Mind Games

One of Brutus' presents was a "dog puzzle" made by a company in Sweden.  They make quite a few different puzzles, all of which reward the dog with a hidden treat when then "solve" the puzzle by moving/sliding/turning/flipping various parts.  Some of the einstein-doggie level puzzles require several maneuvers before the dog can get to the treat.  I got Brutus the "Dog Brick", the simplest one.  It has 8 holes which can be covered 8 sliding blocks around in four parallel tracks.

I'm really getting a kick out of watching Brutus learn how to find the hidden treats, using is nose to locate them then either nosing open or sliding the covers with his paws.  So far we are only hiding one treat, always in the same hole, and he gets to watch me put it in.  The idea is to eventually hide several treats while out of sight, then let the dog use what they've learned to find & access the hidden goodie.  I have included some still photos, as well as a video so that you can appreciate Brutus' efforts!

If you are interested in finding out more about the dog puzzles, visit Nina Ottosson (it's a Swedish company) or Paw-Lickers Bakery & Boutique, where we purchased ours.  

Here's the video, accompanied by my commentary!