup
Another product from the SodaPup range, this Can Toy doubles as both a chew toy and a treat dispenser.
Stuffable toys encourage sniffing & licking behaviours which have been proven to be calming to dogs and particularly useful when dealing with separation anxiety and destructive behaviour.
Simply fill the can with a paste like peanut butter, plain yoghurt or a meat paste like Arden Grange Premium Liver Paste Treat.
It's worth noting that SodaPup specialise in innovative and durable dog toys designed for power chewers. We loved that the Can Toy is super durable so can double as a chew toy.
The Can Toy is available in four different sizes to suit a range of breeds :-
Dimensions : (Diameter x Height) - Small: 3.8 cm x 6.4 cm | Medium: 4.8 cm x 8.4 cm | Large: 6.4 cm x 10.7 cm | X-Large: 7.6 cm x 12.7 cm
You'll be pleased to know that the Can Toy is dishwasher safe, simply place it in the top rack. Although from our testing results, we'd recommend a rinse out immediately after use ( like the Mandala eTray), before the peanut butter or paste dries on !
Reasons to Buy
+ Simple treat-dispenser
+ Doubles as a chew toy
+ Dishwasher safe
Reasons to Avoid
- Only suited to pastes
Buying Options
If you have a biting puppy, you may be interested in our Guide to the Best Puppy Chew Toys
7. Best Snuffle Mat
IFOYO
Love snuffle mats as much as we do? While designer options can be pricey, the Round Flower Dog Feeding Mat from Ifoyo offers fantastic value without compromising on fun.
Research has shown that sniffing for 10 minutes can equal an hour of running! It's a great way to tire your pup, especially on rainy days.
Simply, hide your dog's favourite treats or kibble in the mat and watch as your dog works to forage through the strands of the mat to find their reward.
We particularly like that this snuffle mat comes with 2 straps so you can fix it to a chair or table leg to stop it slipping across your kitchen floor.
The snuffle mat measures 45cm in diameter and it's worth mentioning that it can be washed in the washing machine (we'd recommend a low 30°C wash, Oh! and don't tumble dry).
Available in four different colourways and some are available on Amazon Prime if you're in a rush
We've been using ours regularly for 5 years and it looks as good as new. However, whilst these mats are strong they're not indestructible so we recommend you supervise your dog when using the mat.
Reasons to Buy
+ Simple enrichment toy
+ No prep required
+ Great value
+ Easy to keep clean
Reasons to Avoid
- Not a whole lot of challenge involved
Buying Options
If you can't find a toy to fit the bill, check out our Christmas Toys article
🎄🎁 Christmas is fast approaching! 🎁🎄
Checkout our Christmas Guides for dogs - packed with advent calendars, toys, treats and accessories
Our Verdict
Enrichment toys are a fantastic way to keep your dog happy, healthy, and mentally stimulated. By incorporating them into your dog's routine, you can provide them with hours of fun and entertainment and keep the dreaded boredom at bay.
All the enrichment toys we feature are simple to use and take minimum preparation.
Our firm favourites have to be the Rylo and the Roolo (such similar names !) - both great and innovative designed enrichment toys from small UK companies.
We particularly rate the Rylo from Paws in Earnest. It's well designed, tough, easy to fill with wet and dry foods plus it has the innovative safety airtube to ensure your dog can't choke.
Our testers had great fun with the Roolo. It works exceptionally well with both dried treats or kibble. If you're trying not to overfeed, simply fill it with your dog's usual kibble at mealtimes.
No matter which one you choose, we can promise your dog will thank you for the hours of fun.And if you reckon we've missed an absolute blinder of a enrichment dog toy that we're crazy for leaving out, then give us a shout.
Thank you for reading our article and we hope you've found an enrichment toy to suit your dog
