Do you have a dog that requires a lot of mental stimulation?
Dog boredom can be a problem if you canine companion isn’t receiving sufficient mental stimulation in the form of training, games and puzzles.
While providing your furry friend with regular exercise is important, canines require mental stimulation just as much as physical stimulation.
Interactive dog toys can provide a great outlet for your dog to get their brains into gear and keep them entertained at home while you’re at work.
Experts believe that not only can puzzle toys test your dog’s intelligence and problem solving but can also help to reduce your pup’s anxiety and stress.
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Reasons To Try Enrichment Dog Toys
K9 Connectables Pro Bundle (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
• Slow down fast eaters – If your dog likes to wolf down their meals like my male Alaskan Klee Kai, you may find interactive dogs are a great way to slow your pup down at mealtime. This can be important if you own a breed that is susceptible to bloating.
• Help weight management – Continuing on from our previous point, interactive dog feeding toys can help weight management. You can slowly feed your dog their daily portion throughout the day using such an enrichment tool.
• Mental stimulation – If you own an intelligent dog then you’ll probably already know that they’ll require regular mental stimulation to ensure they’re content and happy. Most dogs will benefit from getting their brain cells firing with some puzzle toys.
• Alleviate boredom – For dogs that are left alone at home or need to be entertained while you’re working from home, interactive dog toys can help to alleviate boredom while you’re working on the computer.
• Reduce anxiety and stress – As we mentioned above, experts believe enrichment dog toys can help to reduce anxiety and stress in dogs.
• Prevent destructive behavior – If you own a northern breed such as a Siberian Husky, you may require challenging puzzle toys to keep your canine companion focused on something other than chewing the furniture.
• Help older dogs – There’s evidence that suggests interactive and puzzle toys for dogs could help to delay memory loss with old age.
Things To Consider When Picking An Enrichment Dog Toy
The Tuff Stuffer Pro (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
• Big chewers – If you’ve got a big chewer, you’ll want to go for interactive dog toys that are able to withstand tough-chewing gnahsers.
• Skittish dogs – One of my Klee Kai is skittish so interactive dog toys such as rolling treat dispensers may be a source of fear rather than excitement.
• Personality – Continuing on from my point above, you know your dog best and you’ll need to consider which enrichment dog toys best suit your pup’s needs, whether they’re confident or nervous.
• Supervision – While some toys like stuffers can be left with a dog while you’re out of the home, other interactive dog toys will require supervision.
• Customer reviews – It’s a good idea to check out customer reviews to see how these toys hold up when faced with big chewers or highly-intelligent dogs.
• Price – Does the toy represent value for money? Does the toy come with treats? Are batteries provided?
Who Are K9 Connectables?
K9 Connectables are a company based in Ireland who have created a range of enrichment dog toys to keep dogs stimulated.
Their website explains that their toys are designed to engage, stimulate and entertain dogs every day.
K9 Connectables go on to add that their toys aim to utilise your dogs natural instincts to hunt and work for food.
The challenge for your dog will be to unlock the different combinations you can create to receive their treat.
You can select different enrichment dog toys from their range and connect them together to form different shapes.
K9 Connectables use soft but durable materials that are non toxic TPE plastic.
1) The Starter Pack
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables Starter Pack (Photo: hellobark.com)
If you’re looking to test out the K9 Connectables range, The Starter Pack is a good entry point for dog owners.
Their Starter Pack is designed for gentle chewers with up to four difficulty levels.
The toys included in this bundle are The Original, The Denist and Tech Bone.
You can combine all three using the different ridges to make it easy, medium or hard for your pup.
The Pros
• Aid oral hygeine
• Safe for fetch
• Three sizes
• Two colours
The Cons
• No suitable for big chewers
Price
The K9 Connectables Starter Pack costs between £19.99 and £27.99 on their website.
Our Verdict
I’ve got two Klee Kai who have a different approach when it comes to dog toys.
The Starter Pack was perfect for my female Klee Kai, who is more cautious when it comes to new toys.
She was happy to slowly play with The Orginal, The Dentist and the Tech Bone. Her clear favourite of the three toys in the pack was the Tech Bone.
