Treat Puzzle Review - Dog Treat Maze by Nina Ottosson

This is a review of the Dog Treat Maze by Nina Ottosson. I would recommend this toy and am offering you a way to purchase it through an affiliate link. This will provide a small income to me and Bella to help us further our cause for happy active dogs everywhere. You are not required to purchase it from us. If you decide to do so, know that we very much appreciate it. 🐶

Bella's Review:

If you love to eat - and who doesn't...SRSLY. - then you wanna try a meal in this baby. It is round and has colors and it spins. Most of all it has food and treats in it. So you wanna spend some time with it because when you first get it you are gonna think you just have to bite it to get to the yummy smells inside. And then you will learn techniques like SPIN, BOUNCE, SLAM, PIROUETTE, THROW and maybe even make up some of your own. Make sure they put food and treats and not just food because that makes it better. And better is always better. Get this one. You won't regret it. Unless it's empty. And with emptiness comes regret. I read that somewhere once. I don't remember where. Seems to fit here though, no? I hear this one is size large. If it came in an extra large I would want that because I bet you could fit more treats in it.

Just the Facts: 

The Dog Treat Maze by Nina Ottosson is a spherical maze that is shaped like a dome on both the top and bottom. This gives it a wobble that is fun to watch. It also allows your dog to get their paw or nose under it to wobble it, tumble it and turn it end over end. It spins nicely on hardwood floors. They can use the openings to grab it with their teeth for throwing and dropping. The maze inside on the top and bottom are 90 degrees off center of each other so the top and bottom mazes don't react the same way. This makes filling easier and play longer and more engaging. There is no way to take it apart for cleaning, so only dry treats/food are recommended. There is no way to increase or decrease difficulty of this treat puzzle. Treat/food filling can be done on the top and bottom of the maze and each section is separate so treats do not co-mingle between sides.

Trista's 2 Cents:

We have had this treat puzzle since the beginning - so over a year. It was the first toy of its kind that we got Bella and our first experience with a treat puzzle. It was under the tree for Bella's first Christmas. We pre-filled with some training treats and wrapped it with paper and bows. I remember she opened the package - wrapping paper and all! - and then proceeded to try to open the puzzle. Oops. Didn't think that one through! This puzzle definitely took some training for her to get the hang of it. So worth it!

My first piece of advice is be prepared to train your dog to use this treat puzzle. It's a maze so they have to move the puzzle around to get the treats out. I highly recommend using a positive reinforcement tool to do this. We used the clicker to enforce the actions that would get the treats - pawing, pushing, spinning, tumbling end over end. And we discouraged her when she began to bite it in frustration. The time you spend training should go quickly if your dog is fairly smart. We did get some damage at first (I blame my lack of preparation with training needed) but the treat puzzle has held up..and all that damage (see right) is from the early days. This is one of the pricier treat puzzles we have purchased - at around $15 to $20 - so we have stuck with the original since it still works perfectly fine. 

This treat maze has also stood up to Bella's tendency to get bored with her toys. There is no figuring out a trick to empty the contents .. and repetition of the same movement over and over will not get the results she is looking for. Varied movement is required and therefore this is a long-term treat puzzle that your dog will enjoy for years to come. Our experience is that it will stand up to the abuse it gets while treat-seeking, as long as your dog is not left to gnaw on it. For that reason, I recommend supervised play. By that I mean - not alone. This is definitely in my arsenal of things for Bella to do when I need to get work done.

Here's a funny thing that happened last night - We were sitting on the couch for some late-night wind-down TV. Bella jumped onto the couch arm so she could reach her treat box that lives on the top of her crate. She took almost a minute picking something out. And then - voila! The toy she chose was the Nina Ottosson Dog Treat Maze! It was empty but she kept picking it up with her teeth and dropping it until we filled it up. I like that she chooses it when she wants to find something to do by herself. It's so much better than a fairly new habit she has started - Finding and then destroying boxes of tissues...not just the boxes but also the tissues! :-/

We are happy with this toy and would recommend it, and purchase it again.

