Being bored stinks. That goes for both dogs and moody teenagers.

Whether you want to keep your dog occupied while home alone, or simply want to feed your canine’s brain by keeping them challenged and entertained, dog toys are essential.

Food is a major motivator, especially for pups. That’s why we’re listing the top 9 treat dispensing toys for dogs.

These toys come highly recommended and are promised to keep your dog happy and smart!

1. Kong

The Kong Toy is a classic, widely regarded as the King Kong of dog toys, it’s an essential in many owners’ dog toy arsenals.

Kong Classic chew & treat toy Tough rubber toy that’s hollow in the middle, allowing it to be stuffed with tasty goodies! See on Chewy See on Amazon

These tough rubber toys can withstand even the mightiest of jaws, making them one of the best dog toys for aggressive chewers. They also come in several sizes depending on your dog’s stature.

What makes the Kong Toy even better? It can be stuffed with food! Learn what to stuff a Kong toy with and how to stuff it!

Super Kong Tip: Create a paste mixture of ½ wet food, ½ dry food, stuff it in the Kong toy, and your dog will spend hours trying to lick every last morsel out of it. If your dog is a pro excavator, stuff the Kong toy with the mix and then freeze the entire thing overnight.

Just clean afterwards and you’ll be ready for round two! As with most of these toys, things can get messy, so consider closing your dog off in an area that will be easy to clean later.

2. Pickle Pocket

This Pickle Pocket toy is made with tough chewers in mind, created from a unique material that is soft in the dog’s mouth, but also ultra durable.

Pickle Pocket Floatable, pickle-shaped treat toy Can be stuffed with dry or wet treats for a tasty snack! See on Chewy See on Amazon

This toy is a great option for clever dogs that have mastered other toys.

Even the most high-energy, tough to entertain pups will adore this treat dispensing toy. Owners can dig wet treats, food, or peanut butter deep into the grooves, forcing canines to take their time licking out every crumb.

Bonus: It bounces and floats in water! Not to mention it’s shaped like a pickle…which is just plain awesome!

You’ll have no problem leaving your dog home alone with this pickled challenge to keep him occupied!

3. Kibble Nibble

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble toy reflects gamification at its best.

Kibble Nibble Knockable, rollable treat ball Let your dog paw and nose at this ball to dispense treats (or even his dinner). See on Chewy See on Amazon

This toy has a built-in gratification system that dispenses treats when the dog interacts and engages with the toy. What’s great about treat-dispensing dog toys like these is that they can actually be used to feed a dog his entire dry kibble meal.

This is especially handy for dogs that have a tendency to inhale their food and gobble down their water. Put away the designer dog bowls – the Kibble Nibble has you covered!

The Kibble Nibble is pretty easy to clean – just unscrew and throw it in the dishwasher. This food dispensing dog toy is also unique in that the difficulty can be adjusted by trimming the prongs so that treats will be dispensed more quickly (for those pups who just can’t quite get the hang of it).

Note: While you should be able to use most brands of kibble or small treats, you do have the option of buying PetSafe Busy Buddy Buddy-Ohs (that’s a tongue twister), which are dog treats designed specifically for being used in the PetSafe treat-dispensing toys.

4. Omega Tricky Treat Ball

This toy is similar to the one above – it’s a treat-dispensing ball that releases treat incentives as the dog rolls the ball around. The major difference here is that the Omega Tricky Treat is soft, whereas the PetSafe Kibble Nibble is a hard ball.

Omega Tricky Treat Ball Soft, rollable treat ball A fun treat-dispensing ball made of soft rubber. See on Chewy See on Amazon

There are pros and cons to a soft vs. hard dog toy. Soft toys like this Omega Tricky Treat Ball are great for chewing, although super chewer dogs might make quick work of balls like these. The other big advantage of soft toys is that they won’t cause as much damage to furniture and floors.

This Omega Tricky Treat Ball is tougher to clean since it has inner cavities where the treats fall out from, but it can be cleaned with warm soapy water. While it’s a great option for many dogs, it may not be the best for super tough chewers, who might make quick work of it due to its soft substance.

5. Tug-A-Jug

The PetSafe Tug-A-Jug is a tug-of-war style toy that dispenses treats as it is played with. It also has a nice textured rubber wrap that can help clean your dog’s teeth!

Tug-A-Jug Tug-style toy that tosses treats This tug toy is multi-purpose, with a teeth-cleaning rubber top and a treat dispenser! See on Chewy See on Amazon

6. The Waggle

The Waggle is a shake-style toy that randomly dispenses treats through the compressible balls on either side of the middle section.

The Waggle Shaker puzzle toy Watch your dog shake this rattle toy to dispense treats! See on Chewy See on Amazon

7. IQ Treat Ball

Similar to the Omega treat ball and Kibble Nibble ball, the IQ treat ball is another popular option. It dispenses treats as it is rolled across the floor.

IQ Treat Ball Hard plastic treat ball Your dog must roll this ball around to dislodge treats through inner compartment maze. See on Amazon

8. Bob-A-Lot

This hard plastic Bob-A-Lot dog toy balances and “bobs” along as your dog pushes and plays with the toy, dispensing treats as it wobbles.

Bob-A-Lot Bobbing toy that shoots out kibble Weighted toy that requires dog to nose and paw at the toy to dispense treats. See on Chewy See on Amazon

The Bob-A-Lot has adjustable openings so you can adjust the difficulty level, which is a handy feature found in some dog puzzle toys. It has stellar ratings on Amazon as it manages to keep nearly all dogs entertained.

9. Twist N Treat

Lastly is the Twist ‘n Treat dog toy. While it’s not recommended for heavy chewers, for dainty dogs it’s just the thing.

Twist N’ Treat Spinning adjustable treat toy This two-piece treat toy can be twisted to adjust the treat opening, making it easier or harder to get treats out. See on Chewy See on Amazon

The toy is a two-piece adjustable design, with the ability to screw the two pieces tighter or looser, adjusting the size of the treat opening and difficulty level. This is another toy that is easy to clean, as it’s dishwasher safe.

That concludes our list of the top treat dispensing dog toys. Do you have any to add? Tell us in the comments!

Want more doggy toys for your furry friend? Consider getting a BarkBox subscription, where you can get a monthly box of doggie goodies delivered to your doorstep!