Puzzle Toy Review: Puppies R Us Adjustable Treat Spinner

I found this Puppies 'R Us Adjustable Treat Spinner on uber-clearance at PetSmart, and for $2 I couldn't say no. It's part of the ultra-cute "make puppy toys look like baby toys" concept that capitalizes on our desire to humanize our dogs as much as possible. This toy looks like an adorable spinning top. It is intended for kibble and kibble-sized treats, and can be adjusted to make it drop more or less food as it moves.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 1/5

It's really quite difficult to load more than ~10 pieces of food into this toy without it all spilling out.

Loading Speed: 3/5

We learned from the included instruction sheet that the clear part on top can be unscrewed, but it took an enormous amount of effort accomplish that. Doesn't make it much easier, though.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5

Most of the food just sort of falls out of it as soon as you touch it, even with the aperture set quite small.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5

It took Brisbane slightly longer to empty this toy than it does for him to eat a bowl of kibble.

Size: 2/5

This to is marketed for puppies, but would work well for small dogs too. Ru could certainly use it with ease. It's a bit small for anyone bigger than Brisbane, though.

Durability: 1/5

It turns out all that soft plastic is super fun to rip off, according to Sisci. I had originally taken this to be a fairly durable toy that could be left unattended with normally non-destructive dogs, but Sisci spent about ten minutes shredding the rubbery coating off the bone-shaped top bit. The bottom is

It only looks like a chew toy.

covered in blue rubbery stuff which also took some damage. Structurally the toy is fine, but aesthetically it's not quite as cute now.

Noise: 4/5

All that soft rubber makes this a fairly quiet toy on hard floors. At least before they shred it off.

Locatability: 3/5

The fact that it's a top means it tends to stop rolling before it ends up under the furniture. However, the convenient bone/handle on top makes it very easy for the dogs to carry around and drag away to their lairs.

Washability: 5/5

Comes all the way apart for easy cleaning. Not dishwasher safe, though.

Versatiliy: 4/5

The size of this toy makes it usable for rats, bunnies, and other small animals. The complexity makes it usable by ravens and crows, and we will be passing it along to our friend Xhuuya the raven now that Sisci is done demolishing the pretty bits.

Photo by Erin Koski

Total: 28/50

Puzzle Toy Review: JW Pet Playbites Doughnut

The Petmate JW Pet Playbites Donut is another puzzle toy from the Playbites series. This is a clattering-type toy intended to be filled with small treats like kibble. The outer edge is one continuous slit, and stuffing in treats larger than the opening provides quite a challenge.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
I can fit maybe a quarter cup of kibble in this small one.

Loading Speed: 2/5
The continuous slit means I can't wedge a funnel in there to speed things up.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 4/5
This took visiting dog Annie several hours to empty.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (superdog): 3/5
Brisbane can empty it pretty quickly, but for the amount of food it holds it takes quite a while.

Size: 3/5
This is the smaller size, about 4" in diameter. It's small enough for Ru to use. The larger one is 6" across, big enough for a medium dog or a less destructive large dog, but I wouldn't give to a Great Dane.

Durability: 4/5
It will probably hold up to almost anything but deliberate destruction.

Noise: 5/5
Natural rubber, hollow and flexible. Silent on my hardwood floors.

Locatability: 3/5
Small enough to get shoved under the furniture, but at least it doesn't roll.

Washability: 3/5
There aren't any major crevasses, but it's not exactly easy to scrub.

Versatility: 5/5
So far all my visiting dogs have enjoyed the Playbites Doughnut, and so does Xhuuya the raven.

Total: 34/50

Puzzle Toy Review: Boots and Barkley Treat Urchin

The Boots and Barkley Treat Urchin is a simple clattering-type puzzle toy that, yes, really does resemble a sea urchin. This toy is available in two different sizes at Target stores, ours is the smaller one.

Photo by Erin Koski

This cute little puzzle toy was spotted by a reader who shared it with me a while back. I found it the next time I visited a Target store, and I was pleased at how sturdy and inexpensive it was.

Similar to the Starmark Treat Dispensing Chew Ball, the Treat Urchin has a hole on either side with little flaps that prevent all but the smallest kibbles from just falling out.

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
This is the smaller-sized toy for dogs up to 50 pounds, and it holds maybe half a cup of food.

Loading Speed: 2/5
Break out the soda funnel for this one, otherwise it will be loaded one kibble at a time.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Foster puppy Xena can't actually get all the kibble out of this toy, ut I don't think she's trying very hard either.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5
Briz can empty it pretty quick, but he spends a while getting that last kibble out.

Size: 3/5
The small size is small enough for 6-pound Ru to use, but big enough to keep 40-pound Brisbane busy. The larger one looks big enough for a Labrador or similarly large dog provided they aren't a serious chewer. I would not give either toy to a giant breed dog.

Durability: 4/5
This is a very solid rubber toy. I'm sure a serious chewer could shred it right away, but it should hold up just fine for normal play from a dog that isn't on a mission of destruction.

Noise: 4/5
Soft rubber means no horrible noises on my hard floor, but the Treat Urchin is surprisingly heavy and solid, so it makes a big boom when tossed or dropped on elevated floors.

Locatability: 1/5
Fits under the couch. Fits under the coffee table. Small enough to be carried. Rolls with some effort. The Treat Urchin is somewhere in my house right now, but I've no idea where.

Washability: 3/5
It's a hollow rubber toy with a simple chamber inside, so I should be able to jam a scrub brush in there.

Versatility: 2/5
Xhuuya the raven can fit the tip of her beak in here, but the lack of easy cleaning limits the options for treats that can go inside.

Total: 28/50