Nina Ottosson Treat Puzzles Review

These treat puzzles offer varying levels of difficulty for dogs of all different skill levels. All of them challenge your dog to move around the different pieces with their snout, teeth, and paws until they can uncover the hidden treats. Not only is it fun for them to be rewarded with food, each puzzle also provides mental stimulation.

The level two (intermediate difficulty) Treat Maze is another take on flying saucer-style treat dispenser. You can introduce the toy by dropping the treats into the openings along the sides — they will fall out of the toy as your dog wobbles it around. Then, start dropping the treats through the holes in the center, and they will dispense more slowly, requiring more persistence from your pup.

The Hide N’ Slide is a medium difficulty puzzle where you place treats and kibble inside of the circular compartments and cover them with the sliding blocks or the swivel flaps. Once your dog masters pushing the blocks and flaps separately, you can up the difficulty level by using them both at the same time. Place a treat inside the hole of the sliding block, then cover the circular compartment with the swivel. Your dog will have to push aside the swivel to reveal the compartment, nudge the sliding block over it to release the treat, and finally push the block back into place to reveal the treat.

At the highest difficulty setting, the level four Multipuzzle is, not surprisingly, multiple puzzles in one. Treats can go beneath the green blocks, which your dog must then shuffle around the board in order to find them. As they get the hang of it, you can work your way up to sliding the locks over the green compartments. Your dog will need to push the locks back into place in order to move the green pieces around and get the treats. At the same time, you can make use of a whole other puzzle in the center. Hide the treats in the circular wells all around the wheel that are covered by the orange pegs. Your dog will need to rotate the wheel to make the opening line up with the peg, then push the peg into the opening to reveal the treat beneath it.