How do I know which puzzle difficulty is right for my dog?
Start with Level 1 or 2 puzzles to gauge your dog's interest and ability. If your dog solves it quickly and confidently, move to the next level. If your dog loses interest or becomes frustrated after several minutes, that puzzle may be too difficult.
At a glance
Length
9 min
Channel
K9 of Mine
Video from
Jul 2025
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Pet owners considering puzzle toys for mental enrichment and seeking honest comparisons across difficulty levels.
What this video answers
How do I know which puzzle difficulty is right for my dog?
What if my dog tries to chew off the puzzle pieces?
How do I introduce a puzzle toy to a dog that's never used one before?
How often should I use these puzzles with my dog?
Are there risks with cheap puzzle toy knockoffs from Amazon?
Reads the guide aloud in your browser — free, no account.
Nina Ottosson Puzzle Toy Review: Six Popular Models Tested
K9 of Mine's host tests six of the most popular Nina Ottosson dog puzzle toys across all difficulty levels, using their own dog Remy to demonstrate how each puzzle works and how long completion typically takes. The video covers models from Level 1 (beginner) through Level 4 (expert), providing practical insights into which toy suits different dogs based on experience and learning style. Rather than reviewing all 20+ Nina Ottosson products on the market, this guide focuses on the most accessible and widely recommended options.
Beyond just showing the toys in action, the video walks through how to load and use each puzzle, discusses safety considerations, explains proper introduction techniques for dogs new to enrichment toys, and offers maintenance tips. The host also reveals their personal favorite pick after months of real-world use, which differs from their initial choice based on durability and convenience—a practical lesson for pet owners deciding which model to invest in.
Key Moments
Six Dog Puzzles Ranked by Difficulty and Performance
Tornado (Level 1): Beginner-friendly spinning bone puzzle; took Remy 2 minutes to complete; ideal for dogs new to puzzles or those needing confidence building.
Brick (Level 2): Intermediate puzzle with three access methods—removable bone covers, flip covers, and sliding red blocks; Remy completed it in 4 minutes.
Hide N' Slide (Level 2): Features permanently attached sliding fins over treat holes; took Remy 3 minutes 40 seconds; safer for dogs prone to chewing loose pieces.
Dog Casino (Level 3): Advanced puzzle requiring dogs to turn bones into recessed slots to unlock drawers; completed by Remy in 4 minutes 42 seconds.
Twister (Level 3): Requires pulling white key locks and sliding top panels; proved frustrating initially but rewarding once figured out; took Remy 5 minutes 23 seconds.
Challenge Slider (Level 4): Most difficult puzzle with sliding trays to reveal treats; took Remy 8 minutes 6 seconds; best for experienced puzzle solvers.
Why Puzzle Toys Matter for Dog Enrichment and Mental Health
Mental enrichment through puzzle toys is crucial for preventing boredom-related behavior problems and providing dogs with meaningful cognitive challenges. Rather than relying solely on physical exercise from walks, these toys engage a dog's problem-solving abilities and can provide hours of engagement, especially when rotated to prevent habituation. The video emphasizes that puzzle toys are not a substitute for supervision and should never be left with dogs unsupervised, but they represent an affordable ($20 or less each) investment in your dog's overall well-being and happiness. Finding the right difficulty level ensures your dog experiences success and genuine challenge rather than frustration or boredom.
Common Questions About Nina Ottosson Dog Puzzles
How do I know which puzzle difficulty is right for my dog?
Start with Level 1 or 2 puzzles to gauge your dog's interest and ability. If your dog solves it quickly and confidently, move to the next level. If your dog loses interest or becomes frustrated after several minutes, that puzzle may be too difficult. The video notes that completion time can range from minutes to half an hour depending on your dog's familiarity with puzzles.
What if my dog tries to chew off the puzzle pieces?
Choose puzzles with permanently attached, non-removable pieces like the Hide N' Slide. Avoid the Twister and Challenge Slider if your dog has a history of destroying toys or swallowing plastic. Never leave your dog unsupervised with any puzzle toy, regardless of design, and monitor whether your dog's behavior suggests they're at risk of ingesting pieces.
How do I introduce a puzzle toy to a dog that's never used one before?
Give your dog several minutes to explore and experiment on their own. If they struggle or lose interest after that time, show them how to access the treats by manipulating the puzzle yourself. Patience is key—the goal is to let them enjoy the challenge at their own pace, not rush them to completion.
How often should I use these puzzles with my dog?
The video suggests rotating through different puzzle styles so your dog doesn't become too adapted to a single puzzle. This keeps each puzzle feeling fresh and challenging even after your dog has solved it before. Once a dog masters a puzzle, it can be solved so quickly that regular use may feel less worthwhile, especially if hand-washing multiple pieces becomes tedious.
Are there risks with cheap puzzle toy knockoffs from Amazon?
Yes. The video strongly recommends avoiding cheap copies; the plastic quality tends to be poor and more prone to splitting, which could injure your dog. Authentic Nina Ottosson puzzles use durable, high-quality plastic and are reasonably priced, making them worth the investment for safety and longevity.
