REVIEW – Many web sites consider poodles to be the second-smartest dog breed (after the border collie), and we have two them! Elijah and Maggie are toy poodles, and they definitely love a good challenge. Poodles are known for the problem-solving skills and for being quick learners. If you have a smart breed, it’s important to keep them mentally stimulated to reduce stress and avoid destructive behaviors. One way to do this is through a dog puzzle, a small challenge designed to keep them working towards a goal. In this review I’m testing three dog puzzles from Loobani, all of which reward the dog by giving them treats or kibble. Will Elijah and Maggie be smart enough to figure them out? Read on to find out!
What is it?
Loobani graciously sent me three different puzzles! Two are rotating puzzles and one is a sliding puzzle. All three are made from bamboo, and they all use food as a motivation for the dog. Loobani’s puzzles can be cleaned with a mild soap and some water.
What’s in the box?
Each puzzle came carefully wrapped in paper and included a card for taking care of it. The rotating puzzles also included all required hardware but no instructions for assembly.
Specifications
All the puzzles are about one foot square and less than one inch high. The heaviest weighs a mere 2 pounds 13 ounces, which is not surprising since they are made of bamboo.
Design and features
All three puzzles have a similar design. They are made of strips of bamboo, are reasonably tough, and have a pleasant color. The puzzles are made of multiple layers with cutouts for the treats. These are highly-functional as well as nice looking, much more attractive than the host of plastic alternatives.
Installation and setup
The Slide-and-Treat is a rectangular box with four panels that slide along a groove and reveal the treats below. This puzzle did not require any assembly.
The Twirl-n-Treat is a circular puzzle with a lower section that contains the treats and an upper section that spins around and reveals the treats one at a time. This one included a screw and rivet nut and a washer. It requires a hex wrench to assemble, but Loobani does not include this tool in the box.
I popped the rivet nut through the sections, set the washer over the top, and then screwed it down into place. I gave the top an experimental spin, but it seemed pretty stiff and didn’t rotate well at all. More on that problem in a moment.
The Double-Layer Spin Treat is a modified version of the Twirl-n-Treat with one extra layer. It included a screw and rivet nut and a pair of washers. It was at this moment that I realized the washers are supposed to go between each layer, not on top as I had assumed. If I didn’t have the Double-Layer, I would never have realized that I had assembled the Twirl-n-Treat incorrectly; it only took a minute to correct my mistake. Loobani needs to include instructions for every puzzle that requires assembly, and at this price point they should throw in a hex wrench as well.
The Double-Layer included a surprising amount of debris inside the holes, but nothing that a small hand vac couldn’t handle.
The Slide-and-Treat came with rubber found already attached to the bottom, and I had to add the feet to the other two.
Performance
Loobani rates the complexity of their puzzles in levels from 1 to 4:
- Level 1 – Easy Level – For the newbies, puppies, or if you’re just testing the waters. Also great as a slow feeder.
- Level 2 – Intermediate Level – Suitable for all dogs, regardless of size, age, or experience. The go-to level for a fun and engaging challenge.
- Level 3 – Advanced Level – Step up the game once your dog has mastered Level 2. A rewarding challenge for those looking to push their skills further.
- Level 4 – Advanced Level – Designed for the true canine puzzle masters out there. Prepare to be impressed and enjoy the ultimate brain teaser.
The Twirl-n-Treat is rated as a level 2, the Slide-and-Treat a level 3, and the Double-Layer a level 4. Loobani’s website that their toys are “long lasting” and require “20-40 minutes/use.” Time to see how long they can keep my poodles busy!
We put out the easiest one, the Twirl-n-Treat first, and we let both dogs go at the same time. Sometimes they worked together, but sometimes they worked against each other. They found the first treat pretty quick. To get to the others, they tried to open it from the side and flip it over, neither of which helped. Eventually, they figured out that they could use their nose to push the top section, and after that, they found the rest of the treats pretty quickly.
Total time: 2 min 25 seconds
We then set out the next level, The Slide-and-Treat. This one proved to be harder as expected. The bars don’t slide very smoothly, especially if they get slightly rotated; if this happens, the ends tend to jam against the sides, making it impossible to move unless the dogs straighten them back out. The trick is to move the bars only by pushing in the middle. Our poodles spent a lot of time pawing at the bars, which didn’t work at all, as the bamboo is smooth. They also spent a lot of time trying to flip it over, which again didn’t help. In the end, they finally found all the treats.
