Dogs are not just our loyal companions, they are intelligent, curious animals, often full of boundless energy! They have an innate need for mental stimulation. But in our fast-paced lives we often forget to provide them with the mental exercise they require to be happy doggos!
Dog enrichment toys are more than just toys but are essential tools for enhancing your furry friend’s quality of life. It’s also important to choose the right enrichment toy for your dog.
We’ve looked at the best enrichment toys that are innovative, engaging, and downright irresistible to your dog and ranked them below.
Hopefully you can find the perfect enrichment toy for your dog!
Best Overall Enrichment Toy
HoundGames Hide’n’Treat Puzzle Toys
Enrichment Toys for Dogs
- PUZZLE TOYS: Interactive puzzle chew toys that stimulate your dog’s mind like no other dog toy on the market.
- 5 DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Increase the challenge as your dog gets smarter at the puzzle treat dispenser, so your dog never gets bored
Well we are a tad biased on this one, but we also truly believe our puzzle toy blocks are the best enrichment dog toy on the market!
Dogs absolutely love these puzzle blocks not only because they find treats inside, but they also bobble around and roll and bounce.
The best feature however, is the fact that they adapt to your dog’s level, making sure they never get bored and are always challenged. The downside of puzzle toys like the Nina Ottosson range is that once your dog learns the trick, the benefit of the toy diminishes.
Having adaptable levels ensures the best, consistent mental workout for all dogs, no matter skill level, age, or size.
An added bonus to these toys is you can add to the blocks, so you can increase play time to literally hours!
Key features:
- Durable non-toxic rubber
- Excellent reviews
- Large enough cavity to fill with lots of stuffings and treats
- Dishwasher safe
- Available in 2, 4, and 6 packs
Worth watching:
- Super aggressive chewers might eventually chew the knobs off
- Dogs are less interested in them without treats inside
- They cost more than some other toys, but the extended play time is worth it!
Buy HoundGames Hide’n’Treat Here…
Best Enrichment Toy for Meal Times
Paw 5 Dog Snuffle Mat for Dogs
Reduces Boredom & Anxiety
- Improves Metal Health: Ideal for all-sized dogs, Paw 5 dog enrichment toys make mealtimes fun & stimulating.
- 100% Pet Safe – 7 years of R&D
Snuffle mats are an excellent enrichment toy for dogs. This is especially true for dogs that enjoy using their noses and have a natural inclination to forage or hunt for food.
These mats are designed to mimic grass or foliage and are usually made of fabric strips or fleece that dogs can manipulate with their noses to uncover hidden treats or kibble.
It’s also a darn good way to feed your dog at meal times, which not only slows their eating down but makes for a good mental workout at the same time!
Key features:
- Foraging is a great mental workout and enrichment toy
- Slows feeding times down and improved digestion
- Sustainable and ethically sourced materials
- Can help stop destructive behaviors
Worth watching:
- Pricier than other dog toy
- Depending on your dog, they may workout they can flip the mat over to get to the treats.
Buy Paw 5 Dog Snuffle Mat Here…
Best Enrichment Toy for Hide and Seek Fun
Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Plush Dog Toy
CHALLENGING & IRRESISTIBLE
- Keep your dog mentally-stimulated while feeding their natural instincts to hunt
- Stuff the squeaky squirrels in the plush tree trunk and watch as your dog sniffs them out.
Dogs are natural problem-solvers and depending on breed, are natural hunters. With the Hide a Squirrel dog toy you can tap into their inherent intelligence by challenging them to find treasures inside.
While the toy exercises your dog’s mind through hide and seek, it also encourages physical activity as your dog uses their paws, nose, and senses to dig and find.
It’s a great toy for tapping into your dog’s natural instincts and providing a decent duration of enrichment fun!
Key features:
- Great for breeds that have hunting genetics, such as Jack Russell’s
- Can choose different animals such as raccoons and birds.
- Plush toys can be easier on teeth
- Excellent reviews
Worth watching:
- Plush toys are not for aggressive chewers
- Puppies with sharp teeth might make short work of it
Buy the Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Plush Dog Toy Here…
Best Budget Friendly Puzzle Enrichment Toy
DR CATCH Dog Food Puzzle Feeder Toys
Training & Mental Enrichment
- Use this educational game toy to exercise your dog’s brain
- This is a fun interactive puzzle toy for budget friendly enrichment time
Dog puzzle toys like this one are a fantastic addition to your dog’s daily life. Interactive toys like this one from Dr Catch offers mental stimulation, engaging your dog’s problem-solving abilities.
Cognitive exercise is often forgotten about by dog owners, but it’s vital that all dogs get some form of it, especially as they get older.
They can help prevent boredom and alleviate anxiety and can also slow down meal times.
