Why use dog toys with hidden treats? (Keep your dog mentally sharp and happily entertained easily)

Okay, let me tell you what I got up to this afternoon. My dog, bless him, gets bored easily, and honestly, I was looking for a cheap way to keep him busy besides just tossing treats at him. So, I decided to try making some of those puzzle toys, you know, the ones where you hide treats inside.

Getting Started - Finding the Stuff

First off, I looked around the house for things I could repurpose. Didn't want to spend any money if I didn't have to. Found a couple of empty toilet paper rolls – perfect. Also dug out an old t-shirt that was way past its prime, good soft fabric. And of course, I grabbed a handful of his favorite small, smelly treats. That's crucial, they gotta be smelly enough to get his attention.

Making the First Toy: Toilet Roll Surprise

This one was super easy. I took one of the toilet paper rolls.

• I folded one end inwards, just creased it shut pretty well.
• Then, I dropped a few treats inside. Not too many, just enough to make it interesting.
• After that, I folded the other end shut, just like the first one.

It looked a bit like a weird cardboard burrito. The idea was he'd have to nudge it, chew it, or figure out how to pop the ends open to get the goodies. Took me like, two minutes max.

Making the Second Toy: T-Shirt Snuffle Thingy

The t-shirt one needed a bit more effort.

• I grabbed my scissors and cut the t-shirt into strips. Didn't measure perfectly, just aimed for maybe an inch or two wide and maybe six inches long? Something like that. Lots of strips.
• Then I took a big bunch of these strips. I started tying them together right in the middle. Just kept adding more strips and tying them tightly around the central knot.
• My goal was to make a sort of dense, floppy ball of fabric. Lots of knots and layers.
• Once it looked like a decent sized mess, I stopped tying and started hiding treats deep inside the folds and knots. Really pushed them in there so they wouldn't just fall out.

This one took maybe fifteen minutes? Mostly cutting and tying. It ended up looking like a fabric tumbleweed.

The Big Test: Dog vs. Toys

Alright, moment of truth. I called my dog over. Showed him the toilet paper roll first. He sniffed it immediately, knew something good was inside. He nudged it with his nose, picked it up, dropped it, pawed at it. Took him a good five minutes, but he eventually ripped the end open and got the treats. Success! Cardboard everywhere, but success.

Then I introduced the t-shirt snuffle ball. I put it on the floor and he dove right in, sniffing like crazy. This one kept him busy for longer. He had to really root around with his nose and paws to find all the hidden treats. I could see his little brain working. He seemed to really enjoy the challenge.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a win. Super cheap, used up some stuff I was going to throw out anyway, and it actually kept the dog mentally stimulated for a while, which is great. The toilet paper roll was quick and easy, good for a short distraction. The fabric ball took more effort to make but provided a longer-lasting puzzle. Definitely gonna make more of these, maybe try different fabrics or maybe even drill holes in a plastic bottle next time. It felt good making something for him myself, you know?