Treat Puzzlers for Dogs

I am always looking for ways to stimulate my fox terrier's brain and by so doing, keep him out of trouble. There is a wonderful company out there dedicated to this mission. Introducing Canine Genius who go by the tagline, "Smart toys for your dog." The company sent me two products to test - the Mini Mike and the Mike. The only difference between the two toys is the size - the Mini Mike is suitable for a dog in the 15 pounds range, whereas the Mike toy is perfect for a large breed dog like a German Shephard or a labrador.

The toys are made of durable, chewable plastic and shaped like a small tower. The toy encourages your dog to exercise his/her hunting and foraging skills working to remove the treats you put inside. These toys can be used individually or you can connect them to other toys in the Canine Genius range so that as your dog learns how the toy works, you can make it more and more challenging for him to get to the treats. Like Kongs, you can also feed your dog in a Mike or Mini Mike though it is considerably more difficult to extract food from a Mike than it is from a Kong because the opening is smaller.

Axel had a great time playing with his Mini-Mike and it took him a while to figure out that he had to throw the toy around in order for the treats to tumble out. He also enjoyed playing catch with the toy once the treats were gone - he seemed to really like the chewable plastic.

Mini-Mikes retail at $12,95; the bigger Mikes at $18.95. You can purchase them directly from the Canine Genius website.