Nina Ottosson is one of our dogs’ favourite brands, but with so many choices, it can be hard to choose. Our advice is to start with what you want from the puzzles. Each toy has been designed for a slightly different purpose.
On this page:
What are the difficulty levels?
The first thing to know is that Nina provides difficulty ratings for all her games. These levels can help you pick a puzzle that is appropriate to your dog.
Nina defines them as:
- Easy – Level 1: Suits beginners, puppies, dogs who have never played before, and if you are unsure if your dog like puzzle solving for treats. Perfect as slow feeders for dogs
- Medium – Level 2: Suits all kind of dogs, in all sizes and ages.
- Advanced – Level 3: When your dog has mastered level 2 puzzles, you can move up to a more advanced challenging puzzle.
- Expert – Level 4: When your dog has mastered level 3 puzzles, you can move up to the expert level. Congratulations and good luck!
Puzzle recommendations by size, skill, and dog style
Below are my recommendations on which puzzles suit:
- Beginners
- Puppies
- Clever dogs
- Chewers or Rough Dogs (Like my boy Atlas)
- Puzzles to feed out of
- Injured and senior dogs
This doesn’t mean that the other games won’t work for your dog, but it should help get you started!
| Nina Ottosson Puzzle | Level | Beginners | Puppies | Clever Dogs | Chewers & Rough | Feeders | Injured or senior dogs |
| Dog Smart | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Dog Smart Composite | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Wobble Bowl | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Treat Tumble | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Dog Tornado | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Dog Hide ´N Slide | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Dog Treat Maze | 2 | Yes | |||||
| Dog Brick | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Challenge Slider | 3 | Yes | |||||
| Dog Worker | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Dog Twister | 3 | Yes | Yes | ||||
| MultiPuzzle | 4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Dog Casino | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Fast Food Snuffle | NA | Yes | |||||
| Garden Activity Snuffle | NA | Yes | |||||
| Puppy Tornado | 2 | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Puppy Smart Interactive | 1 | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Puppy Hide n’ Slide | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| A-Maze Ball | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Lickin’ Layers | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Puppy Lickin’ Layers | 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Puppy recommendations
Playing games with your puppy is an awesome opportunity to have fun but also teach basics such as sit and stay. Nina recommends games that don’t have removable small parts which will reduce the risk of parts getting damaged or the puppy choking. You’ll find each game can be altered be even easier if needed.
Does the size of the breed matter?
Most of Nina’s toys will suit all dogs. There are only a few exceptions:
Small: The A-Maze Ball will most likely be too large, or they might love it and use it like a herding ball!
Large: The Maze is quite small. So most larger dogs won’t love it.
Flat-nosed dogs
We know having a flat-nosed dog can sometimes be a challenge for toys and supplies. That’s why Nina has put this thought into her games. All toys should be suitable, assuming your dog has a tongue that can reach. It’s the tongue length that is important.
Clever and food-motivated
No longer a beginner and looking for more of a challenge? These games require the dog to be familiar with playing dog puzzles and to have the patience and understanding to solve the puzzle.
Chewers and rough dogs
All of Nina’s toys are super durable, and I can say this as an owner of two very large German Shepherds. However, nothing is indestructible. So there are some easy steps to help keep your toys in good condition.
- Take time to teach your dog how to play the game by starting slowly and easily
- Don’t let them get frustrated. If they are frustrated, make it easier by removing components or working with them
- To slow down those rough dog,s freeze treats in the compartments before play. This will force them to slow down and lick instead. Which will also calm them down.
- Another way to slow them down is to force them to only play with their nose by placing the toy on a higher surface such as a chair or coffee table
Using puzzles as slow feeders
The puzzles listed above usually fit up to half a cup of food. Meaning most people can use it as their dog’s dinner. Most are also suitable for wet or dry food!
Injured dogs
These puzzles are great for injured dogs as they don’t require the dog to move around as much and can instead use their nose to work through the puzzle. They can also all be frozen with treats to instead work as a licki mat.
Hopefully that helps you choose! Chuck me an email if you have any questions!
Sal, Atlas & Ares