Puzzle Toy Review: Paw5's Rock N Bowl

The Paw5 Rock N Bowl combines the convenience of a bowl with the enrichment of a puzzle toy. I know, some nights it's just too much work to funnel kibble into a toy. I've definitely been there. Apparently so have the folks at Paw5, because they've basically invented a self-filling food puzzle. Sure, it's shaped like a bowl, but it's way, way easier to fill and clean than the puzzle bowls you see everywhere.

Photo by Erin Koski

I think this is also a cool way to introduce the concept of puzzle feeding to both dogs and humans unfamiliar with the concept. It's not some wacky shape you have to screw together. It's a nice, familiar bowl with some extra features.

The Rock N Bowl is made in the USA from recyclable plastic. Paw5 uses a closed-loop, zero-waste manufacturing process. Sustainability is awesome!

Here's how it works: You dump the food on top and set the bowl down for your dog. Some of the food falls into the lower chamber, which has a flat floor. The kibble can then slide out the holes in the side of bowl. There is a ridge in the middle of the chamber floor that prevents the food from sliding freely across the bottom. Too easy? That flat floor can be removed, so that the kibble falls into the rounded bowl bottom instead. It's more difficult to get the food out the side holes that way.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 5/5

Holds up to four cups of kibble at a time, more than enough for any meal. It can actually be used as an everyday feeding bowl.

Photo by Erin Koski

Loading Speed: 5/5

As fast as dumping kibble in a bowl. That fast.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5

It's really easy to get some kibble out of the Rock N Bowl, but fairly difficult to get all the kibble out.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 5/5

With the chamber floor removed, it took Godzilla at least 15 minutes to eat a cup of kibble out of this bowl.

Size: 5/5

It's big enough for a giant breed dog to use, but light enough for Ru to push around without getting squished. Ru has been way more interested in the Rock N Bowl than our other puzzle toys.

Photo by Erin Koski

Durability: 5/5

Sturdy yet flexible plastic. It's not made to be gnawed, but it should be able to handle an infinite amount of being batted around the house or yard.

Noise: 5/5

I know, it looks like hard plastic that would be super noisy on hard floors. Someone at Paw5 must have hardwood, because they thought to make the bottom out of rubbery material. The bowl is not weighted, so it doesn't make those super heavy rolling sounds either.

Locatability: 5/5

It doesn't fit under the furniture, and I pick it up after dinner just like I do all the other dog bowls. The dogs aren't inclined to pick it up and carry it around, either.

Washability: 5/5

The bowl comes into three pieces for super easy washing. There are no crevices or hard to reach areas, and it's dishwasher safe.

Versatility: 3/5

Obviously this is a feeder designed for dogs, and smaller kibbles fall out easier than larger pieces. For that reason, it's difficult to use the Rock N Bowl with cats, bunnies, or rats. The super easy washing aspect means it can be used for animals that get things super dirty, but I suspect Xhuuya the raven would just take the whole thing apart. I'm pretty sure it would work for toddlers though. Might have to load it up with Cheerios and visit some friends.

Total: 48/50

Puzzle Toy Review: P.L.A.Y. Wobble Ball 2.0

I've been wishing for a Wobble Ball from Pets Lifestyle And You since I first saw it on their website two years ago, and they gave me a Wobble Ball 2.0 at SuperZoo! This puzzle toy definitely takes the cake for aesthetics, it seriously looks like a tastefully classic baby toy. Remember those spinning tops from Germany, with ballerinas or airplanes or circuses whirling around under a clear dome?

Photo by Erin Koski

It's just so pretty! Inside the dome is a little dog in a play bow, with a pumpkin and a carrot in a little field or garden. They don't spin, but they do look adorable under the cloud-shaped openings in the dome. Version 2.0 added matching soft linings around the openings.

Did I mention it also holds food, in addition to being adorable? Each of the three openings is a different size, so it might drop a little bit of food or a lot each time. The whole thing comes apart into three pieces, and the base can conveniently be used to hold extra treats.

It is worth noting that this is an interactive toy that requires supervision. It is not a chew toy, and should not be gnawed. I found a couple of reports of dogs getting their lower canine teeth caught in the previous version of the ball, happily the design has been updated.

Puzzle Toy Review

Capacity: 4/5

Ozzie sizes up the Wobble Ball

It's not really intended as a meal feeder, but I can put at least a cup of food in here.

Loading Speed: 5/5

Unscrew the dome, add food, screw it back on. Just make sure the middle piece with the figures is sitting properly in the base, otherwise the dome won't go on straight.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5

I put half a dozen little treats in here for Ozzie the Bichon, who had never seen this type of puzzle toy before. He spent an entire afternoon figuring out how it worked.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 5/5

It's not super obvious, but the little figures under the dome do more than just look pastoral and adorable. They also catch the food as it rattles around, making it difficult to get it all out just by batting it around wildly. The Wobble Ball 2.0 manages to drop food at a sufficiently high rate to keep the dogs interested, without dumping more than a couple of kibbles at a time. It's an impressive combination of form and function.

Size: 5/5

I had thought the base would be weighted, but it's actually empty so the toy is very lightweight. At the same time, it's very sturdy. The Wobble Ball is light enough for little tiny dogs to play with, but big and strong enough to allow giant breeds to play safely.

Durability: 5/5

It's not a chew toy, but I'm confident I could drop this thing down a flight of concrete steps without hurting it. The clear dome is holding up remarkably well too, I was expecting it to get scratched up right away and it looks pristine.

Noise: 4/5

It's hard plastic so it makes a bit of noise on the hard floors. However, the design means it doesn't roll very far. It's not super heavy or super resonant, either.

Locatability: 5/5

It only rolls a little bit, doesn't fit under the furniture, and is too big for my dogs to pick up and carry.

Washability: 5/5

Comes into three pieces for easy washing, with no cracks or crud-collecting spots. It's dishwasher safe too!

Versatility: 5/5

The combination of light, durable, and difficult makes this a toy I could use for a variety of animals. Rats, bunnies, and guinea pigs could all roll it around without getting squished. Xhuuya the raven might also like it, but she's likely to either unscrew it or just bash it against a rock, so I don't think I'll let her try ours.

Total: 48/50