Puzzle Toy Review: Nina Ottosson DogSpinny

This DogSpinny is one of the many board game-style puzzles by Nina Ottosson. These are basically the original dog games, I'm pretty sure she invented the concept and that other companies then copied her idea. I thnk they are the cutest puzzle games, and they are much higher quality than any of our others.

Photo by Erin Koski

The red disc covers eight bone-shaped compartments, and has a single opening that lines up with those. A single white bone-shaped cover  sits in the opening and prevents the disc from turning until it has been removed.

On the bottom of the toy, there is a single screw that holds the two parts together. This can be loosened or tightened to change the difficulty level, or removed completely to take the puzzle apart for cleaning.

Nina Ottosson's website has a page of tips including the suggestion to fill the hollows with wet dog food and then freeze the base for a longer-lasting challenge. It was at this point I realized the puzzle must be designed to come apart, up until then I had only put dry food in it. Sisci is getting spayed today, so I will probably try out the frozen wet food idea soon. I expect a lot of our puzzles are going to be getting a lot of use during her recovery.

Puzzle Toy Review:

Capacity: 3/5

Fits about 2 cups of food.

Loading Speed: 2/5

Dump 1/4 cup of kibble in a hole, spin the disc a bit, dump 1/4 cup of kibble in the next hole, spin the disc...

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5

This is a Level 1: Easy puzzle from Nina Ottosson, but it breaks newbie brains. They often need a break before they empty the whole thing.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5

At least the first few times, the process has been lengthy and labor-intensive for Brisbane.

Size: 4/5

The bone cover is light, and the disc can be loosened so it spins freely. This makes it suitable for the smallest dogs. Anything smaller than a giant breed ought to be able to get the food out of the hollows reasonably well, but I don't think a Saint Bernard would be able to use this one.

Durability: 3/5

The DogSpinny is made from a slightly-flexible plastic that bends instead of cracking under stress. This means it should hold up well to being shot into walls by enthusiastic puzzle-solvers. 

Noise: 5/5

That same material means it doesn't clatter nearly as much as the cheap, hard plastic puzzles. 

Locatability: 5/5

This is a supervision-only toy, so they never have a chance to shove it under the couch.

Washability: 5/5

Ok, I've had this thing for at least a year, and didn't realize it came apart until today. There's no uncleanable-spaces in it, and it's even dishwasher-safe. Crazy.

Versatility: 5/5

The adjustable disc and light pieces mean this puzzle can be used by small animals like rats, ferrets, and rabbits. The fact that it can be opened and sterilized means it can be used by Xhuuya the raven, and other animals that tend to get their toys really egregiously dirty.

Total: 36/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Mod Dog Puzzle

I found this board-game style wood dog puzzle by Mod at my local Ross. This seems to be a discount store brand, and is owned by the same company as Doghaus, another brand I often see there. 'Mod' stands for Modern Objects for Dogs, and car seat covers are the only other product I routinely see from this brand. So it's not a high-tech, well-researched product from an awesome company, but it is a different puzzle than most of ours and it was $5 so worth trying out.

Photo by Erin Koski

The puzzle consists of a bone-shaped base with a colored peg occupying a hole in each corner. At the center there are three hollows and two colored sliders, the third hole is covered by a natural-colored wood peg that is slightly larger than the other four. In order to move the sliders, the big peg must be removed from the puzzle.

I like the pegs on this puzzle because they are shaped nicely for dogs to pick up with their mouths. So far Brisbane is the only one who has mastered this skill though, everybody else just paws wildly until the pegs come out.

Puzzle Toy Rating
Capacity: 1/5
This is a one-treat-per-cavity puzzle, intended for supervised, interactive play rather than turning dinner into a project.

Loading Speed: 5/5
Lightning fast since I'm basically loading it up with seven kibbles.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Pegs are pretty tough for dogs to figure out, and take a lot of effort to remove via pawing. This was a real stumper for Ranger and Annie, and Sisci took a long time to finally empty it.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5
Brisbane already knows exactly how pegs work and is pretty efficient at working sliders too. He emptied the puzzle efficiently and methodically in less than a minute.

