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Image: Jeremy Erickson
Have you ever wished that your dog was just like ‘Lassie Come-Home’?
Well, today is your lucky day. Humans found a way to keep your dog’s mental health fresh and agile, even during their advanced years. Whether your lifestyle is fast and dynamic, or slow-paced and calm, your dog should not be set aside; in fact, his needs are more similar to ours than we think.
About twenty years ago, Nina Ottosson began to create and sell brain-stimulating dog toys. The success of her toys led to their wide replication. Although Ottosson’s original toys can be found on Nina Ottosson’s official website, today, dog owners can find these fun and challenging toys in most pet stores. The products stimulate dogs by forcing them to pull levers, turn discs, etc. for a reward, which of course is always food. Nina Ottosson’s collection includes three levels of difficulty: ‘Easy, Beginners’, ‘Medium suit all dogs’, and ‘Advance. Active, smart dogs’. As much as we would love for our dogs to solve a Rubik’s Cube right away, we have to take it one step at a time.
Above is Ottosson’s classic rotating disc game. A Level 1 toy, the game comes in two sizes: small (23cm), and large (28cm). ‘Spinny wood’ hides treats in a depression under the rotating disc.
Adding some difficulty to the game, Ottosson created the ‘Dog Tornado.’ Consisting of four rotating layers, this toy forces your dog to find his treat by turning the layers in different directions. To make it even more challenging, you can add the included white blocks. Your dog might not like being tested at first, but one day he’ll thank you. Once your dog starts showing some ‘Einstein-like manners,’ it’s time for the third and final level.
The ‘DogCasino wood’ is a challenging toy where the treats are hidden in flaps; the dog will have to pull each flap in different directions until he finds the ‘eldorado’. You can increase the difficulty by locking the flaps with plugs.
Remember to collect everything at the end of the day, or your house will start to look like a minefield. “Beware of the Dog’s…toys.” We doubt that warning would frighten burglars!
-Angelica Gianni