Top 3 Interactive, Durable Dog Toys to Beat Bowser Boredom

10/15/2009

Many of us have learned the hard way that a bored dog can be not only hazardous to your furniture, but also hazardous to your favorite sling-backs and quite possibly your neighbor’s aural threshold for excessive barking.

With all of us working long hours to ensure recession-resilience, some our beloved four-legged family members may be engaging a bit more me-time than they’d prefer.

Busy Buddy Dog Toys to the Rescue

My frenetic 3-year old Vizsla, Zazou, requires a host of daily outlets for his energy or it’s curtains for him. Literally. He will be all up in the curtains when we’re not home. Regular exercise and mental stimulation are key to maintaining our pets positive mental and emotional state of mind, so I’ve tried out a bunch of interactive dog toys on him to keep him engaged when we’re out.  A number of the toys I've tested have been a big disappointment, as Zazou is often able to quickly eliminate all “interactive functions” of the toy with a couple of well-placed, well-executed chomps.

In search of a durable and tough interactive dog toy that might last more than 15 minutes, I was thrilled discover the super tough Busy Buddy and Everlasting interactive and functional treat dispensing dog toys - all of which have enabled me to manage home alone mania without breaking the bank.

Give them a try and let me know what you think!

1) The Bouncy Bone
The durable Bouncy Bone is composed of a durable nylon bone, a rubber ball and replaceable, long lasting Gnawhide® treats. Unlike other dog toys that have a life-span of approximately 3 minutes, the Bouncy Bone is still going strong after six months and its still got lots of Bounce left! Starting at $5.

2) Kibble Nibble Activity Ball
Zazou bumps this thing around my office all day long. And better yet – its rubber bumpers minimize noise and marks on floors and walls (...but they don’t eliminate his whining when he manages to roll it under the couch). The Kibble Nibble encourages Zazou to work for his food and it mentally stimulates him by appealing to his natural prey and stalking drive. We’re going on 4 months with the Kibble Nibble and it’s still righteously rolling. Zazou has even learned to place it on the top of my desk once he’s emptied it! Starting at $22.

3) The Everlasting Fire Plug Dog Toy Made of highly durable, tear-resistant proprietary material, Zazou absolutely loves this toy whether we fill it with the Everlasting Treats or other treats he enjoys for a chewing

challenge. The unique design of this toy allows it to roll erratically…indeed so erratically that Zazou rolled it down our driveway rendering it MIA until it magically reappeared 2 weeks ago.  Hide them around the house for a fun game of hide & seek, or even feed meals out of them to turn meal time into a game. Starting at $19.

Do you have a favorite, durable interactive dog toy that your dog loves and hasn't destroyed yet? Share your findings in the comments below!

Comments

[Misa]

I love the Busy Buddy UFO-shaped dispenser - easy to get the dog interested (even if they haven't played with a treat-dispensing toy before!) and easy to clean. I have, however, witnessed a Ridgeback mix try successfully to *eat* one. A tougher toy for a tough-chewin' dog might be a Buster Cube or a rolling treat ball, or a Molecuball (these have all lasted for years in my house).
I like the look of the Kibble Nibble and might have to get one! I bought an Amazing Treat Machine and am loving teaching my dogs to use it without me having to coach them. That's a tough toy for them to learn, but not one that I'd leave around the house unsupervised.

[SitStay Dogs]

Hey the Busy Buddy treat dispenser and the Kibble Nibble Activity Ball are at http://www.sitstay.com. They also have the Yuppy Puppy Treat Machine. Cool!

[Heidi]

I love the Busy Buddy toys. They also have a squirrel shaped treat dispensing toy that is all rubber. My Blue Heeler isn't a power chewer, but she loves to throw it around and watch the treats come flying out of it. We also have the twist and treat which she enjoys as well. That one is nice because you can adjust it to the size of treats/food you put in it. My parents have the Tug 'n Jug and I've seen a Pit Bull play with it and not destroy it.

[i<3roxy]

i cant belive the classic kong didnt make this list!!

tho i do find it hard to put new things in it ive tryed cheese peanutbutter, a frozen bananna oatmeal combo... my chi doesnt like eating a food more than once you see

she also has the kong wuba its a squeeky with "strings". she has "killed" other toys, but this one is still in great shape,& its also gone through our lab!

[Janet McCulley]

Great ideas - thanks for sharing! I've also since learned that the Hurley Tough Chew, Fido Monster Chew and Ruffwear latex Squareball are also super tough for aggressive chewers.

[Dr.Marie]

The kibble nibble is a great toy for dogs who eat their food too fast! If you click on "Dr. Marie" below, you can see a video of a dog playing with her kibble nibble.

Dr. Marie, Veterinarian