Here are some additional helpful details:

• It comes in 2 sizes - small and large
• Use small training treats and small food pellets that do not crumble easily. The food will need to fit into a fairly small opening and will get knocked around quite a bit before escaping from one of the openings
• For longer play, fill both the top and bottom mazes with treats
• When filling the holes, here's what I do for maximum treat capacity (and maximum play time) - first fill one side, then on that same side tip the maze toward a NON opening side, flip the maze and repeat
• Mix treats and food so there is a lower calorie/fat content and still the interesting smell of treats
• As you get used to how long your dog will want to play, you may end up with treats and food leftovers on the floor - Bella empties it but doesn't always finish the contents at the initial sitting
• This is a great way to feed your dog if you have a fast eater

Treat Puzzle Review - Outward Hound Kyjen Star Spinner Dog Toy Puzzle

This is a review of the Outward Hound Kyjen Star Spinner Dog Toy Puzzle
I would recommend this toy for beginners and dogs that are not overly astute at solving puzzles (no judgement!). I'm offering you a way to purchase it through an affiliate link. This will provide a small income to me and Bella to help us further our cause for happy active dogs every where. You are not required to purchase it from us. If you decide to do so, know that we very much appreciate it. 🐶

Bella's Review:
I like this puzzle because I was able to get to the treats easily. Sometimes you have a tough day waiting for your humans to come home and watching the cat run around and you just need to unwind and not think too much. This is the perfect thing for me. I think of it as the Paw-tini. Dirty.

Trista's 2 Cents:
A great use for this is to slow your dog down in how quickly they eat. It hold about 1c of dry dog food between all the sections.

The way it works is the dog moves the top and middle sections with their paw or nose to get to the treats or food. Once spun, the toy opens up and all the sections of the level(s) are exposed. If they already know how to use their body parts as tools they will be able to solve this quickly. Once learned, it no longer poses a challenge.

We were not so much looking to slow down eating (we already had a great option for that at a higher difficulty level). So for us this was not a good choice. The 3 pieces are supposed to tighten to create more resistance and increase the difficulty. My experience was that it was never tight enough to pose a challenge for Bella.

Some Good Information:

• Don't over fill 
• Evenly distribute the treats among all openings
• For dogs not great at puzzles, start with the top tier only and then gradate to the lower tier
• Use the resistance screw on the bottom to slightly increase the difficulty level
• Avoid OVER tightening as this can cause the unit to break apart and then you may need to call my husband to fix it (I did...)
• Call me if you want mine - it's basically new 

Here are some additional details:

• It comes in different colors - you can sometimes find blue instead of green
• It ranges in price from $10 to $15 at the writing of this review
• You can get it here with cash back

Treat Puzzle Review - JW Pet Ever tuff Pod Treat Dispenser Dog Toy

This is a review of the JW Pet Ever Tuff Pod Treat Dispenser Dog Toy
I would recommend this toy and am offering you a way to purchase it through an affiliate link. This will provide a small income to me and Bella to help us further our cause for happy active dogs every where. You are not required to purchase it from us. If you decide to do so, know that we very much appreciate it. 🐶

Bella's Review:
I ruv this toy! Ok, enough with the puppy talk...listen to me what I am saying. Get this for your dog. It's important. My love is their love. And I love this toy. The boney end is perfect for gnawing. And the fun bubbles have yummy things inside of them so I have fun getting them out. This game is fun and it's also a toy when it's not a game and I hear it could even be funner with wet stuff in it but no wet stuff is ever in mine. But I don't care because - as humans say - it has rocks in it.

Trista's 2 Cents:
Bella means "It rocks." This was an impulse buy for me. I saw it and thought it had pretty colors. I was looking for some variety for Bella because she tends to get bored (due to her intelligence) as she gets good at a toy puzzle. She's also a destroyer so I have to say I liked the price. It was less than $10 - a great price for treat puzzles that are usually at a much higher price point. I can't remember but it may even have been the extra thing I put in my cart to get the free shipping.

We have had it over a year and it has held up and held Bella's interest. We are replacing it because the bone ends are now sharp from chewing and we don't want to create opportunities for Bella to cut herself on them.

The colorful pods have held up and have not been broken, ripped or pulled apart by Bella - a well known power chewer.

We are happy with this toy and will purchase it again.

