Outward Hound by Nina Ottosson Treat Tumble Interactive Puzzle Ball Dog Toy, Level 1 Beginner, Blue, Small (4.75" Diameter)

This is one of our very favorite and most useful toys. The ball is very well made of durable rubber (or whatever it is that feels like good rubber these days and the rubber extends a little bit over the edge of the treat wells so that the dog can't chew the plastic wells out. The squirrels are, of course, fabric and we know what happens with that. That said, they too are well made. with "painted" on faces, no bulging eyes to chew out of them. I ordered 6 additional squirrels shortly after getting the toy for two reasons: 1) I'm lazy (and old) and didn't want to have to go squirrel searching all the time and 2) I wanted to be sure I had extras in case they became unavailable in the future. I have something similar to a toy hammock or net bag hanging on a wall where I deposit the squirrels as I come upon them. She only gets to play with them in conjunction with the ball (or if she finds a missing one before I do).Initially it did not look to me as though this toy would hold enough food to actually feed her from. It does. It holds about a cup and a half, maybe a little more, if you only put the squirrel head half way in each well. My Archie is about 40 pounds and is not what is considered an aggressive chewer though she has chewed a number of toys to their death. This one still looks like new as do all the squirrels (which I toss in the wash, not sure if that is recommended.) This would work as a slow feeder but that's not why I got it. My girl isn't always hungry when we feed the little dogs and cats. She's more of a grazer. I would free-feed her if I didn't have the others. This toy gives me a way to have food out for her when she wants it, the little dogs know it's not theirs and the cats aren't interested in working at it. (One cat figured out the gum ball machine toy before any of the dogs did and by the time they did the cat was puking. That toy went into storage)First Use: Archie did not intuitively know how to get the squirrels out at first and lost interest before she succeeded. Maybe she would have been smarter if I waited until she was starving but I don't like doing that. What I did was fill the wells about half way and stuck the squirrel heads in just far enough that they wouldn't fall out as I put it down. When I put it down and gave it a little roll, with her paying attention, a squirrel did come out and let the kibble out too which she ate up immediately and started to catch on. I put the squirrels barely in for a few days until she really got the hang of it, which she did. Interesting note: my girl does know the command for tug or pull but she could not relate it to this ball and squirrel thing so we had to go the other route.This is a toy I don't think you'll regret buying. I'm tempted to order a back-up one and keep it in our RV.

My little long haired chihuahua mastered the easier "treat box" by this company so we bought her the level 3 version. She has more playtime with this one. She hasn't completely mastered the spin wheel aspect so she'll come back to it again looking to gain access to that last treat she'd missed. I Love that it keeps her entertained and fosters her curiosity and learning. We'll be getting the stage four when this one becomes too easy! Thank you for the quality and great prices on these engaging toys! Highly reccomend for small dogs!

I’ll try to keep this short. It’s plastic, so it’s not chew proof, but you should be keeping an eye on your dog with something like this anyway. I haven’t had it more than a few days, so I can’t speak for durability or longevity. One piece came off when he tried to pick it up, but it snapped back in easily.What I can speak for is: Bandit. The 9 month old puppy in the photo. He is a smart boy. He learned to plug our tub and turn the water on so he can play in it after he opens up the bathroom door. He has also figured out how to unscrew caps on bottles. So, as you can tell, we have our hands full.When he was 2 months old, we got him a snuffle mat and that was good for him until about 3 months ago. He gets tired of picking the food off it at times, picks it up and shakes all the food out. It’s irritating to say the least because at the same time, if he’s bored, he’ll fling his food bowl so he can pick the pieces up.He’s constantly looking for ways to work his little noggin and sniffer. This seems to be an excellent one.When I put it down, the first thing he tried to do was pick it up and shake the food out. It did not work. I only latched 2 of the things since it’s his first time, which was good for him. I debated on showing him how to use it, but that’s how he figured out how to truly unscrew a cap (he was curious about what I was doing. In hindsight, it was a dumb idea. I know. Some lessons are learned the hard way. Others are learned by cleaning juice and water off the floor.)I let him have at it and it took him a few minutes, but he got it. It seems to have been a good brain teaser because he is chilling now and not destroying my new-to-me house (built in 1951, but I digress). He’s been going crazy sniffing since we moved in a few days ago, but the novelty of the house seems to be wearing off.This toy seems to be a good way to keep him entertained and my house not destroyed.I would also like to note that he has never used a toy like this before. We have a tippy ball that spills food (which he has also learned to shake to get the food out faster). We have a snuffle mat and a licking mat. I use these when he turns into his supervillain alter ego, Destructo Boy. I’m excited to have a new tool to defeat Destructo Boy with and save the new tub from his antics. (I hope)I would also like to note that he now believes he had to eat his entire meal out of these toys.

My dog loves this toy and it keeps him mentally engaged. It’s much quieter than similar puzzle toys, so I don’t mind when he uses it while I’m working or relaxing. Durable and easy to refill.

I ordered this for my dogs to provide mental stimulation for them on days we can’t get outside. I really like the difficulty it adds for them to get to the treat inside the compartments. The puzzle is good quality, doesn’t weigh a lot, not massive so easy storage when not using, they seemed entertained and intrigued while using it.