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NINA OTTOSSON STORY

THE ORIGINAL DESIGNER AND DEVELOPER OF DOG & CAT PUZZLE GAMES & TOYS SINCE 1990

Nina Ottosson´s philosophy is that the dog has four legs and one head, and all five need activity in different ways – both physical and mental.

Nina Ottosson games and toys will exercise your dog’s mind and body.
Can help prevent and reduce behavior problems!
Help prevent and reduce weight problems.
The games will help strengthen your bond with your dog.
Prevent boredom.

Nina Ottosson’s range of durable interactive puzzle games have been designed to stimulate a dog’s brain whilst reinforcing his relationship with people. Each design has a unique mechanism that requires mental as well as physical dexterity to work through the challenges and reveal hidden food rewards. They can be set to differing levels of complexity, to satisfy all ages and breeds of dog. So whether you have a ‘Forrest Gump’ or an ‘Albert Einstein’, there is a Nina Ottosson game design to suit every dog!

MENTAL ACTIVITY - WHY

Dogs as well as humans need a certain amount of activity. But it’s important to find a balance of activity and inactivity, so that the dog does not get stressed by under- or overactivity. Walking is a great activity, but dogs also need mental stimulation. All dogs need to use their head sometimes in order to feel good, and some dogs have a greater need than others. If they don’t get to channel their energy into an organized activity, they can sometimes create their own “fun”, which is not always appreciated by the owners, such as chewing on things, or just get hyperactive. At the same time it’s important to just be still and wait while we stand and talk to someone, or just lie next to us on a bench and watch dogs and people walk by without reacting. Activation of your dog can be anything from tracking in the woods to obedience training, learning different tricks, or hiding treats or a toy to find in a room.

In the summer when the weather is good and it is not raining, the dogs normally get more stimulation, it is easier and more fun to be outside and play and come up with activities for your dog. In the fall and winter it can be boring when it is raining or snowing, or cold and windy. At the same time, it´s often hard to vary the activities indoors and think of fun activities that are entertaining, simple and stimulating. Mental activation is something many dog owners may not have time for, or have difficulty coming up with things to do, and may not realize how important it is for the dog’s overall health. It would significantly reduce the number of “problem dogs” if everyone understood how important it is for the dog to use both its head as well as its legs. My philosophy is that the dog has four legs and one head, and all five need activity in different ways – dogs need a mix of physical and mental activity.

WHY I BEGAN TO DEVELOP DOG PUZZLE TOYS & GAMES

I had worked in health care for 17 years and when my (Nina Ottosson) two kids were born a year and a half apart, 1989 & 1990, I did not have time to activate my dogs the way they and I were used to. I had two Bouvier des Flandres that I used to train and compete with. My bad conscience made me start thinking about how to activate my dogs in a simple, fun and varied way indoors, together with the kids, and since 1990 I have worked with development and design of dog puzzle toys and games that stimulate the dog mentally, or “brainteasers” for dogs.

Puzzle games are fun and creative, easy to play with indoors or outdoors, and are developed with the dog’s natural movements and instincts in mind. I started my company the Zoo Active Products AB in 1993, with development and design of dog-activating puzzle toys and games for dogs and dog-owners, which is to mentally activate the dog in a positive and educational manner. The puzzle games are very much appreciated and are used by dogs and other animals and their owners in many countries. My Puzzle Games are also recommended by dog psychologists, veterinaries, dog-trainers and other dog-owners. Since the start the company worked with product development, design, manufacturing, sales and distribution to retailers in different countries.

In 2015, Nina Ottosson was acquired by Outward Hound in the US, and has since become part of the Outward Hound family with several brands under one roof, www.outwardhound.com

I have all my life had dogs and other pets, worked with and been especially interested in dogs.
When I had children, this meant that I did not have the same amount of time to train and activate my dogs, the way both I and they were used to. My bad conscience made me start to think what I could do to activate my dogs in a simple, fun and varying manner indoors, and since 1990 I have worked with the development and design of dog-activating puzzle toys & games that will mentally stimulate the dog, i.e. “brain exercises” in a fun and creative way. The games are also easy to use indoors and are specially developed to match the dog’s natural movements and instincts.

HOW PUZZLE TOYS & GAMES WORK

The Nina Ottosson Puzzle Games, which most dogs love to play with, 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, spin etc. The purpose of these games is that the owner can mentally activate the dog in an easy and fun way at home. While the games are being used, the dog and the owner will get a chance to have more contact with each other and strengthen their relationship. At the same time, there is a learning process of common everyday obedience during fun and positive moments, like for instance: sit, lie down, stay and wait.