Total time: 5 min 45 seconds.
Finally, we put out the level 4 puzzle, the Double-Layer. Given how much harder the level 3 was over the level 4, we figured it would take them nearly 10 minutes to solve. Imagine our surprise when Elijah and Maggie solved it in under 2 minutes! Woah, what happened? In hindsight, this should not have surprised us at all. While it’s true that the dogs have to spin the first and second layers together in order to reach the treats in the third layer, the basic mechanic of this puzzle is identical to that of the Twirl-n-Treat. Since they had already solved that one, this one was a breeze.
Total time: 1 min 58 seconds
No matter how many times we gave them the puzzles, they were always happy to give them another go, especially to get at treats. For our poodles, the rotating puzzles are easy, and they can solve them quickly. They both feel like a level 1 puzzle to me. The Slide-and-Treat is definitely the hardest puzzle to solve, not because they don’t know what to do, but because the bars don’t slide well. They have tendency to get stuck, and sometimes it takes a bit to unwedge them. When I push the bars all the way to either end, that’s the hardest thing for them to solve, as they can’t get their nose behind it and can’t get a grip using their paws. They eventually figured out that they can lift up one end with nose, as if they were going to flip the whole thing over, then let it fall down. The jolt of dropping down tends to slide the bar just enough to let them use their nose or their teeth. Clever little things. This feels like a level 3 puzzle to me.
What did we learn?
- One, we learned that our poodles are indeed poodles. They enjoyed the puzzles, and they were good at solving them. We should probably limit ourselves to getting the hardest puzzles available. Your dog’s mileage may vary, of course, so it’s great that Loobani offers so many different levels.
- Two, we found out that we really shouldn’t buy two toys that use the same mechanic; once they learn one, they will already know how to solve the other. Loobani has some toys that rotate in different directions and others that pull out, so we should have tried one of those instead.
- Three, we discovered that these puzzles have a high re-use factor; our dogs never tired of them, even though they eventually got good enough to be able to solve all three in under 3 minutes when working together. They love ‘em!
Here’s a video that I created showing my dogs trying to solve the puzzles:
The rubber feet on the bottom of the rotating puzzles work great, as our dogs don’t really move them around very much because the top sections spin freely. The feet on the Slide-and-Treat, however, don’t really work as well as they should. As this puzzle requires more physical effort to solve, they often pushed it all over the floor.
The care card that comes with the puzzles that I should “wash with mild soap and warm water; air dry fully.” One afternoon, I did just that to clean that the crumbs and remove the oil from some of the kibble, and the toys cleaned up easily. About an hour later I came back, and the Slide-and-Treat had stopped working. The bamboo had absorbed just enough water that the slats would no longer move. For a moment I was worried, but the instruction say “air dry fully.” By the next morning, they had done so, and now the slats are moving just fine.
These three puzzles are expensive, around $60 each. Websites like Amazon and Chewy are full of dog puzzles, and most only cost $10 to $25. Loobani’s puzzles are certainly more durable, and so far my dogs haven’t show any inclination to chew on the bamboo. Some of the plastic parts from toys that we’ve purchased in the past have already been chewed to the point where they are nearly unusable, which cannot be healthy for the dogs. I love that Loobani builds their puzzles from bamboo, which is more sustainable, but this is a hefty price to pay for that feature.
What I like
- Different types of puzzles at different levels of difficulty
- Durable, sustainable bamboo
- Cleans up with soap and water
What I’d change
- Include instructions with every puzzle that needs assembly
- Include the hex wrench
- Lower the cost to be more competitive with other puzzles
Final thoughts
Loobani’s dog puzzles are designed to keep your canine companions busy solving small challenges for food rewards. I found the puzzles to be easy to setup, though Loobani does need to include instructions, as I made a bad assumption and set one up the wrong way. They are certainly easy to prepare, and our dogs loved them! Our poodles took a lot less time than Loobani estimates, but your results will depend upon your breed. Even though these puzzles are on the easier side, our dogs loved them and never failed to go after them one more time. The biggest consideration, in my opinion, is the price of these puzzles, as they are considerably more expensive than the plastic alternatives. If you love bamboo, want puzzles that will last longer, and don’t mind the price, these are solid dog puzzles to test your little friends.
Price: $58.62, $66.51, $65.85
Where to buy: Loobani’s online store (Twirl-n-Treat, Slide and Treat, Double-Layer Spin Treat)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Loobani.