Having a variety of dog puzzles toys is really the best way to ensure your dog has the tools for mental and physical enrichment, which makes for a happier, healthier, and more engaged canine companion.
Key features:
- Over 11,000 reviews
- Affordable puzzle toy
- Squeaky and plush squirrels can be replaced if originals get worn
- Simple but effective puzzle design
Worth watching:
- Not adaptable to dog’s level, once they know how to do it, value drops
- Food compartments may be too small for some dogs to access
Best Enrichment Toy for Beginners
KONG – Classic Dog Toy
Fun to Chew, Chase and Fetch
- Helps satisfy dogs’ instinctual needs while providing mental stimulation
- Unpredictable bounce makes for exciting games of fetch
You can’t have a list about dog enrichment toys without including the tried and true Kong.
Kong toys have a hollow center where you can insert treats, peanut butter, or other fillings. This gives them a puzzle-like challenge for your dog, which encourages them to work at getting the treats out.
This mental stimulation helps keep your dog’s brain engaged and prevents boredom, so definitely ticks the enrichment toy box!
They’re also one of the most durable toys getting around, and if you have an aggressive chewer, you can get the extreme black Kong toy.
Key features:
- Have sizes to suit all dog sizes
- Stuffable for treats and goodies
- Unpredictable bounce
- Quality reputable brand
Worth watching:
- Rarely but people have reported dog’s tongues getting stuck
- Some dogs chew through the red Kongs
Best Enrichment Toy for Intermediates
Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Puzzle
Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy
- Great puzzle for intermediate dog skill levels
- Excellent price and reviews
This engaging puzzle dog toy by Nina Ottosson taps into your dog’s innate hunting instincts as they search for hidden treasures!
It’s made with durable, removable plastic components and made from food-safe materials, too.
This enrichment toy offers a few more challenges compared to the Dr Catch puzzle above, but again, once your dog works it out, the quality of enrichment diminishes. That’s why it’s a good idea to have more than one of these types of toys for your dog, and change them up frequently.
Key features:
- Engages natural instincts and encourages mental stimulation
- Quality enrichment game that can reduce unwanted behaviors
- Intermediate friendly skill level
Worth watching:
- Some reviews show dogs have solved it easily and some dogs have chewed up the plastic parts. Overall reviews are positive though.
Buy Nina Ottosson Dog Puzzle Here…
Best Enrichment Toy for Puppies
Aelflane Treat Dispensing Puzzle Enrichment Toys
Puppy enrichment toys can be a mixed bag. Because puppies generally have very sharp teeth they’re quite good at making short work of certain toys. Their skill level is also still developing and so they require basic puzzle toys to begin with.
Kong puppy toys are good, but something like the Aeflane Treat Dispensing toy is a great fun game to enrich your puppy’s play time. Playing chase games with treats or kibble for rewards is going to be fun and have an element of a mental work out too.
Key features:
- Fun chase enrichment game
- Clever treat dispensing design to slow release treats or kibble
- Slows fast eaters to improve digestion
Worth watching:
- Aggressive chewers could damage the toy
- Lacking a challenge for smarter dogs
Buy Aeflane Treat Dispensing Toy Here…
Best Enrichment Toy for Smart Dogs
Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Twister
Level 3 Puzzle Toy
- Level 3 Dog puzzle dog toy designed for advanced levels of problem-solving
- A fun way for smart dogs to train their brain while redirecting destructive or negative behavior
- 9 hidden treat compartments
If we could choose our Hide’n’Treat toys again we definitely would, because you can connect them all the way up to level 5 and even the smartest dogs struggle with them! But we also think you can’t go wrong with Nina Ottosson puzzle enrichment toys, because you can buy harder puzzles for smarter dogs, like this one.
There’s also a level 4 for the real canine experts out there.
Key features:
- Fun for all breeds, sizes, & ages
- Easy to clean with soap & water
- BPA, PVA, & phthalate free
- Ideal for wet food and frozen spreads
- Can interlock different sizes for more challenge
Worth watching:
- Like all Nina Ottosson puzzles, once your dog works it out then enrichment quality diminishes.
Buy Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Twister Here…
Best Enrichment Toy for Small and Middle Sized Dogs
TRIXIE Mad Scientist Turn Around Strategy Game
Dog Puzzle Toy for Small and Medium
- For training motor skills as well as the mental capacities
- Two different cap sizes for two levels
The TRIXIE Mad Scientist for Dogs offers a enrichment solution designed for dogs at an intermediate skill level. It’s also an excellent choice if you dog is either small or medium size.
This interactive toy features three beakers where you can place treats, each equipped with specially designed lids featuring holes. When your dog successfully flips and balances the beakers upside down, the hidden treats are released.
