Toys that Make Your Pitbull Puppy Think

Pitbulls are best known for their physical strength and unique, adorable faces. However, pitbulls aren't just strong, they're also smart. In fact, this breed of dog loves mental challenges and adapts quickly to training, new games and puzzles. Pitbull puppies can be some of the most inquisitive and thoughtful dogs you'll ever raise.

Unfortunately, many puppy toys don't take advantage of the intelligence that pitbull puppies and other puppies exhibit. Balls and chew toys can be fun, but don't present a mental challenge to pitbulls. This can be a missed opportunity because mental exercise is not only fun and engaging for your puppy, it also requires more of their energy than exercise that is physical only, helping them work out that energy in constructive ways rather than looking for trouble around the house.

One solution that many pitbull owners have discovered is a newer type of toy known as a work-to-eat toy. It does exactly what the name implies: makes dogs work in new and creative ways in order to get a treat or a little bit of food.

There are two main types of work-to-eat toys. The first and most common is essentially a food dispenser that turns getting food into a game. Typically, these toys are filled with a small scoop or handful of regular dry dog food. Small holes in the toy allow the food to fall out a piece or two at a time, but only when the toy is turned a certain way, shaken or otherwise manipulated. This allows your pitbull puppy to spend a long period of time playing to get a relatively small amount of food, with the bonus that they can work to figure out the most effective way to access it.

The other kind of work-to-eat toy uses a single treat or bone as a reward, and requires a little more thinking to get to it. Often these toys have unusual shapes and may be capable of bouncing and rolling to keep your dog guessing. Pitbulls can smell the treat inside and will work tirelessly until they figure out the solution. For most dogs this provides endless entertainment: even when they've figured it out once, the next time will still take some work to solve it again.

These toys have many advantages for pitbull puppies. First, they are more of a challenge than traditional toys and offer built-in rewards. Secondly, they will keep your pitbull occupied for hours. And finally, you will see that your puppy gets a lot of that youthful energy worked out appropriately rather than chewing things in your house.

What kinds of toys do you prefer for your pitbull?