Treat dispensing toys are highly recommended for pets – especially dogs – as a way to encourage exercise, promote active feeding and positively enforce slower feeding. While there a number of good brands that produce such treat-dispensing toys, the leading IQ treat ball is from OurPets and has numerous difficulty levels to adjust to your dog’s ability and learning curve.
With thousands of product reviews, this toy comes highly recommended for a number of reasons. In this review, the specific toy details are listed, followed by a brief overview of the product. Pros and cons of this toy are also listed and the review is then wrapped up with a summary of the customer reviews; both good and poor qualities of the toy will be covered for a well-rounded review.
When it comes to energetic dogs, this treat ball is a lifesaver. The simple, yet efficient design compels puppies and grown dogs alike to continually engage with the toy in order to receive the treats that are inside. It can keep even the most-distracted dog entertained for a good half an hour or more.
The toy itself comes in two sizes (with optional two-packs for each size as well) and contains a non-toxic plastic. Currently listed as an Amazon’s choice pet toy, it has great reviews for how easy it is to clean and the unique feature of a white divider. You can adjust this divider to control how much food comes out each time the toy rolls; the harder the difficulty, the slower the food can come out.
While the product details recommend this for small to medium dogs, it can work for dogs up to 60lbs. Unless your dog is an extra-aggressive chewer, there is no reason why this toy wouldn’t be good for them. A non-exhaustive list of the breeds that this IQ treat ball is good for are German Shepherds, Beagles, Boxers, Poodles, Huskies, Aussies, and even Dachshunds.
What The User Reviews Say
The Good
- It is so easy to clean the IQ treat ball (which is good if your dog is a drooler!)
- The hard material discourages most chewing and holds up pretty well – including puppy teeth
- The difficulty levels are easy to adjust depending on how engaged your dog(s) are
- Most standard size snacks or kibble work with it inside depending on your dog’s preference
- Surprisingly long-lasting unless bitten or thrown hard against the floor. Will withstand general rough-and-tumble abuse for months.
The Bad
- Very noisy on hardwood/non-carpeted floors. One solution is to cover the ball with an old sock and cut around the food hole to buffer the noise
- Dangerous for dogs who have small faces and/or very small dogs (e.g. Yorkies) as they can get their face and/or jaw stuck in the food-dispensing hole
- Hard to get treats out if your dog is less than 6lbs (2.72 kgs) since the weight of the pet is necessary to move the ball around
Conclusion
Even though there are other IQ treat ball products available for purchase, OurPets truly outshines them all. The different sizes allow for a wider range of dog sizes and breeds to engage with the toy and the design should withstand a pretty strong beating during playtime. Not only does this toy come with adjustable difficulty levels, it also weighs down so that the treats won’t come off easily regardless of the difficulty level. Lastly, this toy is just the right size to discourage dogs from picking it up in their mouth. Your input and experience with the IQ treat ball from OurPets are welcome! Feel free to drop a comment below with your stories and what reasons you have for making this one of the best available.
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