Challenge Your Dogs With Dog Toys and Dog Games like the Buster Activity Mat?

BUSTER ActivityMat Product Review

I can’t believe it. Toronto got what seemed like another foot of snow and I had to scrape the car off to get to a meeting this morning.  Time to break out the dog toys and dog games. I was lucky enough to receive the BUSTER ActivityMat By Kruuse at the Global Pet Expo. After seeing a few of my blogger pals reviewing the product on their blogs, I couldn’t wait to bring it home for Kilo.

Kilo was not too impressed when he went for his morning constitutional. He does like making his mark on pure white snow, and briefly smelling all the “pee-mail” right outside our house,  but he does not like to linger or walk far.

Indoor Activities for Dogs

Snow or rain means I have to find ways to keep him busy in the house, so today we look at indoor activities for dogs. Learning and bonding through play is a great way to connect with your dog. Doing dog sports like disc, agility, lure or canine freestyle, and training new tricks or simply taking an hour to play can help both of you relieve daily stress and have some fun.

Even when I don’t have time to go to an indoor facility, Kilo and I  have play breaks every hour or two and he loves playing with puzzles, dog toys and dog games. He gets some of his daily meal through play and challenges. We are always adding behaviours and tricks, and right now we are practising a few freestyle weaves and moves inspired by the talented dogs at recent events.

I’m always looking for new and fun ways to keep Kilo the Pug mentally and physically stimulated and the BUSTER ActivityMat By Kruuse is fun.

Kilo loves to dig and scratch with his front paws and used them to open the pockets. He doesn’t seem to have the best sense of smell but he really enjoyed “go finding” some kibble. I started with 2 activities. I was really impressed with the fun factor and the strength of the materials. He is naturally curious and loves hunting for food. He did the envelope first and really enjoyed it. He found taking the stick out of the other puzzle a little puzzling but eventually got it.

He seemed to love the interactive challenges too and I love that they are customizable to keep him thinking. The mat makes a great indoor activity- it seems that Canada’s winter and snow isn’t ending anytime soon.

BUSTER ActivityMat

The mat was designed by Danish dog owner Marianne Haller Vesterholt as a way to keep her miniature schnauzer Ludvig entertained. She designed it to be customizable with varying tasks and levels of difficulty so dogs stay interested and challenged.

I love Kruuse’s message of “There are no stupid dogs, only impatient dog owners”.  At Talent Hounds, we love supporting positive reinforcement training techniques and believe playtime or training should always be a fun and enjoyable experience for both you and your dog.

• The mat comes with 3 levels of difficulty
• 35 press studs placed 10 cm apart that you can attach different tasks to the mat, most of them with varying levels of difficulty depending on whether you fold the tasks or leave them open.
• Customizable to different sized dogs
• Portable and easy to take on the go (everything fits in the handy bag provided!)
• It comes with a handy guide for how to set up the various tasks
• More complementary activities can also be bought

Tips For Using The Mat

• Dogs should be supervised while playing
• One dog at a time should use the mat
• Be positive and patient -Praise your dog when the task is complete
• Avoid over-stimulation (15 max is suggested)

Thank you Noodles the Wonderdog! XOX Kilo the Pug

Lucky Kilo also received two more gifts from our pal Noodles the Wonderdog. A KONG Air Dog , which combines two classic dog toys — the tennis ball and the squeaker toy. This is great for playing fetch and the slim centre lets Kilo hold it easily.  The second gift was a Chuckit! Junior Launcher. The perfect gift for any dog owner who knows how slimy and slobbery a tennis ball can get. Both look like tons of fun.  Kilo is just going to have to wait for all this snow to melt!

Do Your Challenge Your Dogs With Stimulating Toys, Puzzles, Sports and Games? Comment below and share your tips and stories.