Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time at work, and that means Dustin has been spending a lot of time home alone. To alleviate some of my mom guilt, and make sure Dustin’s environment is enriching without me being present, I’ve been leaving him some stuffed toys. I know that many people know what a classic Kong is, but did you know there are lots of other options available for you to stuff for your dog. To keep Dustin’s days entertaining I have been rotating some different stuffed dog toys and I thought I would share my thoughts on the different toys with you. My reviews are based on my experiences solely with Dustin.
When I prepare a stuffed food toy for Dustin I just used canned dog food. If you want some other fun options click here for inspiration. I also do not freeze Dustin’s stuffed toys, he will just leave it for hours until it has thawed. But I do think that freezing after stuffing can be a lot of fun for some dogs.
Before leaving your dog with a lickable toy, you should use it with supervision for a while. Literally give your dog the new toy, and watch as they eat. If you feel it is safe you can start leaving it for them when you are busy in another room or out of the house. If you feel your dog is not able to sagely play with a stuffed toy alone, you can still use it as a fun, enriching activity for them to have under supervision.
Kong Foragers Flower
After visiting the vet one day I grabbed this toy from a nearby pet store since Dustin does not enjoy vet visits. It was only $10 but it seems the price on amazon is a little higher right now. Dustin seems to really like this toy, which makes me really like this toy. The only problem I have with it is that it is a little difficult to clean. There is a small lip under each of the petals that it tough to get to. I tried boiling it, it melted a little. Next I emailed Kong directly to find out what they recommend. They suggested cleaning it with a bottle brush. I have not tried that method yet. But I did find that if I immerse it in water for a little the food that gets stuck under the lip on the petals comes out pretty easily.
Price: $10
Pros:
- The individual holes make it take a little longer for Dustin to eat the food, but it is not frustrating for him.
- Has convex base so as he licks it rocks and I feel like that adds some duration to his playtime.
Cons:
- Because of the many holes it takes a little longer to fill than the others
- Difficult to clean
- I’m not sure how it would stand up to a powerful chewer
Rating: 4 Stars
The only thing that brings the rating of this down from 5 stars to 4 stars is that it is annoying to clean.
Kong Foragers Dumbbell
I bought the Foragers Dumbbell after buying the Foragers Flower. I love the Flower and I like the Dumbbell. One thing that I really like about this toy, and a feature that the other toys do not really have, is that there are two easy spots, one medium spot, and one more challenging spot for the dog to get food from. The two holes in the middle are easy, one end of the dumbbell is a little harder, and the other end of the dumbbell is even more challenging to get the food out of. I think it was really creative of the designers to make it so versatile, and it shows a lot of thoughtfulness on their part.
Price: $10
Pros:
- Easy, medium, and challenging food spots in the same toy
- It does not hold a ton of food
- I’m not sure how it would stand up to a powerful chewer
- Two sizes for large and small dogs
- Comes with a money back, or refund guarantee in case your dog chews it. View here
- Can buy two and combine to make more challenging
- Easy to fill
- Easy to clean
- Dog’s can eat it from the top or the side
- Some dogs will find stacking the two toys together too challenging
- Two sizes for large and small dogs
- Comes with a money back, or refund guarantee in case your dog chews it. View here
- Cleaning is not too difficult
- Dustin really just doesn’t seem care for it, it does not keep him entertained for too long
- Easy to clean
- Easy to fill
- Not frustrating for the dogs
- Keep’s dog entertained for a longer duration
- I have been having a really hard time thinking about cons to this toy.
Cons:
Rating: 4 Stars
I like it, I don’t love it. There are others on this list that I tend to grab first.
West Paw Designs ZogoFlex Toppl
I have had the Zogoflex Toppl for a couple years now. Dustin likes it, it’s a tried and reliable toy. It’s relatively easy for him to get the food out of and it keeps him entertained. He can lick the food off from the top or the side. The “spikes” in the middle make it a little more challenging to get the food but not too difficult. Like the Kong Foragers Flower the base is convex and I think that adds some duration to it. If you buy one small and one large size you can pun the small one on top of the big one and crate an even bigger challenge for your dog. I have never done this with Dustin because I think he wouldn’t care about the food enough to work through it. But I do really like the option to have an easier and a more challenging version of the toy.
Price: Small $16, Large $21
Pros:
Cons:
Rating: 5 Stars
Love it, a regular for sure!
West Paw Designs ZogoFlex Tux
I ordered the Zogoflex Tux to try out another of the WeestPaw Deisngs toys (since I tried two Kong toys). This toy seems a little mediocre to me. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it, theres nothing pulling me in either direction. When I put it down for Dustin he doesn’t seem to care too much. He eats it for a minute and then meanders away. There isn’t a major design flaw, or something terribly wrong that I can pinpoint as a major problem. But there also isn’t anything that I find too compeling about it.
Price: Small $16, Large $20
Pros:
Cons:
Rating: 3 stars
It’s not bad, but its not amazing. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. It’s just average, middle of the pack.
Hyper Pet Lickimat
I have seen this toy alllll over Facebook lately and I am totally guilty of judging a book by its cover. This toy is not flashy, or cool, it doesn’t do anything super special or interesting. I saw it and was like, ehh, that’s not a very good one. But I was wrong! Dustin loves his new lickimat. I think I am going to order him another one so he has some variety. This one is for sure Dustin’s favorite in the group. I also like it, it is easy to clean and easy to fill.
Price: $7
Pros:
Cons:
Rating: 5 stars
My favorite of the group!
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