Lenny's Pet Toy Test

When the toys arrived Lenny nosed around and seemed most interested in the Kong but without the right size treats we would need to test it later.

With leftover steak in all four activity boxes of the Trixie toy, Lenny walked right past it. This was surprising because he usually has such a good sense of smell. After showing him what was inside he went for the easiest box first. He’s good at lifting things up with his nose (e.g. the rubbish bin) so he had no problem. The others proved more difficult and he really wasn’t bothered. Adding cheese to the meat gave him more incentive; he lifted the same box again, then knocked over the drawer box. The next two puzzles he couldn’t open so he dragged the game away laid down next to it and looked at me. Now a staring match and not about to let him get his way, I went inside knowing the video camera would catch the rest. When he could’t see me Lenny opened the third puzzle. Then he laid down for a while (8 mins) looking disinterested but all of a sudden got up pawed the knob a few times and opened the box. Don’t know why he waited so long; was he contemplating some evil plan or just resting…. only he knows. After lunch we played again with leftover ploughmen’s lunch, this time he got through all four puzzles a lot quicker.

This game was fun for me, but don't think Lenny saw it that way.

The second game we tried was the Karlie Shell Game. With cheese inside he found the right shell immediately but getting the cheese out was proving difficult, his tongue was too big. Washing the cheese out was tricky too, it melted into the wood. We tried the game with his hard food and he was able to find the shell right away. Later we played again with small treats bought at the pet store, but the smell seemed all over the place because he was picking all the shells up and licking them.

The slide game on the other side was tougher. Lenny tried the same tactic as with the shells and was biting all the sliders. This game is probably for a smaller dog and one that is more motivated by food. Or an owner willing to train their dog to use the toy, there is a small instruction manual we didn’t bother with. Lenny is lazy (me too) and apart from licking the shells and chewing on them I don’t think he or I got much from it. Also being made of wood and some kind of heavy cardboard didn’t seem sturdy enough for a medium sized dog. I was worried Lenny would swallow the shells.

For the Kong, we bought a bunch of small smelly treats from the pet store. An assistant suggested this semi hard food for it. When looking at the way you put the food inside something mushy didn’t seem to be right, so I just loaded it with lots of small treats. Lenny loved it, he spent a good half an hour licking and biting at it.

The Kong was the only toy that didn’t need my participation. It was fun to just watch him have a go. The mushy stuff would have been better because Lenny was not able to get the treats out and I felt bad. But the clean up would have been messy; anyway Lenny didn’t seem to notice. Between the Trixie game and the Kong, Lenny picked the Kong.

The true winner and Lenny’s pick is the Kong. The toy is sturdy and kept him occupied for a long time without my interaction. This gave me time to enjoy his antics and take lots of pictures. The Trixie Dog Activity set was sturdy, easy to clean and had lots of space for treats but Lenny liked the Kong better. The Karlie Doggy Brain Train wasn’t for us but would probably be fun for a smaller dog and a person who likes to teach their dog tricks.
Lenny’s order of approval:
1. Kong Genius
2. Trixie Dog Activity Strategiespiel Poker Box – Level 2
3. Karlie Doggy Brain Train (Shell Game then Slider Game)

Kong Genius is the WINNER!!!!

Petplan has provided me with these toys as part of their Pet Toy Test review programme. Visit the Petplan UK Facebook page for more information and a chance to win the winning toy!