Some Good Information:

• Use smaller treats for easier filling efforts - training treats and treat discs work best. A broken up milk bone or similar tend to stretch out the pod over time making the toy easier to empty after a while.
• Vary treats so there is something new in each pod. Variety is the spice of life and will reduce boredom.
• Avoid allowing your dog to use it as a chew toy to lengthen the life of the toy. Bella has been gnawing on the bone ends for a while now and they have become jagged and sharp. I'm in the process of replacing it to avoid injury of her or my bare feet.
• Avoid wet treats as it's not the easiest thing to clean. The pods are not removable and it does not come apart for easy cleaning.
• See the way it's facing in the photos - turn it the other way to fill it. They are showing it to you with the large pliable end towards the bottom and this was quite confusing to me when I first tried to figure out how to fill it. 
• There is something in the directions about sliding the pods to make room for treats. This seems like it would work but in my experience it really didn't. I pry the large end open with a finger and squeeze the treats in. It's not the easiest thing I have ever done. But it's so worth it. =)

Here are some additional details:

• It comes in small and large. We got the large, which is the perfect size for Bella.
• It ranges from $5 to $13 at the writing of this review
• You can get it here with cash back

Have you tried the JW Pet Ever Tuff Pod Treat Dispenser Dog Toy? What are your thoughts about it? Please share...and include pictures! =-)

Data's Rescue Story Hits Dogster Magazine

by Bella Victoria, Dog Blogger

I'm so proud of my Human, Trista. She saw a story on an Australian Cattle Dog group and was touched by it. So much so that she reached out to the poster about the story and asked if it could be shared with her blog readers.

When she read the story, it brought her to tears and she knew the world needed to hear it.

Trista contacted Dogster online magazine and they approved her story idea. Trista wrote the story, working hard to incapsulate the love and beauty of Data and her forever family. 

It was featured as top story yesterday and today Trista received word from the original poster, Eva, who confirmed that she loved the story and he brought happy tears to her eyes.

I hope you like it as much as we do. If you do, will you share it? Let's help Data's story reach far and wide!

http://bit.ly/datadogster

Bella's New Writing Gig with Lady's Best Friend Blog!

We have some exciting news over here in AccordingToBella land! Bella has been doing lots of networking and caught the attention of Maria Huntoon, a dog behavior specialist.

Maria has a blog - LadysBestFriend.com - that will have all kinds of great information on training, behavior, fun new doggie items, veterinary information, and of course ways to enhance your relationship with your best four-legged friend!.

Maria wanted to have a fun submission that highlights great dog stories from near and far. She and Bella got together and came up with the perfect thing - the GEM OF THE WEEK! 

Bella's first Gem of the Week will be published soon and will be about Bella herself. So She can properly introduce herself to all of Lady's Best Friends subscribers and readers.
Bella will bring her own unique voice to each story and highlight some really awesome dogs over the next many months. Stay tuned for updates! 

If you have a special dog you would like Bella to introduce to the world through Gem of the Week, email us at gems@accordingtobella.com

If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please sign up by emailing maria@mghcanineconsulting.com, subject "newsletter", or on her website at www.mghcanineconsulting.com.

Wordless Wednesday - Bell and Boris - A New Friendship

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Oscar Jetson - Dog Artist with Unique Perspective

As we have waded into the world of Twitter, it has been fun to meet all of the dog and cat centric Tweeters!

One I am particularly fond of is an artist from the UK named Oscar Jetson. His cool and colorful art shows up in my Twitter feed and always catches my attention.

So I reached out to him to find out more about him.

Here's our interview. What do you think of his work?

Q: Your art is quite intriguing - what is your background and is this your full time career? 

Oscar: I was successful at art at my high school and was encouraged to pursue a career in art, even attend one of the prestigious art schools in London. At 18 years old I was not confident enough and felt that if I did not “make it as an artist” I would struggle to find work. I do some part-time lecturing but recently my reproduction prints and custom portraits are taking up a lot of my time. Prior to picking up the brushes again I was in the Merchant Navy and this is why I also love to paint the ocean.

Q: What got you started painting dogs? 

