Providing your dog with adequate mental stimulation is a key part of caring for his overall health and well-being. Getting down on the floor and playing with him is the best way to do this. Hide his toys and allow him to find them, make him do certain activities to receive his treats, or hide treats in random places around the house and let him find them. Although it may be the best way to mentally stimulate our pets, not every dog owner has the time to do these kinds of activities with their canine on a daily basis.
That’s where interactive dog toys come in. The Busy Buddy Tug-A-Jug dog toy from PetSafe is a great example. It challenges your dog and rewards him at the same time. The unique design appeals to all of your dog’s senses; smell, sight, taste, touch, and sound! You can’t get more stimulating than that. The design not only entices your dog to use all of his senses, but it also encourages him to play, beating boredom and getting him up and active.
The jug offers a simple design that is very user friendly. It’s made of hard plastic so the treats inside will rattle around, and it has an easy screw-off bottom so you can quickly fill it with treats or kibble. The bottom of the jug also has very small holes in it to let the odor of the food or treats escape. At the neck of the jug is a round ball with small rubber nubs. It is designed to feel good in your dog’s mouth and give him the oral stimulation he craves, enticing him to chew and also to help wipe plaque and tartar buildup off his teeth.
Then you get to the tug part of the toy. Through the hole in the top of the jug is a knotted rope. Your dog can tug and pull on this durable rope all day long. As he tugs there is a very small opening between the rope and the mouth of the bottle where treats and kibble will occasionally fall out. These small rewards will motivate your dog to play longer. You could also use this as a feeding tool if your dog tends to gulp down his meals.
I love the versatility of this toy. We’re all on a budget, some more strict than others, and we all want to get our money’s worth out of the products that we buy. This toy is like a three-in-one interactive game for your dog. He can tug and chew, plus it will dispense treats occasionally too. You can purchase this toy for about $10 on the PetSafe website, so I would say you’re certainly getting what you pay for with the Busy Buddy Tug-A-Jug.