2) The Puzzle Pack
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables Puzzle Pack (Photo: hellobark.com)
The Puzzle Pack provides two bouncy toys for dogs to figure out. The Original and The Dentist can be used separately or together.
The Original is a round ball with two connectors, so you can add it to The Dentist or other toys within the K9 Connectables range.
The Dentist has grooves to help promote dental health, something which I really liked given my Klee Kai are prone to bad breath.
There are four levels of difficulty so you can make it tougher to unlock as your canine companion gets more adept at solving the puzzle.
The Pros
• Keep teeth clean
• Promote healthy gums
• Perfect for fetch
• Four difficulty levels
• Three sizes
• Dishwasher and freezer safe
The Cons
• Not suitable for strong chewers
• Only two colours
Price
The Puzzle Pack is priced between £12.49 and £19.99 depending on the pack size and is available to purchase on their website.
Our Verdict
I was pleasantly surprised by how difficult my dogs found the Puzzle Pack.
Even though I started the Puzzle Pack on the easiest difficulty level, it took my male Klee Kai roughly 30 minutes to finally get his treats.
Having had the Puzzle Pack for a week, these interactive toys have withstood my Klee Kai’s teeth surprisingly well.
3) Pro Bundle
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables Pro Bundle (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
If you’ve got a tough chewer who likes to blast through their toys, you’ll want to try K9 Connectables PRO Bundle.
This is aimed at high energy dogs who require a tougher challenge.
The Pro Bundle contains a Tuff Stuffer Pro with a large cavity for plenty of food and The Yes Bone with is made of strong nylon to withstand no-nonsense chewers.
They’ve got six connection levels to keep your pup challenged.
The Pro Bundles comes with their Chicken and Carrot Puzzle Treats and Salmon and Sweet Potato Puzzle Treats.
The Pros
• Six difficulty levels
• Strong nylon
• Cavity for food and treats
• Three sizes
The Cons
• Mixed customer reviews on Amazon
• Two colours
Our Verdict
The Pro Bundle stood up to my Klee Kai’s chewing without any issues.
The Tuff Stuffer Pro was great toy to use at mealtime as I managed to slow down my male Alaskan Klee Kai. I stuffed it with his fresh dog meals and he appeared to really enjoy licking his food out of the Tuff Stuffer.
My female Klee Kai had great fun with the Yes Bone Pro. It was a great and safe alternative to her favourite pasttime of finding sticks to chew in the garden. She had to work hard to release the treats, keeping her entertained for nearly half an hour.
4) Gentle Bundle
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
The Puzzle Pack (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
While I gave the Pro Bundle a try with my male Klee Kai in mind, I used the Gentle Bundle on my female mini husky.
She’s not as aggressive with her toys and likes to figure them out slowly.
The Gentle Bundle combines the Starter Pack, The Puzzle Pack along with Chicken and Carrot Puzzle Treats and Salmon and Sweet Potato Puzzle Treats.
You can get the Gentle Bundle in three different sizes and in two colour packs.
The Pros
• Perfect for gentle chewers
• Three sizes
• Two colours
• Five individual toys
• Dishwasher and Freezer safe
The Cons
• Not suitable for strong chewers
Price
The Gentle Bundle is priced at between £37.30 and £51.86 depending on the size on their website.
Our Verdict
The Gentle Bundle is a great option for dogs who aren’t big chewers.
You can combine The Starter Pack and The Puzzle Pack to create different difficulty levels.
I liked having the flexibility to make different shapes every time I used these toys to keep my female Klee Kai guessing.
5) The Kibble Connector
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables Kibble Connector (Photo: hellobark.com)
If you feed your dog kibble and you’re looking to slow your pup down at mealtime, The Kibble Connector could be the perfect solution.
The Kibble Connector can be maneuvered by your dog using their nose or paw, releasing treats from the four holes.
There are 10 connection points on The Kibble Connector so you can use it with some other toys within the K9 Connectables range to ensure your dog never becomes bored.
At the time of writing, it comes in two sizes – small and medium.
