It can be difficult to choose a dog toy that will both entertain and challenge your dog. The pet industry is large, and new products come out each day. There are so many brands that you will probably never be able to compare all the models.
As part of our regular review process, we select and review ten different brands of mentally stimulating dog toys to help you narrow down your search.
There is also a buyer’s guide included for dog toys for mental stimulation where we will take a closer look at what a dog toy for mental stimulation must possess.
Check out our reviews of 10 models of mentally stimulating dog toys we chose to review, and see how well they compare in durability, puzzle difficulty, cleaning, and enjoyment.
Here are some of our favorites for 2022:
The 10 Best Dog Learning Toys Reviews:
1. Nina Ottosson Dog Twister Puzzle Toy
We selected the Nina Ottosson 67335 Dog Twister Dog Puzzle Toy as our favorite dog learning toy. You can teach your pet sequential problem-solving with the Level 3 advanced puzzle. There are nine compartments for treats with sliding lids and nine locking handles. A damp cloth can be used to clean it.
It kept all of our pets entertained for several minutes, and the only downside was that the locking white handles took a lot of effort to open, so they soon became chewed and looked bad.
Pros
- Advanced puzzle
- Teaches sequential steps
- Nine compartments
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Locking white handles wear out
2. Vitscan Dog Treat Dispensing Toy
This is the best dog learning toy for the money, the Vitscan Dog Treat Dispensing Toy has three unique balls stimulating your pet’s mind in three different ways.
The one made from hard plastic whistles and rolls as it drops treats, the one with soft rubber teeth helps your dog clean his or her teeth as he digs them out, and the other has stretchy spikes that make him or her brush their teeth more effectively.
The balls we found that all of our pets liked bore quite a bit of play time with them. They are suited for smaller dogs, however, and will not hold up for very long on a large dog.
Pros
- Three unique balls
- Cleans teeth
Cons
- Meant for smaller dogs
3. VolacoPets Interactive Dog Toys
A few extra dollars for the best dog toy, the VolacoPets 5 Different Functions Interactive Dog Toy is our premium choice mental stimulation dog toy. VolacoPets offers five different balls to stimulate your pet in various situations.
Besides the squeaky ball and treat dropping ball, a rope ball and a natural rubber ball are meant for outdoor play, and a last ball cleans your pet’s teeth while they are playing. These durable balls are good for indoor and outdoor play.
In our opinion, this brand is not suited for larger dogs or excessive chewers. These balls are likely to stimulate your pet, but there isn’t much to challenge them with; otherwise, it would have been higher in our rankings.
Pros
- 5-in-one
- Dental cleaning
- Durable
Cons
- Not for large dogs
4. Totoo Dog Treat Dispenser Toy
The Totoo Dog Treat Dispenser Ball Toy features a tumbler design that always stays upright. Using this toy, your dog will be able to dispense treats as fast as you want them to. If your dog eats too quickly, this toy will help slow down your eating. It is easy to clean and will keep them entertained while they work to get a treat.
It can fall apart and is easily picked up and carried by larger dogs, so it is not suitable as a toy.
Pros
- Tumbler design
- Easy to clean
- Slows down feeding
Cons
- Comes apart easily
- Not for big dogs
5. KONG 41938 Classic Dog Toy
The KONG 41938 Classic Dog Toy is a favorite for dogs who like to fetch and chew. These Kongs come in many sizes for any size pet, and they feature an extremely durable design. In one side, there is a hole that allows treats and peanut butter to be loaded into them. You can even freeze it for a great summer treat, and it’s dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to worry about keeping it clean. With its unique bounce, your dog will be entertained for hours.
It is difficult to find the right size Kong toys at first because there are so many sizes available. Getting one that is too large or too small will limit its durability and fun level. It is also expensive for what amounts to a rubber piece.
Pros
- Durable
- For any size dog
- Dishwasher safe
- Unpredictable bounce
Cons
- Hard to get the right size
- Expensive
6. West Paw Tux Interactive Dog Chew Toy
A very tough and durable dog toy, the West Paw Zogoflex Tux Interactive Dog Chew Toy is made from non-toxic, BPA-free rubber and designed to withstand even the toughest chewers. It floats, so it makes a great fetch toy to play around in the water. You can also wash it in the dishwasher after stuffing it with treats, making it easy to clean.
Our team found the West Paw to be a great fetch toy. Although it is easy to throw and travels a reasonable distance, it lacks in the interactive treat stuffing department. Nothing fits inside the toy, and anything that does fit falls out too easily. If your dog isn’t chewing it or bringing it back after you throw it, there’s no puzzle or anything to keep them entertained.
Pros
- Floats
- BPA free
- Dishwasher safe
- Durable
Cons
- Shallow treat compartment
- Not very challenging
7. Outward Hound Puzzle Brick Dog Toy
Designed to entertain your dog while also teaching it, the Outward Hound Puzzle Brick Dog Toy 67333 is perfect for you. There are red boxes in this puzzle that your dog must open as well as white bones that must be removed. The red boxes also slide to reveal hidden treats below, creating a challenging puzzle that your pet can solve.
With 20 compartments to hide treats in, there are nearly endless combinations to solve. It’s a lightweight toy you can wipe clean after use.
