10. Rope and bottle toy.
This is an excellent toy for those dogs who are good at problem solving, have patience or who has never had a food toy before. To access the biscuits or treats inside, the dog has to tug on the rope which drags the biscuits out. If your dog is used to other toys where they have to roll them around to get the treat out of they may find this more difficult as that strategy doesn't work for this toy. Great if you are looking for an extra challenge for your dog or looking to teach your dog about food toys. I wouldn't recommend if your dog likes to chew rope as they may be more interested in that rather than the food and rope can cause stomach issues if ingested.

9. Cardboard boxes.
This may seem strange but these are one of the easiest, versatile and inexpensive food toys you can make at home. Save any cardboard food boxes (e.g. cereal boxes, cracker boxes etc.) and put food treats or your dogs biscuits inside and voila you have a home made dog food toy. One of the major advantages of using these cardboard boxes as food toys is you can adjust the level of difficulty depending on your dogs ability. For example if your dog is a pro at getting into boxes and you want to make it more challenging you can add scrunched up newspaper to the box and tape up the ends so they have a harder time getting in and finding the biscuits inside! Genius I know. 
Please note: these toys should only be given to your dog under supervision.

7. Scavenger hunt.
Though technically this is not a food toy it is one of my favourite food games with my dogs and is very useful if you are running late or if you want a break from giving your dog a food toy. Take a portion of your dogs biscuits and scatter or throw them in the back yard or patio and let your dog go sniff them out. Depending on the distance you scatter and how good your dog is at scenting will depend on how long this activity can take but it is certainly slower than eating straight out of the food bowl.

6. Treat balls.
Treat balls are any food toy that is cylindrical in appears and your dog needs to roll around to get the food to dispense. I have the Busy Buddy Twist and Treat and the Kibble Nibble varieties but there are many other types to choose from. These are great because you can adjust for variations in biscuit size or level of difficulty. Plus some dogs love to play with these even without food inside!

5. Wobble toys.
These are any food dispensing toys that have a heavy base designed to be pushed or nudged by your dog to dispense the food. Examples include the KONG Wobbler and the Starmark Bob-A-Lot toy. The Bob-A-Lot also allows for the adjustment of the size of the dispensing space.

4. Bottle Toy.
This is another home made dog food toy that promotes problem solving skills in your dog. Your dog will have to work out how to get the food out of the bottles. I've seen dogs hit the bottles to make them spin using either paws or their muzzle and my dog Ruby holds the bottle neck in her mouth and pulls down to get a flow of biscuits out at once. Either way they have to figure out how best to get what they want and it's fun. If you are interested in learning how to make one of these for your dog there are many step by step videos available on YouTube.

3. PVC Pipe.
Another YouTube idea that you can make for your dog using a few items that can be found at your local hardware store. Drill holes in the pipe that are slightly larger than the size of your dogs biscuits and attach removable end caps to each end (so you can re-fill). These are great if you have a dog with a strong jaw or who is a bit rough as they can take a fair bit of rough play and bashing around. I know this as our Rotti Zeus has one and he has yet to break it!

2. Toilet Roll Envelope.
Huh? This sounds weird right? Well this idea is the most simple and inexpensive of the lot and PERFECT for small dogs or puppies. All you need to do is save your toilet rolls, fold down the ends and stick some treats or biscuits inside and watch your dog have a blast playing with this toy! Plus the amount of fun they get out of only a small amount of food is amazing.

1. Classic Kong.
This was one of the first dog food toys we brought for Ruby when she was a puppy and we have been using them ever since. They are extremely durable and also versatile which makes them a must have for any dog food toy collection. If you are only ever going to buy one commercial dog food toy then this is the one to get. Plus if you have a dog with a strong bite or who is particularly rough or destructive with their toys you can get the tougher KONG Xtreme (comes in black).
There are sooooooo many ways to use this food toy that I'm not going to be able to include them all here and I could probably even do a separate list! You can put your dogs biscuits inside, add water and freeze, put wet food in there or wedge in large dog biscuits. Honestly the options are almost endless. These toys wash up well though I recommend getting a bottle brush to reach into the crevices as bits of food can get stuck in there especially if you are using wet food. Honestly I could go on and on about these but I'll save it for another post! 

If you are interested in seeing how I use some of these food toys with my dogs check out my YouTube videos' below.

https://youtu.be/blORWOIO02Q

https://youtu.be/c0dQUEnjh0Q

If you and your dog have a personal favourite food toy I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment or photo below.

It can get hot out there. And it does. Especially if like me, you live somewhere like Perth, Western Australia where the temperatures in summer are often in the 30's with high's in the 40's. Your dog will feel the heat too so here are some tips to keep your dog cool and beat the summer heat!

1. Walk your dog early in the morning or late in the evening. These times will be much cooler and will make the walk more comfortable and enjoyable for you and your dog. Don't forget the check the pavement to make sure it is cool enough for your dog to walk on. To do this simply hold the back of your hand on the concrete for 5 seconds. If you can't do this it is too hot for your dog to walk on.
2. Take your dog for a swim! Most dogs love to swim and this can be a fun way to cool off. Plus swimming is great exercise for your dog too. 
3. Let your dog enjoy the air conditioning. During the heat of the day your dog will appreciate being able to lie underneath the air conditioning vent or at least in a room cooled by the air conditioning for a cool nap.
4. Provide a cool place to lie on. Dogs cool down best from their tummy up so providing them a cool place to lie will help keep their whole body cool. Try wetting down a shady spot or their favourite nap place, wet a towel for them to lie on and you can even get cooling pet pads at most pet stores.
5. Provide a mini pool to cool off in. We use the blue clam shell's for kid's and put it in a shady spot under our patio and fill it with water. The dogs either stand or lie in it to cool off.
6. How about a sandpit for digging? Dog's love to dig and when they take off the top layer of sand they find the cooler sand below. You can even wet the sand to make it even cooler. By providing a sandpit you are also reducing the likelyhood of them digging up your backyard to cool off. Bonus!
7. Don't forget lots of water! Not only do you want to provide an increased volume of water available to your dog but provide it in different bowls so if one gets knocked over there are still others available. Put the water containers in shady spots if possible to help keep them cool for longer or even put ice-cubes in there which will melt away during the day.
8. Give your dog a good brush. By regularly brushing your dog you can help remove the thicker winter coat which will allow the summer weight coat to breathe and do it's job to assist in regulating your dogs temperature. 
9. Icy treat anyone? Just like we enjoy a cold icy treat during summer so does your dog. Try filling up small containers or even ice cube trays with a few dog biscuits and bits of fruit or vegetables, top with water and freeze! 
10. Frozen dog toy bucket. This is definitely a favourite with many dogs. Using a bucket or container suitable to the size of your dog, fill it with water, dog toys and a few treats or biscuits thrown in. Once it fully frozen take it out of the container and your dog will spend many happy hours licking at the melting ice working the toys out.