Size: 3/5
The pegs on this one are a bit big for Ru to move with his mouth, and would be a bit tiny for a large breed dog to pick up.

Durability: 5/5
This is a solid wood puzzle intended for supervised play, and should stand up to anything short of intentional gnawing. It has so far weathered a near-infinite amount of pawing with no damage.

Noise: 4/5
It doesn't roll or clatter, though it does occasionally get launched across the floor and can make some interesting noises on the hardwood when I decide to give a dog some space to work things out.

Locatability: 4/5
Supervision means never losing the puzzle, though the pegs do like to roll away sometimes.

Washability: 4/5
Most of the wood is pretty well-sealed, but I wouldn't be putting raw meat in it or anything.

Versatility: 2/5
This puzzle requires some fine motor skills to complete, and the small parts and material limits the range of critters that can solve it without destroying it.

Total: 35/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Outward Hound Whirli Treat

The Outward Hound Whirli Treat is a poorly designed puzzle toy that consists of a ball with holes in it, and a stand. Theoretically the stand holds the ball so that it can roll in place, making the puzzle slightly more difficult to solve. In reality the ball falls off the stand the moment anyone touches it or breathes near it. It's really quite difficult to get it to spin on the stand without knocking it off, and the dogs don't seem to realize that this is how it's supposed to work. There are two large holes in the ball, and nothing else to keep the food from pouring out immediately. Seriously, I doubt the designers of this toy ever actually tested it with a real live dog. This is supposed to be a level 2 difficulty puzzle, and like the Tic Tac Twirl it is another that ejects all the food immediately when nudged.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Review

Capacity: 4/5

I can fit at least a cup of food in here, and it will take slightly longer to empty than a bowl.

Loading Speed: 3/5

A soda funnel works pretty well.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 1/5

There is literally nothing stopping the kibble from just pouring out.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 1/5

Mere seconds.

Size: 1/5

Even Ru can't use this thing without knocking it off the stand, so I have no idea what size dog it is supposed to be for.

Photo by Erin Koski

Durability: 1/5

The two parts separate instantly when touched. Maybe the rest will stay together. I have to say that the Kyjen toys we have seem very sturdy while the Outward Hound-branded ones are much more glossy and flimsy. I don't like the new color scheme, either.

Noise: 2/5

It's a hard plastic ball, rolling unfettered across my hardwood floors. The only saving grace is that the dogs empty it instantly and then ignore it.

Locatability: 2/5

It's a hard plastic ball rolling unfettered across...well, you get it.

Washability: 2/5

The ball doesn't open up, but the holes are big enough to stick a bottle brush through.

Versatility: 1/5

Rolling the ball on the stand is difficult, I can't imagine any kind of animal that would attempt to use this toy as intended rather than letting it roll off the stand and dump food everywhere.

Total: 18/50

Puzzle Toy Review: The Ethical Pet SPOT Seek-a-Treat Slide 'n Swivel

The SPOT Seek-a-Treat Slide 'n' Swivel by Ethical Pet is a board game style puzzle toy for dogs. The toy has a total of eight different hidey holes for treats, covered by sliding and swiveling lids. The center sliders are particularly challenging as they all slide into the space in the middle and therefore only one can be opened at a time. The Slide 'n Swivel has puzzle-piece attachment points on each side that allow it to be connected to other puzzles for more fun. Ethical Pet makes one other puzzle with this feature, the Flip 'n Slide.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane figured out this toy right away, as usual. The only issue we had was that he was quite certain the blue sliders were meant to be pulled off with his teeth. They have openings that allow him to see and smell the food, and also to get a good grip and yank. Close supervision was required so I could redirect him when he really looked like he might break the thing.

Puzzle Toy Review

Capacity: 1/5
Each compartment holds a few kibbles, I might be able to get a little more than a quarter cup in here. This is definitely an interactive project and not for independent play.

