It’s weird that dog toys labeled “interactive” are exactly the opposite. All the action comes from the dog – the toy pretty much just sits there. The products labeled “interactive dog toys” just aren’t.
Best interactive dog toys
The truly interactive dog toys are the ones with you at the other end. Tug toys, games of fetch, anything where both you and your dog are necessary to the equation. Those are the games that strengthen your relationship with your dog.
Like any relationship, the one with your dog needs some attention. It’s not that dogs don’t love their people, they do. It’s that their humans haven’t made an effort to be part of the fun.
Building the bond
People complain that their dogs don’t pay attention to them. These are the same people that walk their dogs with their phones in their faces. Or who load up the interactive dog toy with treats, plop it on the floor, and get back on the phone.
Rather than that puzzle toy, how about getting down and playing the “Shell Game” with your dog. Play with them. Instead of dumping food in a bowl, take a couple of minutes, a portion of the food, and play “Touch!” or “Gimme Your Face!”
All good things
When you convince your dog that paying attention to you is worthwhile, you’ll get that attention. You’ll get more than you give, that’s how dogs work. Just a few minutes of dog training games will get you better attention and focus. It convinces your dog that listening to you pays off.
Dogs will predictably act in their own self-interest. If something has worked for them in the past, they’ll do it again. If you reward and praise your dog for looking at you, they’ll do it more often. They tend to be geniuses at figuring out what gets them the most cookies.
Everything in its place
It’s not that static puzzle toys, or treat-dispensing toys don’t have a place. They do. Best uses are when we’re unable to pay attention like during an important phone call. They’re also great for crate training, especially if the dog only gets a very special treat when crated.
Interactive dog toys are fun for dogs. They can smell the treats and most really enjoy figuring out how to get to them. It satisfies some of their instinct for pursuit. And hones their problem-solving ability. Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the latch of your treat container.
You’re the best interactive toy
Sometimes our students complain that they feel like “Pez dispensers,” because they’re constantly giving treats to their dogs. And that’s true, during training sessions. But those couple of minutes at a time are equivalent to your dog’s “job.” And everyone deserves payment for doing a good job.
The vast majority of the time you spend with your dog isn’t training. Those few minutes you play training games, be the real, interactive, treat-dispensing toy.
