Puzzle Games for Dogs:
Tic-Tac-Twirl

Some of the best holiday gifts are the ones that are given and opened early. These are the gifts that everyone gets to enjoy together, and often, the ones that family and friends really remember. This past week has been a special time for me and my family, so I decided to give Miles some of his gifts early. We all greatly enjoyed watching him play with his new puzzles! The following is the first of a three-post mini-series. Over the next three days, I will show you three innovative puzzle games that are made just for dogs.

Now, Onward! To the first game…

Dog Puzzle Game:
Tic-Tac-Twirl

Tic-Tac-Twirl is the game of tic-tac-toe for dogs. The first time you play this game with your dog, you should place a treat in each compartment. Your dog will quickly learn that he can open a door halfway to get a treat, or, that if he flips a door all of the way, the treat will be boosted out of the side opening. You can then increase the difficulty of the game the next time by placing a treat in only one of the compartments, and letting your dog use his senses (and brain power!) to figure out which compartment the treat is in!

Small treats are best — for training and puzzle games alike, I love ZiwiPeak treats & meals! They are small, tidy, and high-value.

I like this dog puzzle toy because:

• There are no easily removable parts for dogs/puppies to run off with and chew/choke on. Play should be supervised, though.
• There are two different ways for the dog to get treats from inside each compartment.
• It is very easy to clean, and to store!

{  Tic-Tac-Twirl, by Kyjen  }