Treat balls, such as the Tricky Treat Ball, are one of my dogs’ favorite brain games. Treat balls are hollow, allowing them to be filled with kibble, and have an opening that allows the food to fall out when the ball is rolled. Your pet learns to roll the ball in order to get the food. You can make your dog work for his or her dinner with a treat ball in a way that he or she will love. It also is a good solution for dogs that eat too fast. I find that one ball easily holds enough food to make a meal for one of my 20-25 pound Corgis.

2. DIY Muffin Tin Dog Brain Game

One of the simplest and most affordable brain games is the DIY muffin tin game. Simply put small training treats or pieces of kibble in a muffin tin and place tennis balls or other balls of similar size on top. Your pet then must figure out how to remove the balls to get the treats. The difficulty level is also fairly easy, making it a good beginner game.

3. Dog Finder

Nina Ottosson puzzles are some of the best in dog brain games. Dog Finder is one of our favorites. Treats are hidden under plastic bones. The dog must learn to pick up the bones to reveal the treat and slide bones into a position where they can be removed. Start with bones that do not need to slide for an easier puzzle and include sliding bones to make it more difficult.

4. Cagey Cube

n Cagey Cube, a ball is placed inside of a flexible cage, and the dog must try to extract it. I switched out the ball in mine with one that has a hole for treats. That extra motivation keeps my dogs working on the puzzle longer.

5. Paw Hide

Paw Hide is a bit harder than it appears. Treats are hidden under cups that your pet must remove to reveal the treats. Each cup is fairly deep seated, making removal more difficult. I prefer the more expensive Nina Ottosson Dog Finder to this one because it is more durable and has more flexibility in setting the difficulty, but Paw Hide has the benefit of being very affordable.

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