I have a 10 week old Finnish Lapphund puppy. She's food driven, insanely smart, and incredibly energetic. I could take her on a 60-minute walk and she'd still be ready to go for another hour. She learns very quickly, has a stubborn streak, and can shred through a bowl of kibble in about 2 seconds flat. I tried everything to get her thinking, tire her out, and slow down her eating a bit. We practice sit-down-stay-spin-leave it with her entire bowl of kibble morning and night and she looks at me like "is this the hardest thing you have for me" as she breezes through the commands. AT 10 WEEKS OLD! A stuffed Kong is empty in 3 minutes. A Kong stuffed with anything frozen is just plain boring and forgotten in 5 minutes. A stuffed barnacle is fun until it's empty, which is about 10 minutes, and then she looks at me like "OK what's next." Then there's this treat ball.

This thing actually interests her and keeps her busy.

I wouldn't say it's an "IQ" toy. It's more like a spin-me-a-million-times-before-I-give-up-a-single-treat toy, which is so much better. My little thinker can't think her way through this one. She just frustratedly punts it around the house like David Beckham until it gives up a tasty treat, and then repeats until it's empty. The opening has a thickened edge that protrudes into the ball so it makes it more difficult for a treat to fall out. Then, you have the adjustable white plastic barrier that you can put inside it to make it various degrees of more difficult to get food out of it. Basically, it will work your dog to the very core in every good way you can possibly imagine. My little nightmare spends a good 30 with this ball and, like the angel I know she isn't, she's off to her crate for some chew toy action and a solid all-day nap. I want to meet the person who created this toy so I can glee-cry into their shoulder in a loving embrace for giving me even 5 uninterrupted minutes to take a shower every day.

I have a 3 year old Doberman pinscher and he is sometimes a pest when he is bored and looking for something to do. I decided to give this foraging toy a try because there were a lot of good reviews and it seemed fun. But unfortunately, this toy is a little too difficult for my dog to understand! The first day I offered it to him, he was so confused and frustrated because he couldn't seem to figure out how to properly roll the ball to get the food, so he would just give up and do something else. The second day I offered it to him, he was a little better because I rolled it around with him to show him how it worked and build up his confidence. He still couldn't get out half the kibble though, and would quickly lose interest.

Third day he played with it he had seemed to get the hang of it, and he is mostly good at rolling it around now. But he has this habit of picking it up in his mouth and letting it drop to the hardwood floor. It helps dislodge the kibble, but I'm afraid he may break or crack the see-through plastic portion someday. He also chews on it quite vigorously, and I'm certain he would be able to crack it with his jaw power if I ever left him alone with it. The only reason he is doing these things though is because the kibble doesn't come out easily enough and he is becoming frustrated. There is a small ridge around the inside of the holes where the kibbles are supposed to dispense, which makes it nearly impossible for him to get the last few remaining kibbles out, even if he rolls it correctly, since they stop against the little ridge. I will have to dremel these ridges down so that the kibbles can more easily fall out.

My dog is just not focused enough to fully appreciate this toy. It frustrates him more than it engages him. Would maybe be ideal for a border collie or something though. I've had much better success with the Starmark brand of foraging toys, such as the Everlasting Treat Ball, Everlasting Fire Plug, and Treat Ringer toys, all of which are easier for him to navigate, can take a beating, and are not destroying during chewing or throwing.

I bought this item for my two yorkie puppies. Unfortunately one of them got her jaw lodged inside the top opening and had to be taken to the emergency room where she was sedated and had the toy removed. I sent the company an email and they promptly got back to me and were very nice. They reimbursed me for the vet bill and also sent me a box full of chewable toys, dog bowls and doggie bags. I still wish they advertised this toy better for larger dogs, I am happy with the outcome and most importantly, my puppy had no damage to her jaw and is doing just fine.

Our chihuahuas just don't 'get' it. I think the problem is that they aren't getting rewarded quickly enough to keep their attention and connect 'roll the ball' with 'get a treat'... even on the easiest setting. I've noticed that the treats dispense when the ball is rolled faster than they roll it, so maybe it just isn't the best option for toy breeds.

I'm giving it 4 stars because the ball is well-made, has multiple difficulty settings, and is fairly easy to clean. It may not be ideal for the smallest dogs, but I could just have 2 below-average achievers.

Update:
I have had this for MONTHS, yet I just realized that I can close the inner 'hole' so that the treats are easier to dispense. This is the ideal beginner setting because it gives easy reward. Once they realize that rolling the ball gives them a treat, I'll try opening the 2nd hole to give more of a challenge. If your dog is having a hard time with this, make sure you're using it on the easiest setting. This made all of the difference for us.

Great product - easy to clean, and can accommodate different sizes and types of kibble/treats. If you have hardwood floors and you find the ball too loud, you can take an old sock, stretch it over the ball, and cut off the excess, allowing for the food to go through the hole. It also makes the ball easier for dogs to grab, so if it gets stuck in a corner, they can pick it up and throw it somewhere else. A great deal!