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

Product Review: Harry Barker Eiffel Tower Dog Toy

The Harry Barker Eiffel Tower Dog Toy is a plush squeaky toy made from cotton canvas and stuffed with recycled plastic fiber. It is available in three colors and two sizes for large and small dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This toy arrived in our June BarkBox, and at the time I completely failed to get Brisbane or Ru interested in it. While Briz will normally bite a stuffy at least once out of obligation, this one he straight up avoided from the very beginning. I squeaked it, I tossed it, I wiggled it across the floor. The dogs looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. I left the toy on the floor.

Not long after our disappointing BarkBox arrived, Ulysses came back from his first adoptive home. The Harry Barker Eiffel Tower was the first toy he ever picked up and played with on his own. It went with us to all of Uly's home visits and has remained one of his favorite things.

Photo by Erin Koski

I am not a huge fan of this style of toy, it strikes me as ultra-modern, with an emphasis on being tasteful rather than fun. I don't know what exactly it is about this toy, but it just doesn't seem to be as attractive as many other stuffies. Uly likes it, but he doesn't squeak it.

Pros: A big, firm mouthful of squeak. Machine washable. Made from non-toxic, recycled and environmentally friendly materials. White color is attractive for dogs that like to shred paper, apparently. Tasteful, understated style is attractive for minimalists and those who dislike having their houses strewn with brightly-colored dog toys.

Cons: Lacking in some sort of "fun" quotient for 2/3 dogs here. White color means it looks dirty right away.

Bottom Line: I don't like it, but Uly likes it, so we're keeping it. Well, Uly is keeping it. The Harry Barker Eiffel Tower will be going with him to his forever home.