Interactive Dog Toys

The most developed canine sense is their sense of smell. Take advantage of your dog’s instinct of tracing objects by creating games that are fun for the both of you. Interactive toys for dogs are very entertaining and stimulating.

You can find several types of toys on sale at a pet store — such as a puzzle — which are normally set at a high price. These toys can be difficult for your dog in the beginning, especially for puppies because they get frustrated after losing several times.

However, you can easily make interactive toys out of recycled goods for your dog at home. Below you can look at a few toys or you can use a little creativity and imagination to come up with hundreds of other ideas.

Interactive dog toys

An interactive toy is an object that the dog has to manipulate in a certain way to get a treat. To do this, a dog will need to use his sense of smell, intelligence, and body to get the treat.

Smell is very important for dogs because it calms them down when they use it. It helps them rest and is good for getting rid of stress. Whenever they win the game and get a treat, their self-esteem increases and they feel happy.

How to use an interactive toy

Consider the following factors to create an interactive toy:

• Your dog will eventually win. The objective is to get your dog to problem solve and win a treat. The idea is to get your dog to start out with easy challenges. If he is having troubles solving the puzzle, then try having him play at a lower level. That is why it’s best to start out easy and gradually move on to a harder level.
• Make sure it isn’t boring. It’s not so fun when your dog gets the treat with ease. Therefore, you should make the puzzles more difficult as your dog becomes more capable. Make sure you use interesting interactive toys so your dog will be motivated to earn the treat during each level.
• Choose a toy that’s the right size for your dog. You can’t give a German shepherd the same toy as a Chihuahua. Based on the size of your dog, create a game that is appropriate and accessible for him.
• Make a safe toy. Don’t use any toxic or dangerous material when you make your dog’s toy. Likewise, make sure it doesn’t have any sharp edges.

Interactive dog toys should always be used under your supervision and be used for no more than 10 minutes a day because it can become frustrating and stressful. Once you choose treats your dog would like, you can then start creating your own dog toys.

Homemade interactive toys

Here are five homemade game suggestions that use recycled materials:

• Tracing. This is the most basic and easiest game to start with. You can scatter several treats on the floor and let your dog look for them. During the game, you shouldn’t give your dog any orders. Your dog will put his nose to work and find all the treats. Once your dog understands how to the game works and how to find the treats, you can increase the difficulty.
• A treat in a newspaper. In a ball of old newspaper, hide a few treats. Newspaper works better than other kinds of paper. Newspaper is thinner and less dangerous if your dog eats it along with the treats. Remember, make finding the treat easy by making the ball loose and have it contain several treats. As your dog learns, you can make more compact newspaper balls with fewer treats inside.

Interactive dog toys with recycled materials

• A treat in a box. For humans, a box isn’t such an obstacle. However, getting inside a box can be a challenge for a dog. Hide treats inside a box and let your dog jump in to try and get them. If this challenge is too easy, then put the box upside down. This way the dog has to figure out how to knock it over.

• Treat in a bottle. First, you need an empty and clean plastic bottle. Cut out several sections or holes in the bottle and throw in some treats. The dog can get the treats by rolling or turning the bottle over. Remember that the toys need to be safe. Therefore, make sure there are no sharp edges when making holes. You should also remove the plastic ring around the neck of the bottle.
• Suspended bottles. With this toy, your dog has to learn how to flip the bottles over to get the treats inside. You need three empty plastic bottles and a structure that you can use to suspend them. Put a stick through the sides of the bottles and hang the bottle from the stick, with the opening of the bottle facing up. Once you place treats inside the bottle, your dog will need to figure out how to push and swing the bottle upside down to make the treats fall out.

Interactive dog toys are great for healthy and beneficial games. If you adapt the toys to your dog’s abilities, you can entertain him, improve his mood and the relationship you have with your dog.