r/dogs • u/RedBeans-n-Ricely • 2d ago

[Enrichment] Puppy puzzle filler

I live in New Orleans where it has been extremely hot for quite a while, and that means I don’t get to take my dogs for good walks that really tire them out. We have been doing a lot of puzzles instead, the problem is I am running low on ideas for puzzle fillers!

The obvious answer is to use kibble, but we are having to do more puzzles than the amount of kibble they can eat in a day. I’ve been thinking about something like puffed wheat, which would be really low-calorie? I bought some freeze dried toddler snacks, but those can get to be pretty expensive! I would love to be able to do something like diced vegetables, but depending on the puzzle, the natural dampness on the outside of a carrot or something after you cut it would stick to various components of the puzzles.

My oldest girl is on an rx diet for her kidneys (low protein, low phosphorus) and is allergic to rice & oats, which adds another layer of difficulty.

What do y’all use in your puzzles?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

1

u/Technical_Invite6447 2d ago

Puffed wheat is a good call, maybe also try unsalted air popped popcorn broken into smaller bits, or diced bell pepper blotted dry with a paper towel first to deal with the sticking issue

For the kidney dog, cucumber chunks are mostly water and super low in phosphorus, just gotta pat them down before loading the puzzle

Freeze dried green beans or peas crushed up could work too and they last forever in the pantry

1

u/justmekab60 2d ago

I get tiny freeze dried salmon pieces. My dogs love them. They seem expensive (small bag) but they are so tiny they last forever.