Treat Dispensing Dog Chew Toy

Something to work at, something to win, and quiet in between.

A dog with a job to get on with: kibble presses down into the grooves, and getting it back out is the whole game.
The last few pieces take the longest: they sit deep in the channels, so the ball has to be rolled and chewed rather than tipped out.
Made to be bitten: it is moulded from solid rubber that gives under a tooth instead of cracking.
Straight back in the toy box after a rinse: the channels run right through, so warm water clears out whatever is left in them.
The one they pick out again tomorrow: it pays out every single time, which is more than most toys in the basket manage.

Why the last treat takes the longest

The grooves are cut deep and the walls between them flex. Kibble goes in easily enough from your fingers, but it does not fall back out on its own.

So your dog has to push, roll and chew the ball around to shake pieces loose. A handful of kibble that takes ten seconds from a bowl turns into something with an actual shape to it.

The chewing is the point, not the food

A dog working at a ball like this is doing roughly what a dog does with a bone. The ridges give the teeth something to close on, and the food is only the reason to keep going.

That is why it holds a dog longer than a treat scattered on the floor. There is nothing to work at in a scattered treat.

For the hour before you can get out

It is raining, you are on a call, and your dog has already been round the room twice looking for something to start.

Half a handful of their own breakfast in the grooves buys you that hour, and your best friend ends it having earned something.

Questions

Will it actually keep my dog busy?

It holds most dogs for a good while, because the food comes out a piece at a time rather than all at once. Owners of busy dogs tend to be the ones who rate it highest.

Load it with your dog's own kibble the first time. A familiar smell gets them started faster than a new treat does.

Which size should I get?

The 5cm suits a small mouth, a Yorkie, a Chihuahua or a Frenchie puppy. The 7cm covers most dogs, from a Cocker Spaniel up to a Border Collie. The 11cm is the one for a Labrador or a German Shepherd.

It photographs bigger than it arrives, so if your dog sits between two sizes, take the larger one. Owners who sized up rarely wish they had not.

Is it tough enough for a strong chewer?

The rubber is solid all the way through and flexes under a bite rather than splitting, so teeth struggle to get a purchase on it.

It is bite resistant rather than indestructible, and it is built as something to work at. Most dogs treat it that way and it stays in one piece.

What can I put inside it?

Dry kibble and small training treats push straight into the grooves. Something softer smeared along the channels works too and takes longer to get out.

Rinse it under a warm tap afterwards. The channels are open at both ends, so nothing stays trapped in the middle.