Just got this toy today and had a lot of fun teaching my dog to use it and watching him get all the treats out of it. There weren't any assembly instructions in the box, but assembly is extremely easy and intuitive. My one tip is to make sure to tighten the gray screws that hold the barrel in place until they are firm. I left them a little loose at first because I thought tightening them would make it harder for the barrel to roll. However, one of the screws came loose and fell off while my dog was playing. It would be concerning if this happened when I wasn't around because he could have chewed the screw up or swallowed it. I screwed it back in and tightened it and had no more issues as he continued spinning the barrel to get the treats out. The toy also comes with two spare screws, which is really nice in case one gets worn out or lost. If you're really concerned about your dog unscrewing the screws, you could probably take one to the hardware store and find a regular screw with less of a bulky head to use instead. The only downside would be that you'd have to use a screwdriver each time you need to loosen the screws.
My dog is very intelligent and learns how to do most tricks and use most slow feeder toys within a matter of minutes. However, teaching him to use it was so easy that I can't imagine many dogs having trouble learning it. I held my open hand on top of the barrel and told my dog "shake," and he pawed at the barrel trying to paw at my hand. I repeated that a few times, praising him when he did it, and he started doing it on his own. He nudged it around a lot with his nose at first, but I wanted to teach him how to paw at it because it's a much easier method of getting treats out. When there were just a few treats left, however, he didn't roll the barrel as much and used his nose to nudge it a little. I think he understood that he had to change his strategy for getting the last few treats to fall out, and it was fascinating watching him work.
My dog is medium-sized (50 lbs.), and I feed him 2 cups of dry food per day. There are a lot of slow feeder and puzzle toys out there, but unfortunately, not all of them hold 2 cups of food. The barrel of this toy is quite large, however, and can easily hold 2 cups. I only feed my dog one meal a day, and he gets plenty of treats throughout the rest of the day, but if your dog requires more than 2 cups at a time, you would probably need to feed two meals or divide a single meal between multiple toys. My dog has a KONG Wobbler and a Buster food cube in addition to this toy, so I will probably divide his meal up at some point just to give him more of a challenge.
There are a few downsides to this toy. It has rubber feet on the bottom, which is nice, but unfortunately, the one I received isn't totally balanced. It wobbles a little. I think, if you really wanted to, you could probably attach suction cups to the bottom and suction the toy to a hard floor to keep it from being knocked around so much. My dog scooted it around while playing with it, which isn't a huge deal. It wasn't any louder than the Wobbler when he was playing with it, but if you're sensitive to sound, you would probably want to find a way to stick this toy to the floor.
This is a minor complaint, but it would be nice if there was a quicker way to get the barrel off. To remove it and replace it, you have to totally unscrew and re-screw the gray screws. I think, however that making the design more convenient while keeping the toy sturdy and stable enough would be a challenge. My only idea would be spring-loaded pins that you pull back to remove the barrel instead. But again, I consider this nitpicking because removing the barrel is still really quick and easy.
One thing I wish was a little better is the rubber flap where you pour food into the barrel. It doesn't fit completely snug and flat and buckles a little in the middle. This doesn't interfere with the functioning of the toy at all. It just requires a little tedium to make sure the flap is snapped in well and also smoothed out so it doesn't come loose or interfere with the rolling of the barrel.
A minor issue is the size of the hole for putting food into the barrel. It's long but a little narrow, so I can see pouring food into it without a funnel potentially being a little messy, especially if your dog requires larger sizes of kibble. Cleaning the inside of the barrel could also be a challenge. There are flexible bottle brushes available on Amazon that would come in handy for cleaning the inside.
Overall, I think this toy is relatively sturdy, durable, and well-made. It presents a unique challenge to pets, with most other food toys requiring the same types of nudging movements to get the food out; this one requires different movements. It also slows down feeding a lot due to the tray underneath, which gives pets a mentally stimulating challenge and prevents bloat in dogs. I recommend this to anyone with a dog that has had success using other puzzle and slow-feed toys.
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After our first attempt using this I was really disappointed. Second attempt was a little better.I have Two Australian cattle dogs. One 40 pound sweet heart and one 50lb bulldozer With fur.First time using this thing, our bulldozer dog did just that... he zoned in on the food in the dish and his big head cant fit between the wheel and the dish so it knocked over, food everywhere. He went into that food crazy state of mind and just pushes it around the room. When all the food is gone he picks it up and carries it around the house.Our sweet heart dog was very delicate when she used it and only pushed it around a little.The wheel is metal but everything else is plastic. So if I left it out I’m sure if would get chewed up by you know who...After a few tries my big guy did figure out the food in the wheel and spun it with his paw. It does give him a little bit of a puzzle to work out and he seemed to enjoy it.Still, it’s too easily pushed around or knocked over, so I’m torn between returning it or using a power drill and fastening it to something heavier.I also wish the wheel was a little higher. Unless your dog eats crouched or laying on their bellies, It should be up to their shoulders.This would be great for smaller dogs (40lbs or less) or dogs with a delicate temperament... not medium to large or psycho dogs like mine.
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 9, 2020
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 16, 2021
After our first attempt using this I was really disappointed. Second attempt was a little better.
I have Two Australian cattle dogs. One 40 pound sweet heart and one 50lb bulldozer With fur.
First time using this thing, our bulldozer dog did just that... he zoned in on the food in the dish and his big head cant fit between the wheel and the dish so it knocked over, food everywhere. He went into that food crazy state of mind and just pushes it around the room. When all the food is gone he picks it up and carries it around the house.
Our sweet heart dog was very delicate when she used it and only pushed it around a little.
The wheel is metal but everything else is plastic. So if I left it out I’m sure if would get chewed up by you know who...
After a few tries my big guy did figure out the food in the wheel and spun it with his paw. It does give him a little bit of a puzzle to work out and he seemed to enjoy it.
Still, it’s too easily pushed around or knocked over, so I’m torn between returning it or using a power drill and fastening it to something heavier.
I also wish the wheel was a little higher. Unless your dog eats crouched or laying on their bellies, It should be up to their shoulders.
This would be great for smaller dogs (40lbs or less) or dogs with a delicate temperament... not medium to large or psycho dogs like mine.
I have Two Australian cattle dogs. One 40 pound sweet heart and one 50lb bulldozer With fur.
First time using this thing, our bulldozer dog did just that... he zoned in on the food in the dish and his big head cant fit between the wheel and the dish so it knocked over, food everywhere. He went into that food crazy state of mind and just pushes it around the room. When all the food is gone he picks it up and carries it around the house.
Our sweet heart dog was very delicate when she used it and only pushed it around a little.
The wheel is metal but everything else is plastic. So if I left it out I’m sure if would get chewed up by you know who...
After a few tries my big guy did figure out the food in the wheel and spun it with his paw. It does give him a little bit of a puzzle to work out and he seemed to enjoy it.
Still, it’s too easily pushed around or knocked over, so I’m torn between returning it or using a power drill and fastening it to something heavier.
I also wish the wheel was a little higher. Unless your dog eats crouched or laying on their bellies, It should be up to their shoulders.
This would be great for smaller dogs (40lbs or less) or dogs with a delicate temperament... not medium to large or psycho dogs like mine.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 27, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 17, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 3, 2022