This game has small pieces, which your dog removes to get at the treats below. The downside is that you need to always supervise your dog. Some dogs will overturn the lightweight gameboard in order to get to the treats. These pieces don’t fit very well and can be difficult for your dog to grab. In addition to losing or chewing up these bones, some dogs may overturn the lightweight gameboard.
Pros
- Challenging
- Wipes clean
- Different every time
- 20 treat compartments
Cons
- Bones are hard to grab
- Must use supervision
8. StarMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Toy
This StarMark SMBAL Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Toy comes with a large food compartment that can hold up to three cups of food or treats, allowing you to use it as a dinner dispenser to slow down your pet’s eating process.
Pets with fast eating disorders will benefit greatly from this toy. It has adjustable openings and a durable plastic housing. Weighted anti-slip bottom makes the toy wobble unpredictably, so your pet can have lots of fun and you can keep entertained.
During our review, we noticed that even though this toy holds a lot of food, it’s not a great toy for big dogs, and they tend to carry it instead of playing with it. Adding food to this toy is a difficult and time-consuming process. You have to feed the food through a tiny opening that can only hold a few pieces of food, and it can take more than five minutes to do so. Because you cannot get into the food compartment, cleaning isn’t much easier. Although the housing is durable, it may not last long if your dog chews.
Pros
- Holds up to 3 cups of food
- Adjustable openings regulate the flow of food
- Weighted anti-slip bottom
Cons
- Not for big dogs
- Not for chewing dogs
- Hard to fill
- Hard to Clean
9. SPOT Flip ‘N Slide Treat Dispenser Toy
A fun treat dispenser for your pet, SPOT 5779 Seek-a-Treat Flip ‘N Slide Treat Dispenser Toy. In addition to having multiple compartments for hiding treats, it also has two types of puzzle pieces, pieces that slide and pieces that lift. It features a very durable design that can withstand abuse from even larger dogs.
Three of our dogs were able to reach the treats without any introduction beforehand, so they enjoyed this toy, but it wasn’t challenging for them. The rubber feet of the game board should also be watched if your pet likes to push it, as they may fall off and your pet might mistake it for something else.
Pros
- Durable
- Multiple compartments
- Two kinds of puzzles
Cons
- Rubber feet come off
- Not very challenging
10. Corspet Hachi Dog Toy Treat Dispenser
As the last toy on our list for mental stimulation, we have the Corspet Hachi Dog Toy Treat Dispenser. Although this model is not as good as the first three dog toys, it is still likely to interest you for a number of reasons. This toy features moving rubber discs or gears incorporated into the design of the Hachi dog toy. A rubber spike and nodule on these disks holds the treats in place and gently clean your pet’s teeth and massage their gums while they chew.
There is one downside to this toy: it’s only suitable for puppies and tiny dogs. Dogs who chew or weigh more than 20 pounds will quickly destroy it. If your pet chews it apart, there are mall parts inside that he or she might swallow. The treat container also doesn’t hold treats very well, and most of ours fell out while filling it.
Pros
- Cleans teeth
- Massages gums
Cons
- Only for small dogs
- Falls apart
- Won’t hold treats
- Contains small pieces
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Toys for Mental Stimulation
When it comes to dog toys for mental stimulation, let’s consider what’s important.
Stimulation
A dog toy for mental stimulation is not exclusively a puzzle toy, so in order to understand them better, we should clarify what it is. Some stimulation toys are designed to entertain bored dogs or to cheer up depressed dogs. While many of these toys are puzzle toys, they are not exclusively puzzle toys. Toys like these can help dogs lose weight by slowing down their eating. Sometimes it’s not as much about educating them as it is about getting them to do something else.
It is for these reasons that some brands may offer a puzzle, while another might offer a squeaky toy.
Sharpen the Mind
To sharpen your dog’s mind and increase its intelligence, puzzles are the best method. Most puzzles can be found in three levels of difficulty.
Level One Puzzles
It is easiest for your pet to solve puzzles at Level One and often only has one challenge. Rolling a ball to dispense treats is a good example of a Level One puzzle.
Level Two Puzzles
It is usually necessary to pick up cups, press levers, and slide doors to solve Level Two puzzles.
Level 3 Puzzles
A reward is usually unlocked after your pet completes two distinct steps on Level 3.
Feeding Control
The use of puzzles can reduce your pet’s eating habits. Many dogs eat too quickly, which causes them to swallow air along with the food, resulting in discomfort.
Durability
When selecting a dog toy, we recommend that you check to see if it is up to the task. Dogs enjoy chewing and can tear apart a lot of toys in a matter of seconds. If your dog is a chewer, you should check to make sure any toys you buy are up to the task. There are many brands that state in the description whether a toy is for a heavy chewer, and many brands make toys specifically for heavy chewers.
Cleanup
Most brands will simplify the cleanup process by making their products dishwasher safe and not having too many sealed compartments that make it difficult to clean.
Conclusion
The reviews of dog toys for mental stimulation we have provided should have helped you make a more informed decision about what to get for your pet. If you’re still unsure, we recommend the Nina Ottosson 67335 Dog Twister Dog Puzzle Toy. This toy is durable and easy to clean. It features advanced puzzles that teach sequential problem-solving.
In our opinion, the Vitscan Dog Treat Dispensing Toy offers the best value, and with three balls, it will keep any small to medium-sized dog entertained and clean their teeth at the same time.
We hope you enjoyed our buyer’s guide and feel more confident about shopping around now that you’ve learned something new about mentally stimulating dog toys.