Brain-building toys for dogs

If pets now have their own airline and their own social network, it seems only fitting that the canines among them should have more sophisticated entertainment than the simple bones their forebears chewed on. Enter Kyjen, a California company that offers a range of toys designed to build the canine brain. Kyjen’s Puzzle Plush Dog Toys aim to challenge and entertain their canine users much the way developmental toys do for children. The IQube, for instance, features a plush cube with balls nestled inside to test dogs’ intelligence and puzzle-solving skills as they try to get the balls out. The Hide-A-Squirrel toy, meanwhile, includes three toy squirrels hiding in a plush log, challenging dogs to find and remove them. Then there’s the IntelliBone, featuring a plush bone toy surrounded by removable plush rings. Prices on the Puzzle Plush line range from USD 11.49 to USD 21.99. Kyjen makes a variety of other dog toys as well, including an Eco Hemp line and a variety of Bottle Buddies designed to hold recycled water bottles for extra crinkle noise and chewing satisfaction. The company’s products are available globally in retail pet specialty stores, mail order catalogues and online, including from Amazon. There are few things we at Springwise love more than to see products upgraded, because—as regular readers know—everything can be! But that’s never more true than in a burgeoning industry such as pet products, which is expected to bring in more than USD 45 billion this year in the US alone, according to the American Pet Products Association. One to partner with or emulate for the crafty canines in your part of the world….? Spotted by: Murtaza Ali Patel