Dog enrichment products featuring hidden treat compartments that require dogs to solve mechanical challenges like sliding, spinning, or pulling to access rewards.
Difficulty levels (1-4)
A classification system where Level 1 is beginner-friendly and Level 4 is expert, indicating how much problem-solving and physical manipulation a puzzle requires.
Mental enrichment
Cognitive activities that stimulate a dog's brain and problem-solving abilities, helping prevent boredom and associated behavioral issues.
Detachable pieces
Removable puzzle components like bone covers or sliders that can potentially be chewed off and swallowed, posing a choking or ingestion risk.
This video delivers genuine, hands-on testing with real completion times and honest assessment of each toy's strengths and weaknesses. The host's willingness to change their top pick after months of real-world use—from the Challenge Slider to the Hide N' Slide based on practicality rather than difficulty—shows genuine expertise and builds trust with viewers trying to make a real purchasing decision.
What stands out most is the safety discussion and the transparency about the Twister's durability issues in their own home; this kind of candid troubleshooting is far more useful than marketing hype. If you're seriously considering puzzle toys for your dog, this breakdown is well worth watching.
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Get 30% OFF the Mischief Managed Dog Enrichment Course! -- http://bit.ly/40CZ3TD
Looking for the perfect puzzle toy to challenge your dog’s brain and bust boredom? My dog Remy and I tested every Nina Ottosson dog puzzle toy (OK, not ALL of them, but the six most popular ones) and in this video, I break down what works, what doesn’t, and which toys are best for your pup’s personality and skill level.
Whether your dog is a total beginner or a puzzle master, this guide will help you choose the right enrichment toy to keep them mentally stimulated and happy.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
- How each puzzle ranks in difficulty
- Tips for introducing puzzle toys to your dog
- Which toys are best for your dog based on personality
🛒 Links to the toys featured (in order):
Tornado: https://amzn.to/4546mVB
Brick: https://amzn.to/3U1Q9eB
Hide N' Slide: https://amzn.to/4lLmjae
Dog Casino: https://amzn.to/4o91MhC
Twister: https://amzn.to/4mdSBKU
Challenge Slider: https://amzn.to/40Bjgcr
🐾 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment with your dog’s favorite puzzle toy – or let me know which one you’re thinking of trying!
Video transcript for “I Tested Every Nina Ottosson Outward Hound Dog Puzzle – Here’s What You Need to Know!” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
If you've been browsing the dog puzzle space for any amount of time, you've likely come across the Nina Addison puzzle toys sold by Outward Hound. Nina Utison is the queen of dog enrichment puzzle toys. Outward Hounds Nina Utison toys have been the real forebears into enrichment and normalizing giving your
dog puzzles. These puzzles come in several difficulty levels, ranging from level one for beginners and level four for experts. Our goal today is to review all the Nina Addison toys out there. Well, okay. We're not reviewing all of them because there are over 20 different kinds, but we are going to review some
of the most popular ones, and we'll be looking at a toy from each skill level, one through four, so you can decide which puzzle will work best for your dog. I'll also be timing my own dog, Remy, to see how long it takes him to complete each puzzle. Let me preface all this by bragging a little bit. Remy is
one smart pup. He tends to really fly through these puzzle toys. I think it's safe to say that these puzzles will take most dogs longer to complete than they take Remy, just so you know. Okay, let's jump into the reviews. First up is the Tornado. This is a level one toy, which means it's very beginner friendly. The
toy features several layers of spinning bone shapes that reveal food compartments underneath as the different layers are spun around by the dog. You'll assemble the puzzle by swiveing the layers around and filling the hidden compartments with treats. Since the layers are so easy to spin and move with
a simple nudge of the nose, it's pretty easy for dogs to find the goodies as they sniff around the toy. It's a really nice, easy puzzle for dogs who are new to puzzles or for dogs who are especially timid and might benefit from the extra encouragement of an easy puzzle. I tested this toy out with
Meatball, one of our clients at the rowdy dog manners class I help out with. Meatball made pretty quick work of this toy, turning the panels with ease to get all the goodies. It took Meatball about 2 minutes to complete this one. Next up is the brick, which is a level two puzzle, so it's considered intermediate.
For this puzzle, you have little bone covers hiding treats in the middle row, which are the easiest treats to access. You just pick up the bone and reveal the treat. But there are also these flip cover compartments on the sides, which your dog needs a bit more of some nuanced handling to open, although it is
still relatively easy. They don't lock in or anything. Lastly, your dog can slide the red blocks over to reveal even more food compartments underneath. This one took Remy four minutes to finish. The hide and slide is another level two intermediate puzzle. The way the hide and slide works is that it has these
fins that slide over holes that hold treats, but there are also slots inside these slider pieces. And when the dog knocks the slider over the hole on the opposite side, the treat falls out into the hole. I also like that these pieces are permanently attached to the device, which means you don't need to worry as
much about your dog grabbing off pieces to chew or swallow. For the hide and slide, it took Remy 3 minutes and 40 seconds to complete. The dog casino is a level three puzzle, which is classified as advanced. The way this puzzle works is that the dog must turn the bone shape into its recessed slot in order to
unlock and pull the drawer compartment holding the treat. So, to load this toy, we'll turn all the bones into their slots, load up the trays, push the trays back in, and then turn the bone shapes. Okay, you can see exactly how smart my boy is. He knows he has to knock the bone into its recessed hole and then
pull out the drawer. He's such a smarty pants. The dog casino took Remy 4 minutes and 42 seconds to complete. Hey, while I have you, don't forget to like this video to give it a big boost in YouTube's algorithm. It really is a huge help for our channel, so thank you. Okay, let's jump back into the reviews.