To ensure stability during play, the game is equipped with non-slip rubber feet and overall it’s been well received by owners.
Key features:
- Two different skill levels ensures toy will sustain attention
- Game is different to other puzzle toys and can be a good addition to an enrichment toy collection
Worth watching:
- Some dogs show no interest in the toy
- Some reviews show quality issues
Buy TRIXIE Mad Scientist for Dogs Here…
Best Ball Enrichment Toy for Dogs
HIPPIH Dog Puzzle Toy 2 Pack, Interactive Dog Toys
Dog Treat Enrichment Ball
- Perfect for fetch and interaction with your dog
- Easy to carry and can be used at home or outdoors
Ball toys are a tried and true staple for all dog toy collections. It’s especially good for dogs when you can get an enrichment quality to the toy and these offer that. By allowing the owner to incorporate treats into the ball it offers an extra incentive for dogs to play with them and work a way to extract all the treats.
With the HIPPIH dog puzzle balls you get two in the pack, both with different enrichment design solutions. Often with ball toys there are quality issues due to the types of rubber used. Reviews by owners show that the rubber is durable and lasts for most dogs.
Key features:
- Durable rubber
- Puzzle balls toys will never get old
- Staple for every dog toy collection
- Excellent price
Worth watching:
- Aggressive chewers may destroy these easily
- Some owners thought the rubber was too hard for their dog’s teeth
Buy HIPPIH Dog Puzzle Toys Here…
Best Interactive Enrichment Toy
Starmark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Pet Toy
Exercises and feeds your dog
- Adjustable openings at the top and bottom accommodate most types of dog
This innovative dog toy serves a dual purpose by both exercising and feeding your dog. It features a spacious bottom chamber capable of holding up to 3 cups of food, which means you can make meal times more engaging and enriching.
There’s adjustable openings at the top and bottom so you can easily adapt it to suit various types of foods. This also adjusts the challenge level to keep your dog engaged.
The toy is weighted at the bottom which adds to the fun as the toy bobs around and releases treats!
Key features:
- Unique design with weighted bottom for bobbing fun!
- Reviews show that it’s durable and has longevity of play
- Can be filled with different size kibble and treats
Worth watching:
- Some tough chewers have chewed through the toy to get to the treats
- Some dogs have taken off the door to the treats making the toy useless
Buy Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Pet Toy Here…
Best Enrichment Toy for Large Dogs
KADTC Dog Puzzle Toy for Large Dogs
Mentally Stimulating Enrichment Toy
- Larger food capacity
- Adjustable difficulty levels
- Slows fast eaters and gives an enriching mental workout
Larger dogs need an enrichment toy with a capacity for more food. This puzzle toy allows not only more food capacity but also has adjustable difficulty levels making it the idea enrichment toy for large dogs.
There really isn’t many great choices for large dogs when it comes to enrichment toys. You could also go with a large snuffle mat, and we also would point you to the Hide’n’Treat as you can just purchase more puzzle blocks to add to the toy’s capacity and play time.
Key features:
- Good reviews
- Large food capacity
- Adjustable puzzle levels
Worth watching:
- A bit more pricey than smaller options
- Some smart dogs can figure the puzzles out too easily
Buy KADTC Dog Puzzle Toy for Large Dogs
Highest Rated Enrichment Toy
MODERN WAVE – Interactive Squeaky Plush Hide and Seek
Alien Enrichment Fun for Dogs
- Hide and seek fun and they squeak!
- Great quality and value for money
This enrichment dog toy is similar to the concept of the Outward Hound Hide a Squirrel. The quality of this toy seems to be what sets it apart as the reviews are excellent, which is how it earned this highest rated spot on the list.
The only downside is there is only three aliens to get out of the space ship, so play duration will depend on your dog’s ability to solve the puzzle.
Key features:
- Durable and well made materials
- Excellent reviews
Worth watching:
- Not many alien toys to find can reduce play time
- Some aggressive chewers can still destroy the soft materials
Buy MODERN WAVE – Interactive Squeaky Plush Hide and Seek Here…
Best Enrichment Feeder Toy
Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Spin N’ Eat
Dog Food Puzzle Feeder
- Make meal times fun and exercise your dog’s mind by replacing your standard dog bowl
You can make meal times more enriching by using a dog feeder puzzle like this one. In order for your dog to eat, they will need to spin the food canister which releases the kibble into the bowl below. The bowl also has grooves to increase the difficulty of getting their food.
Not only does this make meal times longer, which is great for digestion, but it’s also a great way to add a mental workout to their meal.
