Doxie News Dachshund Blog
Canine Genius “Leo” Dog Toy is Really Genius
For two years now, I have been searching for a fun dog treat release toy that my dog would enjoy, hopefully to release his dinner kibble. Kongs have potential, but if I freeze moist kibble it takes a little too long to get out. His tongue can't reach the last bits and it really frustrates him and he quickly gets bored of it. I'm always trying to think of ways around this, but for now, I'm not using the Kongs. I've tried other treat release toys but they seem to either release them all at once or not at all, frustrating the dog.
A while ago, I heard about the Canine Genius toys, and today I bought one. First off, they are great because they come with instructions on how to teach your dog to play with them so they don't get frustrated. We started off with little bits of treat that would fall out easily and Kody quickly learned to love it. Tonight we used it for Kody's dinner and he loved that too.
I am sitting with him when we use it at this stage to make sure he doesn't get stuck. If he starts using an unproductive method for too long, I will roll the toy around or tilt it to make sure some more food falls out. Kody's picking it up pretty quickly.
While a human could empty it without too much trouble, a dog will always take at least a little while because they get distracted by the treats falling out. Also, they just don't have the motor skills to empty it all at once, so it's really fun for them. It's also fun to sit and help out when needed because you can really see their brain start to work. Kody is learning that rolling or lifting is better than chewing, which is a new concept for him.
For a dachshund, I would recommend the Mini Leo, which comes in Ph.D. Purple, Cracker Jack Blue, Geek Squad Green, Hot Shot Pink, and SoBright Orange, all named to suggest how smart your dog will become!
The larger (actually regular sized) Canine Genius Leo is good for mid-sized and large breed dogs. There is also the "Extra" version of the larger Leo for heavy chewers.
All dog toys have a method of playing with them, and this toy seems to require more intense supervision at first. You start by paying close attention to teach your dog how to use it without getting frustrated or chewing the toy. Then it seems to require minor supervision later, where you will at least notice the toy is empty and take it away so they don't chew it up. But, having said that, it's all very easy on the human and fun for both the dog and the human. For me, it's a great way to feed my dog his dinner kibble.
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