Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Challenge Slider Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Enrichment Toy, Level 3 Advanced, Multicolored

This is an excellent, engaging puzzle that has been really useful for my small dog. He is a smart, persistent little man who tends to get into mischief when under-stimulated. We initially bought it for him while he was recovering from cruciate surgery, needing ways to provide mental stimulation without physical activity. The toy was invaluable when he was confined for a prolonged period and only allowed short walks on a lead. Key Observations & Experience Difficulty Level: The "Expert Level 4" rating is accurate, but the leap in complexity from Level 3 is significant. This puzzle requires a sequence of actions - sliding tiles, moving centre covers, and using the orange locks for an extra challenge - which really gets the dog thinking critically. Mental Stimulation & Recovery Aid: The low-impact nature of the activity meant he could be mentally active and satisfy his natural foraging instincts while strictly adhering to rest orders. This mental outlet helped tremendously in reducing his anxiety and cabin fever during the post-op period. Engagement Specifics & Managing Frustration: The square sliding panels were easy for him to use, and having so many of them engaged him effectively. The central wheel and the concept of sliding the cylinders in/out was much more challenging. To manage his frustration, I used a specific technique: I placed pieces of grated cheese under the wheel, in line with the compartments each slider needed to be moved to. This rewarded him for the slow, controlled turns of the wheel needed to be successful with the sliders. This adaptation was key to teaching him the multi-step process successfully. Durability and Quality: We have had this toy for nearly four years now, and it has held up remarkably well. It has withstood enthusiastic nudging and pawing without breaking. Bottom Line & Manufacturer Feedback If you have a smart, persistent dog or need an engaging, low-mobility activity during injury recovery, the Outward Hound by Nina Ottosson Multipuzzle Level 4 Expert Dog Treat Puzzle is an exceptional choice. My one minor (mostly tongue-in-cheek!) complaint: The progressive problem solving challenges provided by the Nina Ottosson puzzle toys have helped create a Houdini dog. They say dogs don't extrapolate very well: mine can liberate himself and his sister from crates, and he can escape a puppy pen despite the obstacles I set in place to prevent him from doing that! On a serious note, my constructive point for the manufacturer is that clearer instructions for assisting dogs in the transition from "intermediate to expert" levels would be very helpful. Overall, this is a fantastic product that offers a rewarding challenge and lasting enrichment. I highly recommend it for bright dogs, who have experience with puzzle toys and who enjoy a challenge. If your dog has a low frustration threshold, this might not be the puzzle for them.

Good product, took my dog a little while to figure it out but she got there and gave her some good entertainment until she managed to pull one of the tiles out. Had it about 2 months but will have to look at another treat puzzle now.

Fantastic! I know this is meant for dogs, but my cat found the cat ones too easy. This has just kept him occupied for 25 minutes. I started off by letting him slowly learn how each level works, having a day to two on each level. Each level is locked by the one above it, so you have to start at the top, and as you open one level, it releases the next. The slots at the top take some pressure to open, so I don't think this would work for small dogs or the average cat, but because Magnus is a Main coon, he has the power behind his paws to open them. I am really happy with this purchase. It is sturdy, well made and doesn't slip around whilst he is figuring it out.

I honestly reccomend this puzzle toy to anyone who wants to challenge their pups brain. You'll find attached a video of the first time we ever showed her this toy. (Sound removed as to not hear our baby talk to her xD) At first you may need to help show them a little bit just like any training but they will soon learn whats needed to get the treats! This is our Maya and she is about 8 months old here. It used to take her about half an hour to complete the full puzzle but she's a japanese spitz and they're really intelligent so now she can complete the whole thing in about 4 minuets so depending on your dog breed this may not be able to occupy them for hours on end. I will say though it is great stimulation for them, its fun, its also a good way to feed them their dry food slowly and in a creative way. If you dont want them to learn it too fast I would not get it out too often. We used it everyday so thats why they can complete is so 1fast. The actual product is gorgeous, very sturdy, our puppies often claw at it constantly, bite and nuzzle to get the treats and it doesn't have any damage so very very pleased!!

Our 5-month labrador is super Happy after he got to play with this. He was done quite fast but his behavior to play and how learned was impressive.

Sehr schönes Spielzeug und eine schöne Beschäftigung für den Hund.

Utmanande för hunden

Got this when my pup was abt 7-8mths old. He figured it out quite fast and is still enjoying it one mth later. We put his lunch kibble in it so it’s more fun for him and he can’t gobble up his food too fast!

Świetna zabawka, choć dla mojego psa jest odrobinę za trudna. Plusem jest możliwość wyciągania elementów co pozwala zmniejszyć poziom trudności.