Key features:
- Well made with excellent reviews
- Can replace dog bowl entirely
- Made with safe food materials
Worth watching:
- Dog food can get stuck around spinner and will need human help
Buy Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Spin N’ Eat Here…
Best Foraging Enrichment Toy
Alibuy Dogs Snuffle Mat Pet Feeding Mats
Foraging Enrichment Mat
- Great for nose work with variable hiding places
- Non slip bottom design
There’s a common theme with enrichment toys and that’s the hiding food to find design. That’s because dog’s are incentivized to use their mind to find the treats. Foraging snuffle mats like this one are a great form of doing exactly this.
This enrichment mat offers more than one way to hide the food, which can extend nosework time.
Key features:
- Many hiding spots for treats
- A foraging mat like this one is an essential tool in every dog owner’s enrichment toy box
Worth watching:
- Isn’t as large as what it looks like in the image
- Smart dogs learn they can flip the mat over to shake out the treats
Buy Alibuy Dogs Snuffle Mat Pet Feeding Mats Here…
Best Fun Design Enrichment Toy
Our Pets Sushi Interactive Puzzle Game
Interactive Dog Toy Puzzle
- Exercise your dog’s brain with this dog food & dog treat dispensing puzzle toy
This is such a fun design for a dog enrichment toy. The game works by hiding treats beneath the sushi, and then your dog slides them out of the way to get to the food. It’s a simple concept that works and is playful. It’s also good because it’s not only suitable to all ages of dogs, but also size shouldn’t matter here either.
Key features:
- Simple fun design that works well
- Good size for all ages and breeds
Worth watching:
- Some dogs may find the puzzle too easy
Buy Our Pets Sushi Interactive Puzzle Game Here…
Most Popular Enrichment Toy on Amazon
Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Interactive Puzzle Toy
Sub Title
- With 12 hidden compartments and 3 dog bone covers you can vary the difficulty levels
- Over 120,000 reviews!
There’s no secret that Outward Hound Nina Ottosson enrichment toys are the leaders of this segment. This puzzle toy looks to be their most popular and has stood the test of time. If you want to get a quality enrichment toy for your dog then you can’t really go wrong here.
Key features:
- Multiple difficulty levels
- Quality construction with tons of reviews to read through
Worth watching:
- There’s a pattern here that if your dog learns the puzzle, then the level of enrichment drops. It’s always important to alternate puzzle toys for your dog
Buy Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Interactive Puzzle Toy Here…
Best Squeak Enrichment Toy
Letsmeet Dog Squeak Toys Dogs Enrichment
This novel design enrichment toy has a lot to offer. Not only can you hide treats in the shell that come out when the head and neck are pulled, but it squeaks and crinkles, too!
This is a great toy if you have a gentle chewer or a dog that loves to be stimulated by squeakers and crinkle sounds.
Key features:
- Helps to training your dog or puppy’s foraging skills
- Easy to clean by washing machine
- Novel design
Worth watching:
- The squeaker and crinkle paper can make it irresistible to chewers with sharp teeth!
- Best for gentle dogs
Buy Letsmeet Dog Squeak Toys Dogs Enrichment Here…
Best Enrichment Mat Toy
HOUNDGAMES Puppy Toy Mat with Teething Chew Toys
Comfort and Fun, All-in-One
- Multiple toys and a sleeping mat in one
- Two colors to choose from
- Excellent for puppies!
Our puppy mat is an essential product to have in your enrichment tool kit. Puppies love to get under your feet and the puppy mat is a great way to teach Place to your pup. There’s multiple toys for exploring as well as a squeaker in the nose.
Key features:
- Multiple toys maximizes engagement and enrichment
- Made well from quality materials
- Soft memory foam mat for sleeping
Worth watching:
- Sharp teeth and claws can tear the fabric
- Higher price point due
Buy HoundGames Puppy Play Mat Here…
Best Mat Enrichment Toy for Aggressive Chewers
AOZOOM Dog Chew Toys for Aggressive Chewers
Indestructible puzzle enrichment toy
- Made of 100% natural rubber
- Stuff this dog toy with different types of dog food
This toy is a great way to have strong chewers get enrichment time out of a toy. It’s best used by putting some peanut butter onto it or even some dog tooth paste for cleaning teeth. The peanut butter or tooth paste will make its way into the recesses to give dogs a challenge to lick and chew it out.
Key features:
- Strong and durable – an enrichment toy for those aggressive chewers out there!
Worth watching:
- Not very challenging, but still engaging
Buy AOZOOM Dog Chew Toys for Aggressive Chewers
Wrapping Up!
These cool dog enrichment toys in the list above were picked using a mix of our own tests and reading what people said about them on different sites.
We thought about how hard they are, if they work for different kinds of dogs, how safe they are, and how easy they are to clean. We also got help from our own friendly dogs, who always have the final say!
Hopefully this guide has helped you find the best enrichment toy for your dog.
