Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Puzzle Dog Toy

My dog Sam got this toy as his first toy when he was 5 months old and newly brought into his first foster home. He instantly fell in love with it and when I adopted him it was the number one thing that had to come with him. 7 years later, I’ve probably bought a new one each year, and eventually throw out the rattiest one. But I toss them in the washing machine in the meantime and it’s always his go to. While he doesn’t play with the squirrels, he uses the tree as a pacifier, security blanket, and his favorite tug toy. Not sure what it is about this one, because I’ve ordered the bird house and the big log one, and this one far outweighs the others. So even if you’re skeptical because other reviewers My dog Sam got this toy as his first toy when he was 5 months old and newly brought into his first foster home. He instantly fell in love with it and when I adopted him it was the number one thing that had to come with him. 7 years later, I’ve probably bought a new one each year, and eventually throw out the rattiest one. But I toss them in the washing machine in the meantime and it’s always his go to. While he doesn’t play with the squirrels, he uses the tree as a pacifier, security blanket, and his favorite tug toy. Not sure what it is about this one, because I’ve ordered the bird house and the big log one, and this one far outweighs the others. So even if you’re skeptical because other reviewers say it doesn’t last long, my dog still Loves it even when it’s tattered and the stuffing has been ripped out. He’ll get a new one this Christmas and I’m excited to swap out one of the ratty ones showed here. … more

I ordered the jumbo for my 35 lb amstaff mix, because he loves nosing for/finding things. It has three holes/squirrels and is a good size for him. He is rough on toys so we're intentional about how we play with this - it's taken out at specific times for him to pull the squirrels out of. After that, we play rotating fetch with the squirrels (and put the log out of sight) - squeak/throw one squirrel and just as he's running back with it, squeak/throw another squirrel, and so on. It really excites him and makes for a fast paced and fun game that's different from regular fetch. He loves squeaking on the squirrels and it's cute to watch him pick each one up in turn to squeak. I don't let him sit I ordered the jumbo for my 35 lb amstaff mix, because he loves nosing for/finding things. It has three holes/squirrels and is a good size for him. He is rough on toys so we're intentional about how we play with this - it's taken out at specific times for him to pull the squirrels out of. After that, we play rotating fetch with the squirrels (and put the log out of sight) - squeak/throw one squirrel and just as he's running back with it, squeak/throw another squirrel, and so on. It really excites him and makes for a fast paced and fun game that's different from regular fetch. He loves squeaking on the squirrels and it's cute to watch him pick each one up in turn to squeak. I don't let him sit and gnaw on the squirrels, and like I said I put the log away after he pulls them out since it's just cardboard wrapped in fabric - not super durable but still well worth it. I bought a second for his cousin's xmas present. … more

This toy is a big hit! Yes, it keeps her occupied for quite a while, and also beware that you will be asked to replace the squirrels in the nest for the next round of play. One squirrel was eviscerated to remove the squeaker on the first day, but the others have remained intact for two weeks. I've found a squirrel taken to the bedroom where she sleeps and cuddles up with. She covets them. She plays with this many times during the day and gives a short bark when she wants me to re-assemble the nest. This is a great calming toy especially during winter months when outdoor play is more limited. I'm telling my dog-loving friends about this.

Elvis has since past but I am ordering for a family members new doggie. Elvis, was my Rotti & loved this toy. He was so amazing because I would hide all 6 squirrels around the house & tell him to find his babies & Elvis would search for them & bring back to the log & would count them & not stop until he found all 6. At first, I would not leave them with him until I was sure he would not chew up like his other stuffed toys but for some reason, he never chewed his babies or the log up. He gathered them in his bed like a momma dog. Great toy!

My dog absolutely loves this toy. The trunk is always brought to you when he wants to play tug a war (when there’s no squirrels in it) and he has his squirrels EVERYWHERE. In his bed, outside on the porch, under my bed, etc. He hasn’t torn through any of the squirrels but he has torn through the trunk- he’s not a super chewer but he usually rips through the ears of his plush toys. The squirrels feel pretty durable and strong but the small areas of the trunk in between the holes are a little thin- which is the area where he carries the trunk and ripped through. Overall really happy with how much he loves this toy though, he still plays with both the trunk and squirrels months later!

Maligator and GSP say this is another fabulous hide 'n seek toy. The squirrel are larger for the Maligator to be enthralled (got the large size of this toy) and the GSP could care less either way, he just loves something simple he can do. This larger size isn't much of a challenge for the Maligator, but when the GSP shakes the tree and the squirrel fly, the Maligator loves to jump for the larger critters, bring them to me to put back into the tree for the GSP to continue to rattle and shake (that kid has endless energy)

Always looking for something to engage my lab (especially when the weather's bad and he can't run outside as much). This has provided a distraction. We've been doing some training so that he uses it (treats for every squirrel). He has been chewing on the edges a bit so 4 stars because it's already starting to fray and we've only used it about 5 / 6 times.

My rescue pup (we believe she is a pitbull, but we are not yet sure) made quick work of this toy. All she had to do was shake it, and because the top is so wide, all the squirrels (which she loves, by the way) came out. She then focused all her energy on the task of utterly destroying the tree trunk. I took it from her before she could, but this toy is definitely for doggies who work harder, not smarter. I’m afraid to let her have her way with this for even a moment, because I would have a mass squirrel burial. We are giving this to a puppy who will love it, and will stick to kongs and hard chew toys for this one.

My Doberman really enjoys trying to get the squirrels out of the tree! It’s great that there’s a handful of them because she also enjoys performing squeakerectomies by snipping the threads with her teeth and pulling out the stuffing. I just wish there was stronger thread and fabric and that toys didn’t have stuffing.

This puzzle toy really challenges my crazy 1 year old pup. It’s simple enough that he knows what to do but hard enough that he’s really thinking and working. The squirrels would be easy for him to rip apart but so far he hasn’t. He’s gotten into the habit of bringing me the empty log when he’s got all the squirrels out. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone with a high energy dog!