DIY puzzle games for dogs

Which puzzle games can you make for your dog yourself?

Almost anything you would otherwise throw away or keep in a cupboard can become a puzzle game: a cardboard box, old newspapers, empty loo rolls, a towel, a muffin tin or a few flowerpots. The idea is always the same. You hide a few pieces of kibble, and your dog has to sniff, nudge or pull to get to them.

How do you start with a homemade puzzle game?

Start so easy that your dog succeeds straight away. The LICG, the Dutch national information centre for companion animals, advises keeping it easy at first, so your dog succeeds and enjoys the game. Brain work should happen at your dog's level and be built up slowly. A puzzle that is too hard can lead to a lot of frustration.

• Use kibble from their daily ration. Then the game doesn't become an extra meal. Keep something tastier for a new or harder game.
• Let them watch the first time. In the find-the-toy game, your dog is allowed to see what you're doing. That way they know straight away where to look.
• Pick a puzzle that suits their muzzle. The LICG also mentions your dog's build, for example a short, broad or a long, narrow nose. If your dog has a short muzzle, choose a newspaper box or muffin tin rather than a narrow tube.
• Keep it short and stop while it's still fun. That way it stays a game.

Which puzzle game suits your dog?

That depends on how experienced your dog is, what they do with cardboard and the shape of their muzzle. Below is what we would choose. It is our own advice, based on the games and the safety points in this article. If in doubt, always start with the easiest game.

• New to puzzles: the newspaper box, or the muffin tin with the cups uncovered.
• Eats cardboard or paper: the muffin tin, the shell game or the rolled-up towel, with no cardboard.
• Short muzzle: wide, shallow games such as the newspaper box, the muffin tin or the snuffle mat, rather than narrow tubes.
• Solves everything in no time: the tube box, or two games in one, as described further down.
• Has to take it easy for a while: calm games such as the towel or the shell game, after checking with your vet.

How do you make a puzzle game for your dog, step by step?

Below are seven games, each with what to do and how to make it harder. The find-the-toy game is in the next part, because it works best built up in steps. At most you'll need a pair of scissors. Leave out glue, sticky tape and staples. Pick a quiet spot, away from the busiest part of the house.

The games come from the LICG, from the RSPCA, the animal welfare charity for England and Wales, from RSPCA South Australia and from the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Newspaper box (easy)

A tub of scrunched-up newspaper is a simple challenge for a dog who is new to puzzles.

1. 1Loosely scrunch up a few sheets of old newspaper and put them in a low box or tub.
2. 2Scatter a handful of kibble between the paper balls.
3. 3Put the box down and let your dog search.
4. 4If it goes smoothly, use more paper balls or scrunch them tighter.

Rolled-up towel (easy to medium)

Lay a sturdy towel or tea towel flat and scatter kibble along its length. Roll it up, so your dog has to unroll it with their nose or paws. If that's easy, try this version: put the kibble in the middle of the towel, fold it lengthways and tie it in a loose knot.

Muffin tin with balls (medium)

1. 1Put a few pieces of kibble in each cup of a muffin tin, without a ball on top yet. That teaches your dog there is something to find in the cups.
2. 2Then put a ball on every cup. Tennis balls are a great size for a standard muffin tin.
3. 3To make it harder, fill only some of the cups but cover all of them. Now your dog has to use their nose to work out where the food is.

Never use balls that are too small for your dog. If you don't have suitable balls, scrunched-up newspaper works just as well.

Shell game with flowerpots (medium)

Put a piece of kibble under one of three empty flowerpots, shuffle the pots around and let your dog sniff out where it is. Use plastic pots, which won't break if your dog taps them with a paw. Shuffle slowly at first, and only speed up once your dog gets it.

Loo roll cracker (medium)

Put a few treats inside an empty loo roll and scrunch both ends in. Your dog has to tear the roll open to get to them. You can also stuff a roll with soft treats. Leave the ends open at first, so your dog starts by licking.

