Pros: mentally challenging, fun, inventive

Cons: not for serious chewers

I recently picked up the Premier Twist and Treat Dog toy in a size small for my 11 lb. Italian Greyhound. I saw the toy on Amazon and figured it would be a good interactive toy to challenge her. I am very glad I picked up the toy as she seems to really enjoy playing with it and it does seem to challenge her mentally.

What is it?

This toy is two hard rubber pieces that screw together to form an enclosure for treats. As the human you can decide how tight you screw the toy closed to determine how difficult it is to get the treats out. There are two moon shaped divets on each the top and bottom where treats can come out of the toy. For a simpler game you can leave the toy unscrewed so treats can come out the entire circumference. The toy also has small slits on the top and bottom so the dog can smell and possibly see the treats that are inside.

You can use any type of treat in this toy. Premier suggests their small round kibble like treats for use in the toy. I did not try these treats as they did not look that healthy. Instead I have put my own treats inside. You could use any kind of small kibble, dog cookie or cheese.

The game is for the dog to figure out how to get the treats out of the toy. If the dog bats, pushes, or shakes the toy around treats will begin to fall out.

How does it work in real life?

I have had great success using the toy with my Italian Greyhound. I used some tasty/smelly treats in the Twist and Treat and she goes crazy every time I put it down. The first time I gave her the toy I did not screw it shut very tight and the treats all pretty much fell out right away. Each subsequent time I have closed the toy tighter so she really has to work to get the treats out. So far she has not become frustrated even if I make it too difficult. With practice she has learned how hard she needs to bat the toy for treats to come out and that it works best when the toy is batted against the wall or something solid. Even when the toy is out of treats she will give it a whack every now and then to see if it has magically replenished itself.

It should be noted that this is not a chew toy or a Kong type toy. I have read other reviews of folks saying their dogs chewed this toy apart. While my dog is not a big chewer I can see how this might be the case for others. I would recommend getting the largest size that is appropriate for your dog and if you have a serious chewer getting a Kong brand toy instead.

Thank you for reading my review

Also posted to Epinions.