Treat dispensing dog toys are a great way to keep your dog busy, out of trouble, and ensure they eat more slowly. Check out our guide to five of the best.
More than just ‘food dispensers’, treat dispensing dog toys are the answer to some common canine issues, particularly when it comes to keeping your dog busy, stimulated, and indigestion-free.
Making your dog work for their food, and slowing down the process, these toys are great for dogs who wolf their dinner in one go.
Many designs allow you to feed your dog’s entire dry meal, extending dinnertime and making it fun.
Dogs also get bored, resulting in undesirable behavior. If you’re the parent of a destructive dog, dog treat toys could be the perfect diversion and teach them new habits.
So, where do you start? Right here - check out our guide to five of the best, and keep your dog stimulated, happy and healthy.
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The Top Treat Dispensing Dog Toys Compared
Before we get onto our in-depth reviews of each product, see how our three favourites compare.
Kong Stuff-a-Ball
Interactive Treat Maze
Kong Wobbler
Treat Dispensing Dog Toys Reviews
Take a closer look at the five treat dispensing dog toys that we recommend over all others.
We'll start with our favourite.
OUR TOP PICK
Interactive Treat Maze
Nina Ottosson designed her first dog puzzle for her own dogs more than 25 years ago. She has gone on to entertain millions of dogs, and their owners, with her problem-solving toys, and this one is no exception.
Coming in at number one, this advanced interactive puzzle represents some serious feeding fun for your dog.
With different versions to try, from Level One (Easy) through to Level Four (Expert), you can choose the difficulty best suited to your dog. All versions of this maze are easy to set up, and totally engaging.
Only releasing their favorite treat once your pup has mastered its unique operation, this is a challenging and fun game for your dog. Easy to fill and shake, releasing the scent of the treats, these dog treat dispensers are brightly colored and tailored for dogs of all abilities.
If your dog has become destructive or mischievous due to boredom, this puzzle will keep them distracted and busy. With its durable design, dog safe materials, and no removable parts, it’s safe for your dog to chew and ‘rough-house’ in complete safety.
Easy to wash with soapy water – remembering to remove all dried food first, of course – just air dry the toy completely before your next play session, fill it up, and you are good to go.
With its different ability versions, bright colorful designs, excellent value for money, and food/pet safe materials, it’s easy to see why these interactive toys from Nina Ottosson top our list.
Pros
Cons
With different levels of difficulty to continually challenge and stimulate inquisitive dogs, these toys are hard to beat!
Awesome Alternative
Kong Wobbler
If your dog is new to the world of interactive dog feeding toys, you can always rely on Kong to produce something brilliantly simple, yet effective.
Best for medium to large dogs, these durable, US-made toys can really take some punishment. They also go through the dishwasher, great for keeping the toy bacteria-free.
With a base that unscrews for filling, the unpredictable wobble is designed to engage your dog, sparking their fun and curious instincts.
You can use this Kong as an alternative to a regular slow feeding bowl – the largest size holds a cup of dry food, so you can easily feed a whole meal to your pooch in this toy.
If you’re looking for something to extend your dog’s dinner time, keep them engaged, all from a trusted brand, you can’t go wrong with a Kong Wobbler.
Pros
Cons
Kong aren't the leading dog toy manufacturers for nothing. They make great toys that dogs just love!
Great for Small Dogs
Interactive Treat Dispenser
Small dogs sometimes get a raw deal when it comes to toys, but this Eileen&Elisa interactive treat dispenser is perfect for small mouths and teeth.
With its egg-shaped design and gravity base, this toy will never fall over or leave the dispensing area frustratingly inaccessible.
As it’s only about 4.5” high and 3.9” wide it can be easily maneuvered by small paws and mouths, and its see-through, food safe plastic panel means your pet can see the food inside, increasing interest and temptation.