Loading Speed: 5/5
It's really, really easy to load up a tiny amount of kibble.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 4/5
This was the first board game puzzle Sisci has encountered, and it took her several minutes to figure it out.

Unloading Speed )superdog): 1/5
Even with his desire to rip off the blue sliders, Brisbane emptied this toy in mere minutes. The photo above was the first time he had ever seen the Slide 'n Swivel, and he figured it out immediately.

Size: 3/5
This toy is not heavy and does not have any large moving parts, even Ru would be able to use it if he actually liked food. Briz and Sisci were both able to use it easily, but they could also lift and toss it if they felt inclined. A large dog may have trouble moving the small parts.

Durability: 2/5
It held up to some light biting and pulling, but the plastic feels pretty flimsy and I'm not sure how well it will hold up to further abuse.

Noise: 2/5
It slides along my hard floors, and rattles a little bit. The plastic is much harder and noisier than our other puzzles.

Locatability: 5/5
Close supervision means we never lose it.

Washability: 3/5
All the small moving parts make it a bit annoying to clean, but I can reach all the nooks and crannies to get it really clean.

Versatility: 4/5
We borrowed this one from our friend Xhuuya the raven, she likes all the little moving bits and foraging for nuts. Medium and large parrots can probably use it, and rats and ferrets may also enjoy it.

Total: 30/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Kyjen Jigsaw Glider

The Kyjen Jigsaw Glider is a board game style puzzle toy with four different treat-holding cavities and three moving pieces. This toy moves in a somewhat different manner than many of our other puzzles, so it presents some unique challenges.

Photo by Erin Koski

I find this toy visually appealing because I love jigsaw puzzles. The Jigsaw Glider has two purple pieces that slide away from each other to reveal two of the treat wells. The green piece in the center slides back and forth to reveal additional wells beneath the ends.

The Jigsaw Glider was easier for Brisbane to solve than the Kensington Kennel Club slider puzzle The entire surface of the toy is made up of sliding pieces, rather than just a few small inset parts. It's much easier to solve by accident, too.

Photo by Erin Koski

Part of the challenge with this toy is that the green piece covers up three treat wells when revealing the fourth. There is a lot of movement required, and the puzzle doesn't stay solved once it's been opened.

Puzzle Toy Review

Capacity: 2/5
I think I can fit half a cup of kibble in here.

Loading Speed: 5/5
Very easy to dump in with a measuring scoop.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
This toy gives Ulysses a bit of a challenge, but is not impossible.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 3/5
Briz got the hang of the Jigsaw Glider right away, it takes longer for him to open it than it does to inhale his food out of a bowl, but not that much longer.

Size: 4/5
I think Ru would be able to use this puzzle if he actually cared about food enough. A very large dog might have difficulty getting the food out of the little holes.

Durability: 3/5
Xhuuya the raven likes to pull the purple sliding parts off the Jigsaw Glider, so I know they come off pretty easily.

Noise: 5/5
Rubber feet plus close supervision mean I never hear this thing thunking around on my hardwood floors.

Locatability: 5/5
Since this is a toy made for use with supervision, I never have to worry about losing it.

Washability: 4/5
It has a lot of nooks and crannies, but it can be cleaned thoroughly.

Versatility: 4/5
Raven-approved. This puzzle does not require thumbs, pinchers, or pointy teeth to solve, and can be use by dogs, cats, corvids, and probably toddlers.

Total: 40/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Kensington Kennel Club Dog Intelligence Toy

The Kensington Kennel Club Dog Intelligence Toy is a wood board game style puzzle toy for dogs. This is a house brand found at Ross stores, and so far this is the only puzzle toy in the product line. It consists of several treat holes and several wooden circles that slide on tracks to cover the treat compartments.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the only wood puzzle toy I currently own, and I'm a little uncomfortable calling it "wood" because it's the base looks like particle board to me. Still, it is very sturdy and has held up to being flung across the room.

