h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I got a treat ball for my s today. Let them watch me put some dry food inside it, while accidentally on purpose dropping a few. Jena, the yorkie, loved it. It was fun watching her pushing it around the kitchen floor, though I had to show her the food a couple of times, then she decides to pick it up, (I think she she used the hole to help her pick it up) and take it out in the garden, and continued rolling it about out there

I'm not leaving it laying around on the floor, I'm sure if she got the chance she'd chew it up

Elsa, my other dog, showed no interest in it at all.

Emmily

Glad at least one liked it! Buster loves his - didn't even need showing how to do it. I've been thinking of getting one with tunnels and things inside so he has to work harder to get it.

Beauty doesn't show much interest in hers, so what I do is put hot dog sausages inside it, all cut up, and roll it around for her. When a bit drops out I roll the ball back over it, so she at least has to nudge it out of the way.

I've never seen a dog try to chew one of these balls, but I've only really seen about 6 dogs with them, so you're probably wise to remove it if you think they might chew.

My dog loves her treatball too. In fact it's her all time favourite toy because it involves food! She will nose it around endlessly and when she's emptied it will bring it over to be refilled. she'll give you no peace until it's refilled and going again. I've tried making the hole small so she has to work hard to get the treats out, but she just picks it up and brings it to me to open the hole up bigger. She insists I play fair and give her a chance of winning! I don't blame her really. Only problem is her waistline! Endlessly eating treats is going to make her fat if I'm not careful. However, I've found some Mark and Chappell dog treats for dogs called Nutri-shapers - www.pressies4dogs.co.uk does them on their website - and I cut them up into smaller pieces and use them. they are supposed to be five calories per treat so she only gets about a calorie per piece!
hopefully a happy but slim dog!!!

I'd suggest that you don't put treats in it, but her dog food, that you refuse to change the size of the hole (she'll soon learn) and that you teach her that she can't demand food when she wants it.

My foster dog gets his food weighed every morning and a third of it is fed in his treat ball every morning (another third is used as training treats and the final third is his evening meal) . But when it's gone, it's gone. That way you keep the dog active and interested, but you're not feeding extra food. If you feed 'wet' dog food and it's not so easy to put into a abll, then just start feeding your dog less at meal times to make up for the treats. And consider changing to a complete food.

Or you could create obstacle courses for your dog. My foster dog spends half his time with the ball getting it out of the awkward places it's rolled into. That keeps his mind active as well!

Otherwise, get one of these: http://www.bustercube.com/ because you can make them more difficult.