Treat balls are an excellent way to engage and entertain dogs while simultaneously helping to channel excess or nervous energy in a constructive manner.
These treat toys are filled with food for your dog to find and retrieve – some more challenging than others!
Contents
Size
Treat-dispensing balls are one of the many interactive feeders designed to engage and amuse dogs. Like other toys, treat dispensing balls offer mental stimulation to keep your pet occupied during downtime while helping reduce undesirable behaviors like chewing or pawing at the floor. They also present an opportunity for active play and exercise!
A good treat ball should provide enough resistance against powerful chewers while remaining soft on teeth, while small breeds and those with flat faces may prefer something soft like rubber to prevent mouth injuries.
There are various treat-dispensing toys designed to meet the needs of different sizes and skill levels of pets. For instance, Pet Zone IQ treat ball is one such toy which features changeable discs to customize its difficulty – perfect for more aggressive chewers; however Radish found this particular toy difficult to figure out and soon lost interest due to hard plastic being too brittle; furthermore it was larger than any of her previous trials of such toys.
Material
Material choices of treat balls will ultimately dictate their durability and how much your dog can chew without breaking or deforming it. Rubber treat balls tend to be most durable; their soft material helps soothe teeth and gums while still being engaging enough for play. A great example is Orbee Tuff Raspberry; an oversized rubber ball designed in the shape of a raspberry with openings on both sides – providing additional challenge while helping keep treats from dropping out too easily!
Treat ball designs featuring harder plastic may be less likely to get chewed on, yet still vulnerable to being broken apart by powerful chewers and bit through its outer shell. Therefore, it is essential that when selecting a treat ball for your dog that it meets his or her play habits and chewing style.
Durability
Treat-dispensing dog toys provide more than just fun. They also help your pup stay busy, and may help with problem behaviors like boredom or aggression by providing mental stimulation.
Durability in these toys depends upon both their materials and how hard your pup plays with them, for instance the IQ Treat Ball offers an adjustable insert so you can increase difficulty as soon as your pup masters puzzle toys.
Durable plush treat toys such as the GoDog Dinos Bruto Plush Toy are another great choice, designed specifically to cater to smaller muzzles while withstanding even powerful breeds’ chewing. Sinn recommends beginning with simple treat-dispensing toys before progressing up to more challenging ones as your pup masters them; this helps prevent your dog from becoming bored of it too quickly while encouraging continued usage of that particular toy.
Safety
Treat balls and interactive toys can provide mental stimulation, prevent boredom-related behaviors (like chewing or excessive barking), promote physical activity, and encourage healthy eating habits in dogs. When first starting with any new puzzle or treat dispensing toy it’s important to monitor closely so as not to let your pup choke on its contents – some treat toys dispense food slowly so as to help slow down eating habits while many feature soft materials than traditional tennis balls which could prove more challenging for larger breeds or flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds when first learning how to use.
For safe treat balls for your pup, use the thumbnail test: If it does not bend or break easily when pressed with your thumbnail, then it may be too hard and cause damage to their teeth. Also be wary of treat balls treated with chemical dyes or fire retardants which could potentially poison their fur and even pose health hazards to them.