The Twister is another level three puzzle. With the twister, the dog needs to pull out the key locks around the outside of the circle in order to unlock the top panels, which can then be slid around to find the treats hidden in the compartments underneath. This one is pretty tricky as your dog needs to turn
the puzzle sideways and pull the white locking mechanisms out. Our version of this puzzle has not held up super well. At one point, my dog chewed the key poles a bit, which now makes them a little harder to shove in and out of the locking slots. And while a lot of the toys encourage pong and clawing, my
dog's experience with this puzzle feels especially loud. This one was definitely pretty frustrating for my dog, Remy. For a while, he just kept pawing and clawing at the panels over and over and over. Uh, yeah, it was a little frustrating for me, too. But it was so exciting to watch Remy finally figure this one out
and realized that he had to pull out the white key locks by grabbing the white poles with his teeth. I was so proud when he finally got this. However, even after figuring out how the puzzle worked, sometimes he would just resort to beating this thing up. And to his credit, it did kind of work. So, I can't
complain with his methodology. The twister took Remy 5 minutes and 23 seconds to finish. Lastly, we have the challenge slider. With this toy, you'll pull out the tray underneath, load it with treats, and then slide it back underneath the panel. Your dog will then paw and push the sliders around to
reveal each hidden treat below. The challenge slider took Remy a whopping 8 minutes and 6 seconds to complete. In just a second, we're going to reveal our top pick for our favorite Nenina Oison toy. I think it might surprise you. But first, let's talk a bit about some best practices when using these kinds of
toys. When you're starting off, don't be surprised if your dog needs a bit of guidance. Give them a few minutes to experiment on their own. But if they're struggling after several minutes or start to lose interest, try showing them how to access the treats. On average, a dog can take anywhere from a few minutes
to half an hour to figure out a puzzle, depending on their familiarity with the toys and the difficulty level of the puzzle. Remember, the goal isn't to rush them through it, but to let them enjoy the process and the challenge. As far as cleaning, you are supposed to wash these with warm soapy water, but I have thrown
some pieces in the dishwasher before and not had an issue. Now, let's talk about some potential risks. While these toys are super fun and engaging, some dogs might get a little too enthusiastic and try to chew or eat the compartment covers, especially when they're detachable. Many of the puzzles are
designed to be as secure as possible and have the pieces attached to the puzzle itself. So, they're really, really hard to rip off. But, you'd be surprised how many dogs still managed to break off pieces. And there are puzzles that are purposely designed to have removable parts. So, you'll have to be careful
about that as well. Whenever you're giving one of these puzzle toys to your dog, you're always going to want to be observing them. You don't really want to leave your dog alone with these toys. This is important for their safety as well as observing how they work with the puzzle and how challenging or how not
challenging the puzzle might be. If you have a reason to be concerned that your dog might eat the plastic pieces, you'll want to opt for the non- removable pieces. Generally, while these puzzles are great, I wouldn't recommend them for alone time. There are some cheap copycats on Amazon, but I'd avoid any
ripoffs as the plastic tends to not be as high quality and may be more liable to split and hurt your dog. As you can see here, this plastic is quite tough and durable. They're also pretty reasonably priced. Each puzzle is usually $20 or less, I would say. So, they're really pretty affordable. And
actually, I've found that these puzzle toys are not unusual to find at Goodwills and other thrift stores. So, if you're a thrifter, keep an eye out for them. If you think these puzzles are cool, definitely consider checking out our K9 enrichment course, Mischief Managed, where we show you even more
awesome puzzles and games that will burn off a ton more physical and mental energy than just your boring old walk. So, as far as our personal favorites, after initially testing out all these toys, I chose the challenge slider since that one took Remy the longest to finish. But after using these puzzle
toys on a regular basis for months, I've decided to change my top pick to the hide and slide. It's not as challenging for Remy, but it's so much easier to clean and deal with since it doesn't have separate unattached pieces. With the challenge slider, sometimes the squares would come off and it could be
kind of annoying to reattach them. Not a huge deal, but enough that it was inconvenient. These puzzles are really fun, especially at first, but once your dog gets the hang of it, they can run through them so quickly that sometimes it hardly feels worth taking them out, especially when you have to hand wash
all the individual pieces. Still, they're definitely a fun and mentally stimulating activity, and dogs really seem to enjoy them. And while some dogs make quick work of these puzzles, other dogs experience the puzzle as a new challenge each time they engage with it. This is especially true if you rotate
through a few different styles of puzzles, so your dog doesn't get too adapted to a certain puzzle. If you've used any of these Nina Addison puzzle toys before, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please share them in the comments. What puzzle is your favorite and why? We'd love to hear from you.
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