As a work at home dog mom, I’m always looking for ways to keep Lucy busy so I can focus long enough to get my work done. I take her out for a long walk in the morning, and that will tire her out for a few hours. Then making lunch and checking the mail provides a little distraction.
But by mid-afternoon, she typically starts to get antsy again.
When I had the opportunity to try out the JW® Hol-ee Gourmet ™ line of interactive dog toys, I thought they would be the perfect thing for Lucy’s 3pm mental stimulation! Read on to discover four delicious ways I found for Lucy to play with these interactive dog toys.
This post is sponsored by Petmate® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about Petmate’s JW Hol-ee Gourmet™ line of interactive dog toys, but on Wear Wag Repeat I only share information I feel is relevant to my readers. Petmate™ is not responsible for the content of this article.
At first glance, I love the design of these toys. The colors and the shape of the outer rubber ball are designed so well that I don’t mind leaving them out around the house. But if you’re a crazy dog mom like me, then you know your aesthetic opinion always comes second to function. It’s important that Lucy likes the toys, they keep her busy and they can stand up to her strong chewing skills.
Canine Enrichment: 4 Delicious Ways to Play with Interactive Dog Toys
Canine enrichment toys are a category of toys that are interactive and usually have a way to stuff them with food, treats or chews to give your dog a challenge. These kinds of toys are great for mental stimulation and they will tire your dog out in a way that’s different than just going for a walk.
Use the Toy as a Dental Chew
First I let Lucy play with the Hol-ee Gourmet toys au natural! Lucy enjoyed chewing on the nylon bone on the turkey leg shaped toy. Chewing on the rubber and nylon is great to keep her teeth clean (dental health is very important!) and will keep her engaged for a little while. I found the “bone” to hold up really well even after more chewing later that night.
Stuff the Toy with Yak Milk Puffs
Another great way to play with the Hol-ee Gourmet enrichment toys is by using the included Himalayan Yaky Puff Treats that come inside the package. I inserted the puff inside the rubber spaces on the steak shaped toy.
As you can see Lucy was eager to investigate! I loved how the rubber made her work for the treat. I’ve had trouble with Lucy eating yak milk chews too fast in the past (and puking them up!). This added level of difficulty required her to eat it slowly and safely.
Use Peanut Butter For a Self Soothing Lick Toy
A third way to play with these interactive toys is to break out the peanut butter! Lucy goes bananas for peanut butter, so it’s no surprise that she loved playing with the Ho-lee Gourmet this way too! I smeared a little bit on the inside nylon “bone” on the peanut-shaped toy. Lucy did some tongue-twisting exercises to get in there!
Licking something is actually a way that dog self-soothe and cope with stress. So if your dog suffered from anxiety, giving them a licking toy like this can actually help them feel better!
Stuff These Toys with Homemade Frozen Dog Treats
The fourth way I came up with to play with these enrichment toys is with a homemade watermelon frozen treat. This is a little messy because the watermelon ice cube will melt, but Lucy ate it so fast that it didn’t make too much of a mess. This was one of her favorite ways to play with her new toys!
Get Your Own Hol-ee Enrichment Toys
You can find the whole collection of Hol-ee enrichment toys at Walmart. In addition to the Hol-ee Gourmet line, there’s also the Hol-ee roller and various other shapes. These toys will really inspire you to give your dog new kinds of treats and challenges to engage their minds!
Take a trip down the toy and enrichment aisle at your local pet store and see what fun you can find!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PetMate. The opinions and text are all mine.
such beautiful photos! love your blog!
Thank you so much!