The Outward Hound Disguise ’n Slide is an interactive puzzle toy that actually retains canine engaged and pondering. In the event you’re dedicated to offering enrichment that each mentally stimulates your canine and slows down dinner time, this toy deserves a spot in your rotation.
I purchased our Disguise ‘n Slide at a thrift retailer years in the past–and it’s now on its second technology of canine enjoyable. It’s actually sturdy and simple to scrub, and it has lengthy been a favourite enrichment toy with our canine.
What Makes the Disguise ’n Slide Particular
The Disguise ’n Slide puzzle is a treat-dispensing sport with:
- Sliding panels
- Hidden compartments
- A number of deal with areas
Your canine should transfer a flipper and slide a block out of the best way to uncover hidden treats or kibble tucked underneath the grooves. It’s designed to construct on a canine’s pure curiosity, encouraging them to make use of nostril, paws, and brains abruptly.
This toy sits within the beginner-to-intermediate degree of problem — good for pups who’re new to puzzles or seasoned learners who want a enjoyable problem. I used this toy with Isla when she was only a few months outdated and she or he cherished it; our cat Fortunate additionally actually enjoys this toy.
As a substitute of simply burning bodily vitality, your canine will get to:
- Apply persistence and focus
- Use scent work to seek out hidden rewards, whether or not that’s a part of his every day meals or treats
- Have interaction in purposeful exploration moderately than repetitive movement like in a sport of fetch
- Expertise a way of accomplishment as soon as the puzzle is solved
Instructing Your Canine to Benefit from the Puzzle
Not each canine instantly “will get” a puzzle — however most will as soon as they’re launched to it in the proper method.
Begin with Straightforward Wins
- Add treats to the obvious locations–on prime of the flippers and on the rows between the flippers and the sliding blocks.
- Don’t add treats contained in the raised sliding blocks simply but; these are the toughest for the canine to unravel since they require sliding over the recessed space after which again once more to entry the deal with.
- Reward curiosity — even simply sniffing or touching the toy.
- Use high-value treats which might be engaging and odor sturdy. You may later use the puzzle to feed a part of your canine’s every day kibble however through the use of high-value, sturdy smelling treats, you’ll be engaging your canine to maintain attempting.
- If it’s worthwhile to simplify the puzzle extra, a number of the flippers are detachable. Simply flip the toy over and search for the fastener (see picture under); give it a squeeze to briefly take away a flipper.
Present Them How
- Slide a flipper and a block your self and reveal a deal with.
- Use verbal reward (e.g., “Sure!”) every time your canine investigates.
- In case your canine pushes a slider or paws at a compartment, cheer them on — optimistic reinforcement helps construct confidence.
Tips on how to Make the Puzzle Extra Tough
As soon as your canine masters the fundamentals, you’ll be able to improve the problem degree a number of methods:
Add treats inside the sliding blocks. It will require your canine to maneuver the flipper then transfer the block over the recessed space–then transfer the block again away from the recessed space–earlier than the deal with is accessible. I take advantage of strongly scented treats within the blocks to assist encourage our canine.
Reduce up a rest room paper heart position to make extra blocks. I discovered this enjoyable tip on the Nina Ottosson Instagram web page. (In the event you’re not already following her, you’ll discover enjoyable suggestions for her toys in addition to straightforward DIY enrichment video games, too!)
Wrap treats in a small little bit of paper. This tip is not for canine who will eat something that’s ever touched meals (Isla, I’m you!) however different canine would possibly take pleasure in extra problem by wrapping the deal with in a small little bit of tissue paper, paper towel or espresso filter.
Elevate the deal with. The Disguise ‘n Slide has rubber toes so it’s going to keep pretty sturdy even once you elevate it, comparable to on a canine desk or platform. This makes your canine remedy the puzzle utilizing his nostril (and it’s a great tip for canine who’re simply too tough on puzzles!)
If you’re all for a harder puzzle that’s very comparable, try our evaluate on the Outward Hound Canine Employee.
Execs of the Disguise ’n Slide
- Nice for psychological enrichment and slowing down quick eaters
- I really like that it’s all self-contained; there aren’t any separate items to get misplaced or get carried away by your canine!
- It has a easy design that many canine perceive shortly however has the flexibility to be made harder.
- Sturdy even when pawed at!
- Versatile — works with kibble or treats.
- Meals-safe
- PVC free, BPA free, lead free and phthalate free
Cons to Think about
- Some canine may have guided assist at first–however consider it as a bonding expertise.
- Identical to your canine’s bowl, you will have to scrub the toy! I discover it straightforward to scrub and simply use an everyday dish scrub brush then flip it over to empty and dry.
Last Verdict
The Outward Hound Disguise ’n Slide canine puzzle is a well-designed, participating, and rewarding puzzle that gives actual enrichment on your canine. Whether or not you’re educating your pup to suppose extra independently or attempting to decelerate dinner time, this puzzle delivers satisfaction for each canine and proprietor. As I stated, it’s a heavy-duty toy and ours has been used for a lot of, many hours with no lack of high quality. Barli and Isla give it an enormous paws up!
Store
Pin it to recollect
This isn’t a sponsored publish; I bought the toys alone and love utilizing them with our canine.
Paris Permenter is the award-winning writer of over 30 pet and journey books and 2000 journal articles for publishers starting from Reader’s Digest to Simon and Schuster. Paris is a licensed canine enrichment specialist with a concentrate on enriching your every day canine walks.