The Pros
• Slows down fast eaters
• 4 holes to dispense food
• 10 connection points
• Combine with other toys
The Cons
• No large size at the moment
Price
The Kibble Connector is priced at £15.49 to £17.99 on the K9 Connectables website depending on the size you opt for.
Our Verdict
My male Alaskan Klee Kai really enjoys kibble dispensers so I wasn’t surprised to see him quickly play with the Kibble Connector.
I loved that you can customise the Kibble Connector to make it easy or difficult depending on your dog.
Having said that, my female Alaskan Klee Kai approached this toy with suspicion. While she was happy to play with it on a carpet or rug, she acted a little skittish when it was on hardwood flooring.
6) Yes Bone Pro
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables Yes Bone Pro (Photo: hellobark.com)
The Yes Bone Pro is made from super tough nylon to withstand big-time gnawers.
It comes with six connection levels and can be ordered in three different sizes.
The Yes Bone Pro can also make a suitable toy for a game of fetch.
The Pros
• Suitable for tough chewers
• Super tough nylon
• Three sizes
The Cons
• Can show marks or scratches (but that’s normal)
Price
The Yes Bone Pro is priced at between £8.99 and £12.99 on the K9 Connectables webesite.
Our Verdict
The Yes Bone Pro delivered on their promise of keeping my Klee Kai stimulated and entertained.
My female Klee Kai enjoyed the bone for a good chew as she tried to release the treats from their slots.
While she isn’t the biggest chewer, I didn’t notice any damage on the bone after a week’s worth of gnawing.
7) Tuff Stuffer Pro
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables Tuff Stuffer Pro (Photo: hellobark.com)
Not too dissimilar to some other feeding toys on the market, the Tuff Stuffer Pro is made from super strong non toxic rubber.
It’s perfect for treats and fresh dog food that can be stored in the cavity and placed in the freezer.
The Pros
• Cavity for food
• Can be used with other K9 Connectable toys
• Perfect for high energy dogs
• Three sizes
The Cons
• One colour
Price
The Tuff Stuffer Pro is priced between £11.99 and £15.49 on the K9 Connectables website.
Our Verdict
If you’re looking for an enrichment dog toy that can be used as a feeder, the Tuff Stuffer Pro could be the perfect fit for you.
I found my dogs enjoyed being challenged mentally to get their regular fresh dog meals out of the toy.
It withstood my two Alaskan Klee Kai with no problems.
8) All Toys Bundle
Where To Buy: k9connectables.com
K9 Connectables All Toys Bundle (Photo: hellobark.com)
If you want the best of K9 Connectables interactive toys, you can order their All Toys Bundle.
This includes the Kibble Connector, the Starter Pack, The Puzzle Pack, the Tuff Stuffer Pro and The Yes Bone Pro.
Price
The All Toys Bundle is priced between £61.38 and £71.89 depending on whether you opt for the small or medium size.
Our Verdict
If you want to give all K9 Connectables interactive toys a try, this could be the bundle for you.
The best thing about making the investment in their All Toys Bundle is that you have endless options.
You can combine all the toys to ensure your dogs remain challenged and don’t get bored.
Is There A K9 Connectables Discount?
K9 Connectables have provided our readers with an exclusive 10% discount on your order when you use hellobark10 at the checkout.
So you can get 10% off your order of K9 Connectables enrichment toys by using hellobark10.
Anything Else To Consider?
The Kibble Connector (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
If you’re planning to get some interactive dog toys for your pup, you’ll need to get some treats to stuff into the puzzles.
K9 Connectables offer a range of treats to use in their enrichment toys.
They offer low fat, low calorie Puzzle Treats in two flavours – Chicken and Carrot, Salmon and Sweet Potato.
They’re grain-free treats that use high quality ingredients. Their website explains that they’ll help to control plaque and tarter build up.
Wrapping Up – Our Final Thoughts
The Puzzle Pack (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
We’ve reached the end of our article on the best enrichment dog toys available on the market right now.
For the purposes of this article, we’ve taken a look at the K9 Connectables range.
We really liked the versatility of their interactive dog toys that cater to pups who may be big chewers or gentle chewers.
You can combine the enrichment toys within the range to make different shapes to keep your dog’s brain guessing.
