I purchased this for my 12-week old Goldendoodle puppy, Stuart. He is a VERY active puppy and demands constant attention. He has tons of squeaky toys, teething rings, bones, a fun play-mat, and even a tunnel to run through and lay in, but he still gets bored. We are working with a trainer, and she suggested that I get him some puzzle type toys to keep him busy and challenged. Today was the second time we've tried the toy out. The first time I put dry kibble and a couple of small training treats in the compartments. Stuart seemed happy with it, and it kept him occupied for 20 minutes or so. This time I decided to put bits of banana, small bits of chicken pill pockets, a couple of cubes of ice, and kibble in the separate compartments. I smeared the banana and pill pockets in the corners of the individual compartments as well as the lid thinking that it would take him more time to lick it out of the corners than just eating it. He was elated and had much fun getting to the treats. It took him about 35 minutes to complete the puzzle (or whatever it's called) from beginning to end. I decided to leave the toy out for a bit because he was still working to see if he missed anything. This lasted for another 30 minutes or so. After all of that, it was nap time. So at the end of the day, it took up a couple hours of his time! I think he is going to like it for some time to come if I use it sparingly to keep his interest. However, he is VERY interested in food and treats so that it may keep his attention with continued use, but I would think that he would end up getting good at it and it would take less time to complete the task. To me, it seems as though it needs to stay challenging because otherwise all of the treats end up being a pretty significant reward for spending limited time and energy. Which I'm not crazy about. Plus, I wouldn't think it would be very healthy to do on a regular basis. Though, as far as I know, small bits of banana are safe from time-to-time, and I'm sure that a couple of pill pockets used as a treat are safe as well. Indeed ice cubes and kibble is fine. The only concern I have is that consuming the mixture of all the different types of treats in the same sitting (even though I only used a couple of small bits of banana,1 1/2 to 2 small pill pockets, and a tiny bit of kibble) will upset his stomach. I'll wait and see I suppose. Also, even if only used occasionally, I'm not sure that it is healthy for him. With that aside, I'm very pleased with the product and I know Stuart is as well. I recommend the product as long as you're comfortable with treats.
