The Best Food Dispensing Toys For Dogs
Looking for an easy way to keep your dog busy and mentally stimulated? One of my favorite ways to keep my dog entertained is by using food dispensing toys.
They keep her busy for 20+ minutes at a time, and they’re a great way to give her some extra mental stimulation each day. Food dispensing toys let your dog hone in on their natural foraging abilities in a mentally stimulating way, and that extra activity can help cut down on behavioral issues caused by boredom such as excessive chewing or barking.
These toys are great because you just fill them up and let your dog go at it. When it comes to keeping your dog busy it doesn’t get much easier than that.
If you’re not sure what type of treat dispensing toy will work for your dog don’t worry we’ve got you covered; I’ve put together a list of food dispensing toys that are durable, challenging and easy to clean. Here’s the best food dispensing toys for dogs.
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Star Mark Bob-A-Lot
The Bob-A-Lot tops the list because it’s my favorite food dispensing toy. It’s extremely durable, and it’s one of the few dog toys I use nearly every day. It’s made of hard plastic, and after years my dog still hasn’t put a dent in it.
The large measures 6 x 6 x 8.5 inches, and the small measures 4.5 x 4.5 x 11 inches. You can fit up to 3 cups of food in the large one, making it big enough to use for complete meals.
My favorite feature of the Bob-A-Lot is how easy it is to adjust. The opening where the food comes out is easily adjustable, so you can use it for different kinds of food or treats.
It’s a great toy for dogs who eat too fast, or for anyone who wants to give their dog some more mental stimulation. And although the Bob-A-Lot is durable it’s not indestructible; the cap makes for an easy chew target if you leave your dog unsupervised. So remember to put it away after the food is gone.
The Bob-A-Lot is a great toy, but it can be a little loud. If you have hardwood or tile floors it will get a bit noisy when your dog’s pushing it around, but since it keeps my dog busy for 20+ minutes at a time I think it’s well worth the noise.
Kong Wobbler
The Kong Wobbler is similar to the Bob-A-Lot when it comes to size and durability, and the twist off top makes it even easier to fill. And like other food dispensing toys it’s one you can use every day to give your dog some more mental stimulation.
The large one measures 7 x 6 x 10.5-inches, and you can fit about a cup of food in it. The opening where the food comes out is approximately 3/4 of an inch in diameter. It’s made of hard plastic and is quite durable (though remember to put the toy away when the food is gone).
My favorite thing about the Kong Wobbler is how easy it is to fill. You unscrew the top from the bottom and pour the food right in. Like the Bob-A-Lot it can be a bit noisy on hard floors.
Like other food dispensing toys the Kong Wobbler is a great way to keep your dog busy and mentally stimulated. When I fill it up for Laika it’ll keep her busy for 20+ minutes. For more details be sure to check out our full Kong Wobbler review.
Buster Cube
The Buster Cube is another great food dispensing toy. It’s a durable cube divided into several compartments that release food when your dog pushes it around.
The large measures 4 x 2 x 6 inches, and it’s made of hard plastic. It can hold about a cup of food. The opening where the food comes out is adjustable, so you can choose how challenging to make it for your dog.
This food dispensing toy is probably the most challenging for dogs since it’s divided into different compartments — it’ll take Laika well over 30 minutes to finish it. So if you have a dog that needs a challenging toy the Buster Cube is a good bet. The Buster Cube is also a good toy if your dog eats too fast.
Like other food dispensing toys remember to put this away when it’s not in use; although it’s durable it’s not meant to be a standalone chew toy.
West Paw Zogoflex Qwizl
The West Paw Zogoflex Qwizl is a food dispensing toy that I use when I want dog treats such as bully sticks or Greenies to last longer. The toy itself is quite durable (like the other Zogoflex products), and it’s held up for over a year with no problems.
The Qwizl toy comes in two sizes and three different colors (orange, green & blue). The large measures 5.9 x 2.4 x 6.5 inches, and the small measures 2 x 5.3 x 2 inches.
It has openings on both ends, and you can fill it with treats or kibble. It’s made in the USA, recyclable and dishwasher safe. It’s also 100% guaranteed against damage by the manufacturer.
Like other food dispensing toys this one will keep most dogs busy for 20+ minutes. To give Laika an extra challenge I like to stuff larger treats in the ends, and hide some extra goodies (such as chopped up carrots) in the middle chamber.
Our Pets IQ Treat Ball
The Our Pets IQ Treat Ball is another food dispensing toy that’s suited for small or medium sized dogs. The difficulty level is adjustable, and the ball itself twists apart making it easy to fill and clean.
You can get it in two sizes — 3 inches and 4 inches. So it’s not quite as big as some of the other food dispensing toys, but you can still fit about a half cup of food in the smaller one and nearly a cup in the larger one.
You can easily adjust the feeding difficulty on this toy, and it twists apart for east cleaning.
If you have a tough chewer use caution with this toy; Laika managed to get the top off within a couple minutes. She didn’t destroy it (because I took it away), but for big chewers like her taking it apart is pretty appealing. My friends with smaller dogs love this toy, but I wouldn’t recommend it for large dogs.
What Are Your Favorite Food Dispensing Toys for Dogs?
Do you have your favorites when it comes to food dispensing toys? How long do they keep your dog busy for? Do you use them for your dogs meals?
Please share with your friends 🙂
I like the last one, the ball. I had a favorite one, that was so adorable, but I gave it to a friend. I wish I had kept a picture of it, or ordered a second one, because I have not been able to find another one like it.
Anyway, I love these types of toys, they are a great way to keep the collies busy on a rainy day.
My dog is a tough chewer – she can even tear apart regular kongs. There’s a black version of the kong that is tougher than the red version. She can’t tear apart the black ones.
Very nice list of pets food dispensing toys, really liked it. Thank you so much for sharing this
Yes, our dogs became much busy with the food dispensing toys.
What a great invention. It’s amazing when our pets can eat and play at the same time, isn’t it?
Take Care Of Dogs
This is a really helpful Gadget for us and an Amazing toy for dogs. This will help them keep busy and feed them ant the same time, but it may have side effects on the dogs digestive system.
I liked the buster cube.
This is a really helpful and interesting post for my dog. Thanks for sharing and keep it coming.
My finger got stuck in the Qwizl and my dog cries every time he uses it