It has an internal maze which dispenses food slowly, making this perfect for dogs who eat their kibbles too quickly, and as with many of the feeding toys in this list, you can feed an entire meal this way - prolonging the meal, and the fun, whilst improving digestion.
If you’re looking for something to keep your small dog interested and curious, this dispenser could be just the thing.
Pros
Cons
An interactive treat dispenser that will have your dog's attention for a long time!
Great for Big Dogs
Kong Classic
Another Kong in the list – and it’s a classic.
These toys have been around for a while, and still score highly on most dog owners’ lists of favorites.
Available in a range of models, sizes, and age-specific designs, this Kong Classic interactive treat dispensing dog toy is so robust it’s perfect for your large four-legged friends to chew on for hours. If you have a particularly aggressive chewer, you might want to check out the Kong Extreme.
The unpredictable bounce of this toy makes it perfect for games of fetch – best done outdoors – and you can feed all kinds of foods to your dog using this toy.
As a special treat, you can fill your Kong with anything your dog will love – how about peanut butter, or soft cheese? Or try one of the specially designed Kong fillers.
However you choose to fill it, this toy could sort out issues with chewing, separation anxiety, weight management, or boredom, helping your dog lead a happier, healthier life.
Pros
Cons
Perfect for big dogs with strong jaws, the Kong Classic is an extremely popular toy for a reason!
Kong Stuff-a-Ball
Yep, it’s another Kong, but this one comes with an extra benefit on top of all the many other features – dental benefits.
This tough rubber ball has ridges designed to clean your dog’s teeth and gums as they chew – a godsend if your dog hates having their teeth brushed. With this clever toy they can do it solo.
If you have a ‘serial chewer’ in the family, this could be just the thing to channel that chewing behavior into something more desirable. Like the Classic Kong, you can fill this with soft, gooey treats to really tempt your dog, keeping them interested.
As with all Kong toys the Stuff-a-Ball is great value for money, sturdy and easy to clean, making it the perfect treat dispensing dog toy to wrap up our list.
Pros
Cons
Great for teeth, this Kong toy is another sure fire hit with your pet.
Treat Dispensing Dog Toys Buyers’ Guide
As with all Kong toys the Stuff-a-Ball is great value for money, sturdy and easy to clean, making it the perfect treat dispensing dog toy to wrap up our list.
There are lots of things to consider when choosing the perfect dog treat toy for your dog. Here’s our checklist of what to look out for:
Durability
Your treat dispensing toys need to be tough enough to stand up to your dog’s bite, but not so hard they risk breaking a tooth. Getting toys designed for your dog’s size and strength will help with this.
Risk of injury
Avoid toys which have small/removable parts, or strings/ribbons. These could be ingested by your dog representing a serious choking hazard.
Look out for toys with long levers which can poke dogs in the eye, and check for anything sharp.
Ease of Cleaning
Cleaning is essential to ensure your toys are not harboring any nasty bacteria from food debris left over from your last play session.
To make this easy on you and safe for your dog, look for toys which can be washed with soapy water, or better yet, popped in the dishwasher.
Recommended Reading: Don't miss our guide to durable puppy playpens next.
Size of dog
Getting the right toy for your size of dog is important, from a safety and usefulness point of viewpoint.
Giving your German Shepherd a puzzle toy which only dispenses tiny treats very slowly could be a recipe for frustration or a small dispensing ball could become a choking hazard.
The same applies to small dogs - smaller mouths need smaller toys and treats. Giving your small dog something loo large could be dangerous, frustrating, and overwhelming.
Age of dog
There are treat dispensing dog toys designed specifically for puppies, young dogs, and senior dogs because different aged dogs need slightly different styles of toys.
A puppy has a more delicate mouth and teeth than an adult dog. An older dog may also have specific requirements, from reduced attention span to oral issues.
Safety first
Finally, a word about safety. Remember, no toy is 100% dog-resistant. Always supervise your dog when playing, keep your toys clean, and check for signs of wear and tear, replacing them as required.