This is definitely one of the most difficult board game puzzles we have, and Brisbane tends to get frustrated to the point of yapping at it. There are no air holes in the round circle covers, so the dogs cannot immediately locate the food.

Photo by Erin Koski

The covers slide fairly easily, but they're tough to open accidentally. Briz can't just kick this toy all over the room and have it magically eject food. Opening the covers requires either careful scratching or nose nudging. So far Ulysses and Ru haven't figured this toy out yet.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 1/5
Not even a quarter cup of kibble, more like 2 or 3 pieces per compartment.

Photo by Erin Koski

Loading Speed: 5/5
I can only put a few treats in here anyway, doesn't matter if they go in one by one.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 4/5
My less-than-brilliant dogs still haven't figured it out. I'd rate it 5/5 if I didn't get tired of supervising after awhile.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 5/5
For the amount of food it fits, this toy probably delivers the highest ratio of time spent.

Size: 4/5
Ru could use this toy if he could figure it out. A very large dog could still use this toy safely with supervision.

Photo by Erin Koski

Durability: 5/5
Short of taking a bite, I can't actually figure out a way my dogs could damage this toy.

Noise: 3/5
The lack of non-skin anything on the bottom of this toy guarantees it will be scraping across the floor.

Locatability: 5/5
Supervision only means it never gets lost.

Washability: 1/5
I would be afraid to get this toy wet, it might disintegrate if I tried to scrub it. If the wood got too wet, it might swell or warp to the point where the toy no longer worked.

Hoardability: 1/5
Briz can't lift it or even pick it up. He's not taking it anywhere.

Total: 34/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Kyjen Treat Triad

The Kyjen Treat Triad is a board game style food puzzle toy for dogs (and sometimes ravens). It consists of a three-blade propeller-shaped spinning piece atop a base which holds three treat compartments. In order to reach the food, the dog must spin the propeller and then lift the flap above each compartment.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a fairly advanced puzzle toy, and it has a knob on the bottom to tighten the propeller and make it even more difficult. The Treat Triad has a lot of potential for dogs who figure things out really fast because it is very easy for them to accidentally spin the propeller while sniffing. This means the dog may not immediately realize why they suddenly have access to the food, and it may take a few exposures before they really understand that they have to spin the thingy.

Photo by Erin Koski

Complaints about this puzzle include the fact that the treat wells are pretty deep and narrow. I've heard of at least one dog getting cut on the door flaps while retrieving treats. Larger dogs may have trouble getting to the food, and many just flip it over and roll it around until it opens.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 4/5
I fit maybe half a cup of kibble in the entire thing.

Loading Speed: 5/5
Dump kibble in each well, done.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Ulysses is the sort of dog to accidentally open the Treat Triad several times without actually figuring it out.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
Briz spent a good ten minutes exploring the Treat Triad before emptying it.

Size: 2/5
Larger dogs may have difficulty using this toy as intended. Smaller dogs shouldn't really have a problem, but at 40 pounds Brisbane has trouble getting the food out.

Photo by Erin Koski

Durability: 2/5
The propeller itself is pretty sturdy, but the door flaps are really thin and kind of sharp around the edges.

Noise: 5/5
This is one of those toys that's just supposed to sit still on the floor.

Locatability: 5/5
Doesn't go anywhere, and I supervise during playtime.

Washability: 3/5
It can be scrubbed, but it's a giant pain in the butt.

Hoardability: 1/5
Nobody is taking this thing anywhere.

Total: 36/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Toys'R'Us Treat Puzzle Dog Toy "The Everything Puzzle"

The Toys'R'Us Treat Puzzle Dog Toy is a board game style puzzle toy sold exclusively at PetSmart. It features four treat compartments that each open in a different way, and for this reason I have dubbed it "The Everything Puzzle". It needed a name, too, because PetSmart currently has three different Toys-backwards R-Us treat puzzles available on their website, with nothing to differentiate them from one another either in the name of the product or the packaging itself.