Snuffle mat (medium)

For a snuffle mat without a sewing machine, take a rubber mat with a grid of holes, such as a sink mat. Tie a strip of fleece through each hole until the mat looks like a small forest of fabric. Scatter a handful of kibble over it and let your dog search. Give the strips a tug before use, so nothing is loose.

Tube box (harder)

1. 1Cut the flaps off a small or medium-sized box.
2. 2Fill the box with empty loo rolls standing on their ends, so it looks like a honeycomb.
3. 3Take out two or three tubes, so there is room to push them around.
4. 4Hide a treat at the bottom of one of the tubes and let your dog find it.

How do you make a puzzle game harder for your dog?

Only make a game harder once your dog solves it easily, and then change one thing at a time. The LICG shows this well with a search game: first the toy lies half under a newspaper, then fully under it, and later just round the corner of the sofa. If your dog gets stuck, go back a step.

This is how to build up the find-the-toy game:

1. 1Have your dog sit, or ask someone to hold them. On the other side of the room, put their toy half under an old newspaper. They're allowed to watch.
2. 2Go back to your dog and ask them to find the toy, with a set phrase such as 'find the ball'. When they pick it up, tell them straight away how clever they are.
3. 3Next time, put the toy fully under the newspaper.
4. 4Then put the newspaper and toy just round the corner of the sofa.
5. 5Hide it while your dog sits with their back to you, or while they're out in the hallway for a moment.
6. 6Choose other hiding places too, where your dog can't break anything.

The other games work the same way. With the muffin tin, the cups start uncovered; next, every cup gets a ball, and later only some cups hold food. You can do the same with empty containers such as shoeboxes or yoghurt pots: put them in a group on the floor and bait one or a few with something tasty that smells strongly.

Poke holes in the lids at first, which makes it easier. Once your dog has the idea, fill just one and spread the containers further apart.

How do you keep homemade dog toys safe?

Homemade toys have to meet the same standard as bought ones. The LICG calls a toy safe when it can take some rough handling, can't be swallowed, has no sharp edges or points and contains no toxic materials. Cardboard and paper fail the first test, because they break quickly. That is why you stay with your dog.

• Stay with them. The LICG and RSPCA South Australia both advise staying with your dog, so a puzzle doesn't just become a chew toy. So don't leave your dog alone with a homemade puzzle.
• Clean materials. Only use materials that are clean and safe. So don't use a box or bottle that has held cleaning products.
• No balls that are too small. The AKC warns that balls too small for your dog can pose a choking hazard.
• Clear up the leftovers. Cardboard and paper are meant to be torn, but make sure your dog doesn't eat the bits. Clear up the scraps when the game is over.
• Watch for loose threads. If a dog pulls threads off a rope toy and swallows them, the LICG says that can cause dangerous blockages. So check a towel or snuffle mat for loose threads too.
• Broken? Then out it goes. A towel, snuffle mat or plastic pot with tears, loose threads or sharp edges goes. Cardboard and paper are there to be destroyed; throw them away after the game.

You can also make a puzzle from an empty plastic bottle. We'd only choose one for a dog who doesn't chew plastic, because a bitten bottle has sharp edges. Either way, take off the cap and the ring round the neck.

Which dogs get the most out of puzzle games?

Almost every dog, but especially dogs who aren't allowed to run much. According to the LICG, brain work is always possible: also when a dog is old, unsteady on their legs or recovering from a procedure. Concentrating also takes a lot of energy, so even a calm game can tire a dog out.

About tracking, following a trail with the nose, the LICG writes that ten minutes is sometimes more tiring than an hour's walk. That's no reason to cut walks. But a sniffing game indoors is a good option on a wet autumn evening, or for a dog who can't walk far for a while. After surgery, ask your vet first which games are allowed yet.

You can read more about the weeks after a procedure in walking your dog after surgery. If your dog is getting older, also read when a dog is considered old.

If your dog is often bored, a puzzle helps, but also find out where the boredom comes from. That's what bored dog at home is about. If you're out for long days, dog daycare means fewer hours on their own.

Frequently asked questions about homemade puzzle games