From quality and durability to levels of difficulty – choose a treat dispensing toy that will suit your pet’s unique needs and play style.
It’s safe to say that treat dispensing toys are favorites for many dogs. After all, why wouldn’t they be – these toys combine both fun and yumminess. The hidden treats entice dogs to put in some work and use their little cells to reach the delicious reward inside the toy. They’re ideal for dogs with separation anxiety, smart cookies who love a challenge, and any pooch you want to be focused and entertained for hours on end. However, not all treat dispensing toys are the same. From quality and durability to levels of difficulty, it’s important to pick out a toy that will suit your pet’s unique needs and style of play. Take a look at our selection of the best treat dispensing toys for dogs of all shapes and sizes and choose one (or a few) for your pampered fur baby.
Many treat-dispensing toys are a no-match for an aggressive chewer, but the Titan Busy Bounce is tough enough to endure the gnawing and clawing of an overly enthusiastic pupper. Made in the USA from pet-safe, FDA-approved rubber, this durable toy will keep your pooch occupied and engaged. Not only is it brightly colored and bouncy – which is more than enough to entice a dog – but you can also put treats, peanut butter, or chew treats inside it to make your pet work for his reward. You can even use frozen treats to provide refreshment in those dog days of summer! Thanks to the unique material and asymmetrical shape, this toy has an erratic bounce pattern that your pet will love. Titan Busy Bounce comes in two sizes, medium and large, and it’s suited for dogs that weigh between 15 and 35 lbs, or those that are 30 to 65 lbs. This toy is easy to clean since it’s dishwasher safe, so don’t skimp on that peanut butter!
Treat dispensing toys are a great way to force your pooch to slow down and eat his meals at a normal pace, rather than gobbling up all of his kibble in seconds. Bob-A-Lot is a fabulous solution for fast feeders as this plastic tilting toy engages your pooch and drops kibble (or treats) sparingly. When the toy is always bobbing and the opening is small, it’s not that easy to pry the yummies out, no matter how much gnawing or pawing one applies. The opening can be adjusted to lower or increase the number of treats that this toy dispenses. It’s available in small and large sizes and has become increasingly popular among customers.
What seems like a simple ball with a hole for treats is actually a clever puzzle toy for hungry pups. To get to the treats hidden inside this durable rubber ball, your dog will have to roll it around, paw it, maybe even toss it around a bit. As the interior of the ball hides multiple tiers that block the treat from simply falling out, your pooch will certainly be mesmerized. Combining a ball with food is always a win-win in the canine world. This toy is ideal for senior dogs, or for those who struggle with separation anxiety.
The jumping bouncy ball filled with treats is bound to occupy every pooch- it’s as engaging as they come. The textured rubber ball with nodules has an “erratic bounce and movement pattern” which will require your pooch to run around and chase a toy before trying to shake a treat out of it. It’s great for their oral health, too, as the rounded nodules will massage their gums while they gnaw the toy. The Jolly Jumper is best suited for extra small and toy breeds.
Available in four sizes, this rubber Twist’n’Treat toy can be used as a slow feeder with kibble, or as a dispenser with dry treats, wet food or other yummies such as PB. The two caps are twisted together and hold goodies inside, and the ingenious shape allows dogs to carry, toss, chase or paw this toy around. The adjustable treat dispensing feature ensures that this toy is a good fit for almost any pooch – as you can manually manage the difficulty level.
Who doesn’t love a bowl of ramen? Nosework is very important for your pet and encouraging them to use their snout to explore their surroundings, and figuring out things will enrich their life and improve their mental health. While this interactive toy doesn’t dispense treats per se, it does hide yummies that your pet has to work for in order to get – which, in the end, counts the same. Modelled on snuffle mats, this treat-hiding toy allows you to place treats in the flaps, in between the noodles, or inside the ramen “cup” in order to stimulate your pet to forage for yummies using his nose. For brainiacs, it might not be the most challenging toy in the world, but most dogs will love the combination of fun and treats in one single soft toy!
The ChoChoCho Ramen Noodle Cup is made from pet-safe lylex fabric that can also be machine washed. Just make sure you put it in a laundry net first. Due to its size and the materials it’s made from, this toy is not suited for large dogs or those that chew their toys.
This interactive dog ball is all but magical: it feeds you and makes you burn calories at the same time! Fun and engaging, this ball dispenses kibble or treats when pawed or nudged: fill it with yummies and toss it to watch your pooch go bananas, running and pushing the ball around to make it rain treats. Durable and easy to clean, this treat-dispensing toy can be used outside and inside, so you can double the fun you get with one toy!
The Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Dog Smart Orange Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy is a level one puzzle, so it’s suited for beginners and most dogs of all ages. But if your pooch is exceptionally smart, it won’t take long before they figure out how to get to the reward quickly and without much of a workout. The size of the ball makes it best suited for small breed dogs, as bigger pooches could destroy it to get to the treats instead of playing with it.
Tough and brilliantly designed, the Qwizl extends the life of your pet’s favorite treat and gives them a challenge they’ll love to rise up to. This tube-like treat dispensing toy can be stuffed with dry food, smearables, jerky, bully sticks, carrot sticks, dog biscuits – you name it. Also, if your pooch happens to destroy the Qwizl after years of use, you can recycle it through the manufacturer’s closed-loop recycling program. It’s also user-friendly for all kinds of pups, big or small. Fun and eco-friendly to boot!
If your pooch is one of the more sharper tools in the shed, they’ll need a more challenging treat dispensing toy. Otherwise, they’ll get bored with their new toy quickly and get to the treats much faster than intended. This interactive dog toy is designed for an intermediate canine gamer and will require your dog to use various tricks and techniques to get to the treats hidden in the toy’s compartments.
The Tug-A-Jug lets your pooch see, hear and smell treats, which will definitely get them in the mood for play. If your pooch is a little lazy or doesn’t seem interested in most treat dispensers, this one will do the trick. To boot, you’ll get to be the part of the fun, too, as the braided rope allows you to play tug of war with your pooch and get some quality interactive bonding time. It’s made of plastic, rope and rubber and is best suited for large breeds.
Treat dispensing toys can be a great option for dogs that love a challenge, struggle with being away from their pet parent, or simply have lots of energy and need to expend it in the form of play. However, it’s important not to use these toys too often – by giving them too many treats (particularly ones that are high in calories) this can be unhealthy for your pup, so always reward them in moderation. It’s important to consider your dog’s individual needs and their unique play style, as these will vary for all dogs – big and small.
This solely depends on the make of the treat dispensing toy. Some are puzzles, most have holes for the treat to eventually come out, and more complicated ones have levers that require your pup to use trial and error to retrieve their treat.
It’s most common to use kibble for dog treat dispensers, as these shouldn’t break or crumble while your dog is working to find their yummy treat. You can also fill them with wet foods like peanut butter, but it’s important to make sure the toy can be easily washed if you’re using wet foods.
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