Toys'R'Us Treat Puzzle Dog Toy

Kyjen Paw Flapper

Toys sold under the Toys-backwards R-Us brand have been appearing at PetSmart for a while now, and they often seem to be familiar toys with a new label. Check out this Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, for example. Doesn't it have an uncanny resemblance to Kyjen's Paw Flapper. It's obviously the same toy, and PetSmart has likely licensed both the toy design and the Toys-backwards R-Us logo.

Photo by Erin Koski

Kyjen doesn't have anything like the Everything Puzzle, though. This one is both unique and challenging. The four treat compartments each open in a different way. There is a yellow door, a green drawer, an orange disc, and a round red plug. The orange disc sits firmly under two little flaps, and must be both spun and slid for removal. The red plug is round on the bottom and sits in a round depression with a little treat cavity below.

Photo by Erin Koski

Rather than reinforcing puzzle-solving skills by having the dog repeat a task several times, this toy requires four separate actions to defeat. It is difficult to open just by shaking, kicking, or even flipping the whole thing. This makes it a great challenge for Brisbane.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 4/5
I can fit at least half a cup of food in here, probably closer to a whole cup. That drawer in particular is quite roomy.

Photo by Erin Koski

Loading Speed: 5/5
Open compartments, dump in food, close compartments.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
I'm not sure Uly would figure this out given an entire day to ponder.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
Brisbane spent a good ten minutes getting a quarter cup of kibble out of The Everything Puzzle even though he had seen it before.

Size: 3/5
The pegs on most of the parts of this puzzle would be difficult for a dog with  larger mouth. Brisbane has a little bit of trouble with them, I'm sure a large or jowly dog would fair much worse. At the same time, I think that Ru would have a tough time spinning the orange disc or opening the drawer with his tiny mouth and utter lack of strength.

Durability: 3/5
This puzzle is made for use under close supervision and won't hold up to much chewing, but it also feels pretty darned sturdy. There is no thin or bendable plastic in this puzzle.

Noise: 4/5
It can be a little rattly when Brisbane is kicking it across a hard floor, but overall it's not bad.

Locatability: 5/5
Close supervision means never having to look under the furniture for this toy. I'm pretty sure those removable red and orange parts would disappear in some households though.

Hoardability: 1/5
No stealing and no moving means no hoarding.

Washability: 4/5
Hard plastic should make for easy cleaning, but I'm pretty sure there's no way I could clean the space behind that green drawer.

Total: 38/40
I think this is my favorite board game so far.

Puzzle Toy Review: Kyjen Tic-Tac-Twirl

The Kyjen Tic-Tac-Twirl is a board game puzzle toy that is particularly fun for bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds. It has four spinning flaps the hide four treat compartments. The Tic-Tac-Twirl is unusually versatile in that it can be solved at least three different ways, and does not require the dog to retrieve their treats from a small cup or cavity.

Photo by Erin Koski

I've done it! I found a puzzle toy easier than the Kyjen Star Spinner! This one is particularly fun for Ulysses because he barely has to touch it for treats to come flying out. Literally, not kidding about the flying treats. This is what makes this game so accessible for brachycephalic breeds like bulldogs and pugs.

To properly understand how the Tic-Tac-Twirl works, it helps to know that the cavities underneath the spinning squares are shaped like half-pipes. There is just enough clearance for each square to spin, and that's it. Each cavity also has a little hole to the outside world in the side of the toy.

Photo by Erin Koski

The toy is loaded by spinning each flap vertical, dropping the treats inside, and then rotating the flap horizontal to cover them. None of the flaps stays flat, they all sit at a slight angle. Here are three methods for solving the Tic-Tac-Twirl puzzle:

1. Rotate each flap 90-degrees and slurp the treats out of the compartment.

2. Rotate the flap by pressing the inner edge of the square down first so that it sweeps the treats out of the hole in the side of the puzzle.

Photo by Erin Koski

3. Rotate the flap 180-degrees by pressing the outer edge of the square down first so that it sweeps the treats up onto itself.

