At first glance, the Nina Ottosson toys don't really seem like toys my dogs would be all that interested in. They aren't very cuddly, they are interesting looking, but don't seem like something my pets would take too right away. However, after bringing a few into the house to try out, I have to say I'm a believer.

The theory behind the products is that dogs are predators. Duh, right? But it's a fact that we often forget when it comes to feeding our pets. Dogs like to earn things- including their food. Make it too easy and they don't "earn" their food.

Like most humans.

Let's face it - some of us are hunters, others are gatherers. Dogs are hunters. Yep - even the frou-frou dog who wears little dresses and the Labrador who fetches slippers.

Keeping this in mind, it's important to stimulate the interest of your pets while reinforcing the animal-human bond. This can be done in a number of ways, and feeding time should fit into daily activity.

The Dog Brick is an intermediate level project that Cheiss figured out right away - he's a definite hunter. Roscoe took a little longer, but what do you do. After a few days, the Beagle part of his brain took over and he found the food. (NOTE: We continued to feed him in his regular dish while he figured out the puzzle!)

The Tornado is a lot more difficult and requires some higher-level thinking. In fact, it took some time for me to figure out how to fill all the food places up. Cheiss obviously is more intelligent than I (which isn't really tough) and unlocked the toy's secrets in minutes.

The Ottosson toys are interactive dog games designed to stimulate the "wild side" of our pets. They teach dogs how to figure out solutions to problems, and while I'm not positive that is a really smart thing to be teaching them, I have to say - I love the concept.

We used regular old dog food in our testings and that worked very well. Rather than use the old dish to feed them, we tried putting the daily feeding into the Tornado and Brick. It takes a little time to fill up all the panels, but it definitely works. The dogs actually enjoyed their food. Sure, they needed to work a little harder to get to it, but they really seemed to enjoy figuring out the puzzle and learning how to access the food. It became a game and as a side bonus - it slowed down their eating.

We really have to recommend these products. Whether you choose to use these toys as an incentive for your pup to eat, as a training device that teaches them to solve problems, or as a way to keep your pets busy - they're all great reasons to purchase. You'll find that you have a more relaxed dog that has greater self-esteem and is much more willing to please. This makes for happier caretakers who have more time to play and spend less time discplining pets.

You and your pets will love these toys!