Five best food toys for dogs
Food toys are a great way to add enrichment into your dog's environment and keep their mind busy and active.
If you are looking for ways to keep your dog's mind active and prevent boredom, enrichment food toys can be a great option.
Enrichment food toys allow your dog to express their natural behaviours through different activities and opportunities. They do this by challenging your dog and encouraging them to use their senses.
They're a good way of keeping your dog entertained when they're unable to go for a walk due to medical reasons or during heatwaves, and can prevent your dog from eating their meal too quickly.
Just remember to monitor your dog's toys for damage and stop using them if they are broken. This will prevent your dog from swallowing anything small or sharp.
Read more about enrichment for your dog.
Important
Always feed your dog in moderation. It's a good idea to feed part of your dog's daily meal in their enrichment food toys, to avoid feeding them too much and to keep your dog at a healthy weight.
1. Kongs
Kongs are a fantastic way to keep your dog entertained and mentally stimulated. They work by having food stuffed inside, challenging your dog to chew and lick them out. They also have a ridged shape which gives them an unpredictable bounce.
To help the food last longer, you can try stuffing the Kong with their normal food, peanut butter or cream cheese and freezing it. This is also perfect for hot days.
Make sure you find the right size Kong for your dog to prevent choking.
Take a look at our Kong recipes.
2. Treat balls
A treat ball allows you to feed your dog their daily meal, in a fun and interesting way that is different to their usual feeding routine.
To make it work, you have to insert the treats or a meal portion of your dog’s dry food into the puzzle ball and place it in front of them on the floor. Your dog will then use their nose and paws to bat the ball around. They are rewarded when bits of food fall out of the hole in the ball.
Treat balls will need to be the correct size for your dog to prevent them from choking or swallowing something they shouldn't.
3. Snuffle mats or balls
Snuffle mats and balls provide great enrichment for your dog. They allow your dog to use their natural instinct of foraging for their food, using their sense of smell and their mind.
Snuffle mats and balls work by using strips of material or fleece on a base, allowing you to hide your dog's food or treats. Your dog is then able to use their nose to sniff their food out, keeping them busy for long periods of time.
Snuffle mats are also easy to make at home. Take a look at our DIY snuffle mat guide.
4. Puzzle feeders
Puzzle feeders can be a rewarding and mentally stimulating challenge for your dog.
They often work by filling small compartments within the puzzle with your dog's food. Your dog then has the challenge of sniffing out the food and opening the compartments to access their treat. This can keep their mind busy, while encouraging them to use their senses.
Important
Always supervise your dog while they are using a puzzle feeder to keep them safe.
5. Slow feeders
If your dog has a habit of eating their food too quickly, slow feeders can be a good way of slowing them down and making meal times more exciting. This can help to make meal times last longer and reduce the risk of bloat and regurgitation (bringing their food back up).
Slow feeders work by having small obstructions within the bowl, such as a maze or puzzle, which makes your dog work for their meal, instead of gobbling it up.
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Reviewed
• 26 March 2025
Next review
• 24 March 2028