This versatility makes this puzzle workable by dogs of all sizes and shapes, as well as a variety of other animals with hooves, paws, and beaks. Xhuuya the raven thinks it's pretty fun to explore as well. For a puzzle-savvy dog like Brisbane, this toy presents no challenge at all, but for a timid or less experienced dog it provides a fun and non-threatening game. It is certainly more accessible than some of our toys with the tiny treat compartments.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
I can put more than half a cup of food in here, but it is probably going to go spewing everywhere as soon as anyone touches it.

Loading Speed: 4/5
Dump and spin. The only thing that slows me down is trying to keep all the treats inside long enough to let the dogs have a go at it.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
It doesn't take Ulysses very long to get the treats out, but the variety of ways they come out surprises him. The novelty provides a lot of enrichment.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 1/5
Briz utilizes method #1 and spends about the same amount of time emptying this as he would emptying four small bowls of kibble.

Photo by Erin Koski

Size: 5/5
The durability and mechanisms of this toy should make it usable by teeny tiny toy breeds and giants alike. Also large birds, and probably ponies or something.

Durability: 4/5
Unlike our other Kyjen Dog Games, the plastic base on this one is reinforced and quite heavy and thick. It won't stand up to real chewing, but it should be able to take quite a bit of dropping and kicking.

Noise: 5/5
Rubber feet keep it from sliding on the hardwood, and the rate of reinforcement for poking at the spinny bits makes it less likely that the dogs will be kicking this one across the floor in frustration.

Locatability: 5/5
Supervision required, no removable pieces, and no toy-flinging means I always find it right where I left it.

Washability: 2/5
Know how I said it has a reinforced base? This is accomplished by nesting two pieces of plastic together, making a nice thing place for water to seep in. Getting this toy properly dry is going to take a lot of shaking and waiting, and if it gets super gross there's probably no hope of salvaging it.

Hoardability: 1/5
Not going anywhere with Brisbane.

Total: 33/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Kyjen Doggy Blocks Spinner

The Kyjen Doggy Blocks Spinner is a hard plastic board game puzzle toy. The puzzle includes four removable square blocks that each hide a food compartment. Once all blocks have been removed, the yellow disc on top spins freely to reveal four more small treat compartments.

Photo by Erin Koski

Solving this puzzle takes a similar set of skills as solving the Yin-Yang-Yum, though I think this one may be easier. For starters, the colored cups sit a little looser in their holes, making it easier for the dog to wiggle them around and realize they can be picked up. The top disc on this one also spins very easily once the cups are removed, and the thin yellow disc seems to be more intuitive than the thicker lids of the Star Spinner or Yin-Yang. Both Brisbane and Ulysses figured out right away that spinning the disc would uncover the treats.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ulysses still hasn't quite figured out how to pick up the blocks to uncover the food, but I think he might be getting closer with the Doggy Blocks Spinner. The square blocks seem easier to pick up than round cups. I usually pick up the blocks to show him the treats first, and sometimes I even put the blocks on the floor by themselves with treats underneath to help him with the concept. He has seen this toy once now, and the Yin-Yang several times and he might be starting to catch on.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
It holds a bit more than half a cup of kibble, far more than my monsters usually eat at once.

Loading Speed: 5/5
Pick up blocks, spin disc, dump in food, reassemble. There's a lot of parts, but zero effort.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Ulysses might starve if this was his only dinner option. It takes him 10-20 minutes to solve this puzzle depending on how much I help.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
Brisbane solves the Doggy Blocks by methodically moving each block, with no hesitation. Still, it takes him a good five minutes or more to completely open the thing. I could put just one treat in there, in one of the compartments under the disc, and it would still take him almost as long.

Size: 4/5
A huge dog might have trouble getting the blocks into his mouth. A tiny one may also have the same issue, though I'm pretty sure Ru could dig the blocks out of here if he really wanted to.

