The 10 Best Dog Puzzle Toys in 2023

Jun 17, 2023

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A busy dog is a happy dog.

If you don't want your pup nomming on your cozy slippers or favorite hiking socks, your best bet is a dog puzzle toy that can keep your canine friend occupied for hours on end. Dog puzzles are designed to fight boredom and prevent destructive behavior, and—bonus—most come in well under $20, so it's easy to justify buying more than one. What isn't as easy is finding dog puzzle toys that are high quality, interesting for your pup, and durable enough to stand up to those chompers.

Luckily, here at Popular Mechanics we have oodles of personal experience buying and playing with dog puzzle toys (usually with a pup) and can point you in the right direction. Below, you'll find our recommendations for the best dog puzzle toys, along with a primer on types and tips for safety.

Looking for more essentials to keep your pup happy and safe? Check out our stories on the best life jackets for dogs, washable dog beds, and toys for puppies.

Your pup's instincts, personality, and breed are just a few factors that'll inform which puzzle toys are best for your dog. Puzzle toys are designed to engage dogs in different ways, taking advantage of their noses, paws, and even ears to tire them out and enrich their minds. They're excellent tools to help calm anxiety, fight boredom, and prevent destructive behavior.

But before we dive into specific puzzle categories, here are important tips for safe play:

Interactive puzzles are the board games of the canine world. They're typically made of plastic (the ones we recommend are food-grade, and BPA- PVC-, and phthalate-free) with compartments to hide kibble or treats. Some have enough capacity to hold several cups of food and can be used as slow feeders—more on those below.

The best slow feeders are lick mats and slow-feeder bowls. Lick mats are textured mats made of silicone that soothe and distract dogs as they lick up wet food or treats like peanut butter or plain Greek yogurt.

There are also slow-feeder bowls with grooves to hold kibble and ridges that act as barriers to prevent dogs from gulping down meals too fast. Both typically have a grippy underside or suction cups to keep them in place. Also, lick mats in particular are great to have on hand post-surgery when you have to limit your pup's activity.

Treat dispensers are exactly what they sound like: they're designed to hold treats and make dogs work hard to get them out. The classic rubber Kong is likely the most popular treat dispenser (and one of the best ones out there), though most of the brands we include below have their own versions.

Hide-and-seek dog puzzles toys are similar in design and concept to those for infants. There are appealing objects hidden inside compartments that are challenging to remove and replace (if you don't have thumbs). Most hide-and-seek toys are plush, so they may not be the best choice if your pup is an aggressive chewer.

Personal experience—human and canine, that is—with nearly every puzzle toy we cover is how we compiled our selection. All of our picks are made by well-regarded brands with a track record of making high-quality toys, including Outward Hound, West Paw, Kong, and others. We also aimed to include the most popular kinds of dog puzzles across a range of price points, as well as selections for both puppies and adult dogs.

Some of the best interactive dog puzzles come the Nina Ottosson collection from Outward Hound, which includes 10 interactive games for dogs categorized into four levels of difficulty. This Level 1 game is designed just for puppies, with capacity for up to one cup of kibble or treats under the nine plastic bones.

The bones are tapered to create an edge for your dog to grab onto, or you can flip them around to sit flush against the puzzle board for an added challenge. All of Outward Hound's puzzles are made of BPA-, PVC-, and phthalate-free plastic, and you can buy a set of replacement pieces for about $5.

This intermediate interactive dog puzzle is among the most popular in the Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound collection. The brain game has three types of hidden compartments, with a total of 12 places to hide treats or kibble.

This toy has eight red flip-top pieces that slide back and forth and four white bones, all with scent holes on top to entice your pup. Replacement piece sets are sold separately for about $5, so you don't have to worry about what happens when your dog loses or chews up a bone.

Our deputy editor's 10-month-old mixed-breed pup adores this toy. Every time Navi plays with the puzzle it seems new to her, because there are lots of places to hide treats and the varied interactive elements are a challenge.

She's gotten better at this puzzle over time as she's learned to use her paws and snout together, but her excitement never dulls when she hears the rattle of treats falling into the compartments.

You can easily get several hours worth of enrichment in with this puzzle, but we recommend only filling up some of the compartments to keep your pup interested.

Mighty Paw's lick mat/slow feeder is a winning combination. Made of food-grade silicone, the bowl has four different textures designed to calm and distract and a wobbly base for an extra challenge. Flip it inside-out, and it becomes a stable dome that can act as a puppy-appropriate puzzle toy.

Slow feeder bowls like this one from Outward Hound turn eating into a game—and prevent your dog from gobbling up food too fast, which can wreak havoc on digestion. The bowl has a nonslip base and is dishwasher-safe. It holds up to four cups of dry or wet food and comes in five styles and three sizes.

Licking is a behavior dogs use to self-soothe, so if you have an anxious pup, a lick mat like this one from Pup Culture is invaluable.

Just spread some PB or canned sweet potato across the four textured sections. Suction cups on the back keep it in place on a tile floor or wall. Better yet, load it up with treats and throw it in the freezer so it takes your dog even longer to finish.

The food-grade, BPA-free silicone mat is dishwasher-safe, but it's best to soak them in warm soapy water. Pro-tip: Use a spatula and keep the mat in hand while spreading—not on the countertop.

It's safe to say that most dog owners have a Kong—or, more likely, several. (Perhaps the equivalent of Sophie the Giraffe for parents with infants.)

This Kong is virtually indestructible for aggressive chewers as it's made of extra-durable rubber. Kong makes a dog version of Cheez Whiz, which is handy for a quick fill and instant satisfaction for your pup.

You can also fill the Kong with your pup's fave treats to freeze—a great way to distract them while you brush their fur or trim their nails. And, there are softer versions for puppies and senior dogs.

These adorable squeaky squirrels are irresistible to dogs programmed to catch small prey in the wild. You can hide them in the included tree trunk and watch your pup ferret them out, or use them for a game of fetch.

The toy comes in four sizes and—thankfully—replacement squirrels are available, sold separately. Keep in mind that plush toys like this aren't intended for heavy chewers.

West Paw’s Toppl is a slow feeder and a puzzle in one, and our deputy editor’s dog, Navi, is obsessed with it. Navi gets her meals in it, but her humans also fill it with peanut butter, mashed banana, and Greek yogurt for a treat or to give her oral medications.

The bottom of this toy doesn’t sit flat on the ground, so no matter which angle your pup approaches it, they’ll always have to use their noses and paws to get a better grip—a great way to wear them out before bedtime.

Moreover, the Toppl can be tossed in the freezer and the hole can be plugged up with something sticky like peanut butter to hold liquids, so it’s an incredibly versatile and worthwhile investment despite the seemingly high price.

Snuffle mats like this one from Piggy Poo and Crew are a go-to for occupying your dog during Zoom meetings or home workouts. There are dozens of places to hide small treats in pockets and in between loops to keep them engaged for extended periods. There's also a grippy backing to keep it in place. As a bonus, the mat's fleece fabric makes for a cozy spot for your pup to nap afterward.

Rachel Klein is a Senior Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, where she writes about everything from garden hose reels and patio furniture to mesh wifi systems and robot vacuums. She started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and was a travel editor for more than a decade before she started testing and reviewing luggage, noise-cancelling headphones, and other travel-related products. Fast-forward another five years and her area of expertise includes home decor, appliances, tech, and outdoor adventure gear. In her spare time, you'll find her planning her next trip, reading historical fiction, and seeing as much art as she can squeeze into a weekend.

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