I thought I’d do a quick review of a new toy we’ve tried - the Nina Ottosson Dog Smart toy, easy level.
As Kipper is currently on very reduced exercise while we get to the bottom of his foreleg limp, I’m trying different activities to keep him interested and engaged in the evenings which is his particular busy time.
I’ve always been quite skeptical of Nina Ottosson’s toys simply because although they look well made I couldn’t quite see how Kipper would manage the fiddly small parts, and if he did he’d be far too tempted to chew them.
Well, he did splendidly. Although the toy we have is plastic, it’s robust enough for a firm mouthing and although tricky to get your jaw around, not impossible with a bit of patience.
Here we have Kipper doing a fine job of removing a plastic bone shape to reveal the treat underneath. This was the 3rd time we’ve played this and he was very dexterous (or the mouth equivalent!).
Kipper loves a puzzle, so this actually is very simple for him - each little bone has a hole in the top which enables the dog to sniff if there’s a treat under it or not. Again, I was quite skeptical they could be this discerning given the bones are so close together - but it’s remarkable how quickly Kipper discriminates between bones with treats under them and those without. The bones can be placed in 2 ways, one with slightly less grip available. But this is the only extra stage of complexity this game offers.
I’ll definitely try more of these games. they’re not cheap at around £12 GBP but they’ve got good entertainment value and are a fun addition for dogs with reduced mobility or wanting a slow bit of brain work.
As Kipper is currently on very reduced exercise while we get to the bottom of his foreleg limp, I’m trying different activities to keep him interested and engaged in the evenings which is his particular busy time.
I’ve always been quite skeptical of Nina Ottosson’s toys simply because although they look well made I couldn’t quite see how Kipper would manage the fiddly small parts, and if he did he’d be far too tempted to chew them.
Well, he did splendidly. Although the toy we have is plastic, it’s robust enough for a firm mouthing and although tricky to get your jaw around, not impossible with a bit of patience.
Here we have Kipper doing a fine job of removing a plastic bone shape to reveal the treat underneath. This was the 3rd time we’ve played this and he was very dexterous (or the mouth equivalent!).Kipper loves a puzzle, so this actually is very simple for him - each little bone has a hole in the top which enables the dog to sniff if there’s a treat under it or not. Again, I was quite skeptical they could be this discerning given the bones are so close together - but it’s remarkable how quickly Kipper discriminates between bones with treats under them and those without. The bones can be placed in 2 ways, one with slightly less grip available. But this is the only extra stage of complexity this game offers.
I’ll definitely try more of these games. they’re not cheap at around £12 GBP but they’ve got good entertainment value and are a fun addition for dogs with reduced mobility or wanting a slow bit of brain work.