Durability: 2/5
The hard plastic won't stand up to chewing, and the yellow disc is pretty flimsy. Both Brisbane and Uly first tried to move it by bending it away from the blue base instead of spinning. That said, this is a supervision only toy anyway, so nobody is suggesting a dog be left unattended with it. This is an interactive toy that we use with me sitting on the floor cheerleading.

Noise: 4/5
Put it on a rug and it's pretty darned quiet. Rubber feet on the bottom keep it from sliding too much. It does have the potential to make a racket though, given how much the dogs want to violently shove it backwards across the room with their front feet.

Locatability: 4/5
While this is a supervision-only toy, it also has four, count them, four removable pieces. We generally get this out and play with it and then stick it back in the toybox but...it's really only a matter of time until one of those boxes wanders off. (Does anybody else have a Monopoly game in their closet that's missing the shoe? It's like that.) This is an even greater certainty in households with dogs that enjoy hiding things.

Washability: 4/5
Dishwasher safe, blah blah. Also not terribly annoying to hand scrub and dry, this is where those removable blocks are kind of helpful.

Hoardability: 1/5
This is a supervision-only toy so there will be no hoarding.

Total: 36/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Kyjen Yin-Yang-Yum

The Kyjen Yin-Yang-Yum is a board game puzzle toy made out of hard plastic. This puzzle requires two different problem-solving skills to complete, making it significantly more challenging than our Star Spinner. To access the large treat compartments, the yellow and red cups must be removed from the blue base. Once the cups have been removed, the red and yellow sections can be rotated out to reveal four smaller hidey holes.

Photo by Erin Koski

This was Brisbane's first board game puzzle, and it still takes him a few minutes to complete it. Removing the cups is the biggest challenge, even though he knows exactly what to do. Getting a good grip and lifting each cup out of the base is tough without thumbs. I love watching Briz work through the puzzle because he is so careful and methodical about it now.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ulysses, on the other hand, still hasn't figured this one out. The Star Spinner is still a little intimidating, and he just can't get the Yin Yang to give up its secrets. I've been encouraging him with nice smelly treats under the cups, but he is still baffled.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
I can fit about half a cup of kibble in here, enough for Brisbane and Uly but not enough for a dog that eats a normal amount of food.

Loading Speed: 5/5
Dump in the kibble and it's ready. I can load it with the same scoop I use to measure the kibble.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Uly and I have spent ten minutes at a time working on this puzzle for several sessions now, and he still hasn't figured it out. I've been carefully demonstrating how the cup covers the food, and he is just beginning to understand that he has to pick them up.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane knows exactly how this puzzle works, but it still takes him several minutes to work through the steps. It's a shorter activity than a frozen Kong full of peanut butter, but clearly requires more mental effort.


Size: 4/5
Ru is a bit too tiny for this puzzle, he can't get his mouth around the cups to pick them up. I would worry about using this toy with a mastiff or a Great Dane too, just because the cups are so much smaller than their massive jowls. So not toy or giant-breed friendly, but fine for regular-sized dogs.

Durability: 3/5
Since this is a supervision-only toy, it isn't made to be played with like a durable chew toy. It should hold up nicely when used as intended, but I worry about the hard plastic and moving parts sometimes when Brisbane plants his front feet on it and shoots it across the room. Large dogs who are less delicate about picking up the cups may put this toy through a lot of wear and tear.

Photo by Erin Koski

Noise: 5/5
Love those rubber feet on the bottom! This toy stays mostly in place on the hardwood and operates silently, unlike some of our particularly heavy bobbing toys.

Locatability: 5/5
The rubber feet keep it from sliding all over the house, and the fact that we play this game together means I always know where every part of the Yin Yang is.

Photo by Erin Koski

Washability: 5/5
There are no nooks and crannies for food to hide in with this toy, it's easy to scrub clean and set out to dry. It's also dishwasher safe, for those lucky dishwasher owners out there.

Hoardability: 1/5
Briz can't haul this one away to his lair, after playtime it gets picked up and put away.

Total: 40/50