Oscar: I have always loved dogs even way before I owned one. I currently have a Border terrier and an English Working Cocker Spaniel. I think that dogs are such characters and are so expressive. They can be so amusing and have such a range of expressions and poses, often comical and always tend to resonate with other dog owners. I also love to paint human portraits, landscapes and seascapes.

Q: How do you choose your subjects? 

Oscar: I also love to take photos so when I get opportunity
and I am out walking my dogs I snap the dogs they meet with the owner's permission. I don't believe in replicating photographs in 2015 as although I respect and admire many traditional pet portraits, I think that with modern technology allowing photos to be reproduced on canvas etc..I would prefer to create something more unique and expressive. I therefore only use the photos to assist in capturing the character of the dog. Some of my paintings are more refined however and I do not always use vivid colours. I prefer commissioned work as I get to learn a bit about the dog and always receive great feedback as the painting progresses (I send photo updates at many stages).

I do get the chance to work from live subjects at times – naturally my two dogs and friend's dogs are willing models but if a client is local I am happy to visit them to make some sketches. I have done some paintings of my own dogs where they have sat for me but normally this is when they are staring at a squirrel out of the window.

Q: Any interesting stories about your subjects you can share? 

Oscar: There are too many stories to share, some heart breaking ones about dogs who have battled with long term illnesses and some celebratory ones when dogs have recovered after terrible accidents. One amusing one that stays with me was the Chihuahua and the Patterdale terrier whom I did a large watercolour of...the painting arrived and my client put it down after signing for it, popped upstairs only to find they had been so eager to open it they had torn it open and caused some damage!

Q: I find your color choices quite interesting - where do you get inspiration for the color choices in your art? 

Oscar: The colour choices I make are due to a number of factors...sometimes I just exaggerate the colours I see in a photo provided by a client, other times I include specific colours a client wants to match their décor. I sometimes request photos of the room in which they know they will hang it. Other times I just let the colour scheme develop as my painting progresses. I always pay attention to the science behind colour theory and refer to the colour wheel to ensure colours are contrasting or harmonious.

Q: How do you use social media to promote your art and how effective has it been?

Oscar: I share a lot of my art on both Twitter and Instagram, news and people also seem to like to see my artwork as it progresses. My followers can be quite interactive and all of the retweets and comments often lead to new people seeing my work. I have had commissions directly through both Twitter (@oscarjetson) and Instagram (Oscar Jetson) so I am happy that it is worthwhile.

Q: What is your plan long term with your dog painting? 

Oscar: I would love to continue as I am and considering I had an 11 year break I believe I am refining my style and technique, experimenting a lot and also improving. I would love to have my work in a large exhibition or to sell from a dedicated premises. At the moment I am exclusively online and work from my home studio.

Q: Where can your collection of artwork be found?

Oscar: My etsy site has mainly reproduction giclee prints in a selection of sizes. There are also some unstretched canvas prints. I plan to add to this by including panoramic long stretched prints of multiple dogs on canvas. I also can take enquiries on the etsy site for charcoal studies or custom paintings.

My Etsy : https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OjsDogPaintings

My website which will have dog news, my art news and hopefully a forum: http://www.oscarjetson.com

Q: In addition to your art, how do dogs show up in your life? 

Oscar: My dogs are spoilt like so many are. They sleep on my bed. They go with me pretty much everywhere and they even like going fishing with me. All holidays have to be dog friendly so I usually take them to the south coast of England. The cocker is an amazing swimmer due to his webbed feet. The Border terrier thinks he is but tires himself out when he is chasing a ball to bring back. I have only had to go in after him once though! Even in the car the terrier likes to have his head out of the window in the front when there is a passengers lap for him to sit on and do so safely (He has however worked out the window controls so the child lock now has to be on)

Oscar does lots of original, commissionable work for clients and can turn your dog's awesome and sweet face into a timeless and unique piece of art. All artwork shown in this blog post is just a small sample of some of my favorites. They can all be found on his Etsy site AT THIS LINK. They are all shared here with Artist's permission.

You can contact Oscar via his website, Etsy site, Twitter or Instagram.

What's your favorite of Oscar's work? Would you want your dog in unique colors to hang in your home?