Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Catnip Trials
Well honestly, I didn't expect this. Frankly I'm relieved that no wagers were placed backing my assumptions. My reviewers flat out proved me wrong- this time about the type of catnip they prefer.
You may recall that in December I was lamenting the absence of fresh catnip. My catnip plants had all gone to seed in my back yard and I just wasn't able to find any form of the substance that would provoke any insanity out of my cats. Their response to the dry herb that I was able to procure was fairly lukewarm. It was plain that the Kong Cats With an Attitude Catnip toys needed to be tested with the fresh stuff in order to make the review complete. After all, what could be better than fresh?
After nurturing a plant this Spring and Summer we are now back in the catnip business and I felt we could perform a fair test. We loaded three Kong Cats With an Attitude Catnip toys with three types of catnip- home grown fresh, Scratch Lounge brand 100% Natural Premium Canadian dried catnip and Catnip Mini Yeowww! brand dried catnip (source unknown). Mack, and then Pinkie were presented with all three toys at once so that they could each make their selections. The videos will show the type preferred. Both of my reviewers eventually found themselves compelled to carry off the toy (the lamb) containing the Scratch Lounge dried catnip. Mack enjoyed all three before making his selection while Pinkie homed in on her favorite right away. Sure, the little canister is pretty but is this particular dried herb really better than fresh? I guess so. I don't know what they're doing to their catnip in Canada but whatever it is Mack and Pinkie like it. I was quite disappointed. I was of course rooting for the home grown favorite.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nina Ottosson, Again.
Today my reviewers are exploring a variation on Nina Ottosson's (www.nina-ottosson.com) Dog Pyramid called the "Dog Dizzy." The Dog Dizzy ("It Rolls and Twists") is another interactive treat dispensing toy offered by the Swedish dog toy maker. We filled the Dizzy with a variety of treats and gave it a spin.
The original reservation about the the Dog Pyramid was that it righted itself rather too aggressively and tended to hit the unsuspecting dog in the head. The narrowed top also made it very easy for a bigger dog to pick up and carry away. There was one hole only in the top of the Pyramid which made it at once laborious to insert treats and challenging to extract them. On the plus side the wider weighted bottom of the Pyramid made it easy for the dog nose or foot to push over increasing the chances that with gravity and a great deal of luck a treat would manage to pop out.
I wish I could say that the Dog Dizzy is a vast improvement over the Dog Pyramid. It still has the one treat escape/insert hole, the toy is weighted at the bottom and is constructed of the same hard plastic. The shape, however, is radically different being sort of a ball with the top and bottom flattened. Not being completely round makes the toy reluctant to roll and less rolling means less treats escaping. My reviewers found it very frustrating. At first I loaded the Dizzy with regular kibble and interest was keen until no kibble was escaping. To renew interest I then added some high value training treats. The Dizzy was then poked, prodded and bitten before interest waned again when no treats were seen. Just a lazy day for my reviewers? No initiative to use the higher canine brain functions? I have to admit that for my reviewers (canine and feline) the Dog Dizzy was a bit of a dud.
To recap the Dog Dizzy rates a Poor as to Playability. It has to be said that MY reviewers found it lacking and the Dizzy might find a more enthusiastic audience in the insanely food motivated dog- the Labrador perhaps? The Durability seems to be Excellent if the item is not gnawed upon. This is an interactive toy and your dog should play with it under human supervision only. Safety is also Excellent if used properly, again under supervision.
The success of treat dispensing toys as a whole seems to be a balancing act between being too challenging and not challenging enough. An intermittent reward is the most potent reinforcer (think Vegas slot machines) for dog and human alike. You have to applaud Nina Ottosson's dedication to unlocking the potential of the canine mind. Dog toys are simple?- I think not.
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