Nina Ottosson puzzle toys hide food behind a mechanism the animal has to work out — sliders, spinning layers, swivelling flippers and lift-out bones. PeekAPaw stocks the dog games, the smaller puppy versions and the Puzzle & Play range made for cats.
The difficulty Level printed on the box is the thing to get right, and it is the brand's own grading rather than a review score. Level 1 games such as Dog Smart, Wobble Bowl and the Treat Tumble balls reveal food with one obvious action, which is what a dog needs the first time. Level 2 adds a second step: Tornado spins, Hide N' Slide asks the dog to push flippers aside, and the Activity Matz are fabric rather than moulded plastic. Level 3 and the single Level 4 game, MultiPuzzle, require actions in sequence, and a dog that has not worked up to them will usually give up or chew instead.
Two things are easy to miss. The Composite versions of Dog Smart, Hide N' Slide and Dog Worker are the same games in a different material, so choose on material, not difficulty. And the cat range is a separate design — the Puzzle & Play boards are shallower and sized for paws, so they are not simply small dog games.
- Dog Toys
- Cat Toys
- Dog Treats — for filling the puzzles
- Outward Hound, Petstages and Planet Dog — the other brands in this family
