Nina Ottosson has worked with dogs almost her entire life. When she had children she wasn’t able to devote as much time as she’d like to her dogs. Nina wondered if there was a way that she could challenge and stimulate her dogs in a fun, easy way indoors. In 1993, Nina Ottosson started Zoo Active Products AB. She started by developing and designing dog activity toys and games for dogs and owners. Her purpose was to mentally stimulate dogs in a positive and educational manner.
Activity toys are becoming increasingly popular and are used by dogs and other animals and their owners all over the world. Dog activity toys are recommended by dog psychologists, veterinarians, dog-trainers and many dog-owners. Nina’s line of activity dog toys are high quality and durable. Dog activity toys are designed for the dog to work with problem solving in different ways, by finding hidden dog treats, e.g. to lift blocks, turn discs, push blocks, put blocks inside something etc. All dogs need to use their brain in order to keep healthy. Some dogs need more brain stimulation than others. If dogs are not provided with an outlet for their energy, they can sometimes find their own “activity” which we often do not appreciate, like chewing things to pieces, becoming aggressive or just generally hyperactive. The activity toys are also very good to use when the dog for any reason cannot move about freely.
Stimulating a dog can be anything from letting the dog do tracking in the woods, teaching it different tricks, obedience training or hiding treats in a room and letting the dog find them. In the summer when the weather is good, dogs normally get more stimulation, it’s more fun to be outside and come up with activities for your dog. In the fall and winter it can be boring when they’re stuck inside. It’s often hard to vary the activities indoors and think of fun activities that are entertaining, simple and stimulating. Nina has been inspired to continue developing dog-activating toys for dog and dog-owner. While the games are being used, the dog and the owner will have more contact with each other. At the same time, the dogs learn common everyday obedience during fun and positive moments, like for instance: sit, lie down, stay and wait, while you are hiding the treats in the games. Search, when the dog can start looking. Stop, stay, or back up when the dog is too rough or is doing things the wrong way. Fetch, for lifting the blocks. Finished, when you think the dog or the exercise is finished and it is time for the dog to stop and relax. Inactivity is just as important as activity, i.e. the dog has to learn to lie still and be able to relax when you tell it to do so. Brain exercises with these activity toys/games are suitable for all dogs, young or old, big or small. The activity time that fits most dogs is approximately 15 minutes at a time, shorter for puppies.