DOGS & PETS MOTIVATION TO LEARN – WHAT WE WANT

Wild animals get natural mental stimulation when hunting for food, which has inspired me when developing the games to match the dog’s natural movements and instincts. The dog has to work to get food or treats, not just have it served from a bowl. Dogs have different drives to be susceptible to praise when teaching them different actions or movements. Some dogs are interested in objects, where the reward can be to get the favorite toy when doing what’s expected. Many dogs are willing to learn something new if they get a tasty treat. For some dogs, pets and cuddling with the owner is the best reward, while others are inspired by smells, hunting or movements, where the reward can be to catch a ball, follow a track or fetching an object while hunting. In addition, there are a small number of dogs that are very hard to motivate.

Many of these dogs can get motivated by combining several of these rewards to increase the benefit of performing or to get the dog’s attention. Eating is the primary driving force, since it is important for survival, which is what I have based my products on. Then I have added other things like movement, hunting, object interest and pets, since the dog will get praise and pets when it works to find treats in the games. All of these components together mean that most dogs regardless of breed, size or age are interested in and can use the games.

INTELLIGENCE, MOTIVATION OR GENETIC ADVANTAGE

However, dogs have different levels of intelligence just like us humans. I realized from the beginning, especially after having tested these games on different dogs, that my games must have different levels of difficulty to fit as many dogs as possible. In addition, some dogs with a genetic disposition for fetching will find certain games easier than dogs that first have to learn how to fetch. All dogs enjoy a variety of activities and appreciate trying new things. The same goes for these games – some dogs are happy with games that are simple and easy, while others need increasingly difficult ones. It’s the same for us humans and crossword puzzles, some people are happy with the simple ones, while others continue to challenge themselves with ones that are more and more difficult. Some people wonder if the dogs get tired of the games. I compare that to playing games like Monopoly – we know how to play it but it’s still exciting and fun to play, and the same is true for dogs and the activity toys and games.

PUPPIES

I recommend to start using the games with puppies that are about 10 weeks old, which is what I have done with my dogs. It’s very important to start with games that are simple and easy, and only play for a very short time, max 10 minutes. It’s also important to play together with the puppy, be positive and give a lot of praise and don’t use negative words like “no”. My dogs have learned words like wait, sit etc extremely fast because it is fun, they get treats and we do something fun together.

EXCELLENT TO USE FOR INJURED AND OLD DOGS

These games are also excellent to use for dogs that are injured as well as senior dogs. I have a lot of experience with older dogs that were not able to go for walks due to worn-out hips and joints. Despite this, they were very alert because we played games together daily. I am convinced that their final years were enriched because of this. When my dogs have been injured I have placed the games on a chair or in my lap, so they have to work with the nose and not with their injured paw. It can be very challenging to keep an injured dog still for several weeks, but the games are a great activity that lets the dog get an outlet for all its energy. They are also great for dogs that are underweight and don’t eat. Many dogs will eat more when the food is put in the games instead of the food bowl.

RESCUE DOGS, STRENGTHEN THEIR SELF-CONFIDENCE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE

I have also met several dogs that have been placed in new families for different reasons. At first they have seemed under stimulated and not very intelligent. When the new family started testing the easiest games, the dogs have acted like they don’t want or dare to understand how to act. They simply don’t want to try because they have not been encouraged to be curious and playfully explore the world from when they were puppies. After a certain amount of time we have seen that when the dogs start to understand what to do and start trying, their self confidence has grown and they show such happiness when they are successful and start finding the treats. With lots of praise and with increased self confidence and trust in the new family, they can handle increasingly difficult games.

PLAY THE GAMES TOGETHER WITH YOUR DOG

Puzzle games and toys that contain treats shall always be used together with the dog or under supervision. The first times the games are used, I recommend to hide many small treats, encourage and praise the dog a lot when it does the right thing, and carefully try to redirect, if it tries to bite the game or is too rough, by putting a hand over the game or lifting it up, wait until the dog has calmed down and then try again.

INCREASE THE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

Most games can be made more difficult by locking certain parts with blocks or pegs that the dog has to lift up, slide or move in order to get to the compartments with the hidden treats. These should only be used when the dog understands how the game works, and that it should work its way to the treats and not bite the parts. It’s important to not use games that are too difficult in the beginning, you have to give the dog some time to understand how the games work. Most dogs quickly understand that they have to work to get to the treats and that it pays to listen to directions from the owner.

This communication between the dog and its owner is very rewarding, it leads to a deeper understanding while having fun. For example, the premise of the DogCasino is that the dog shall learn to pull out drawers, and when the dog understands that, you can lock each drawer with the bones on top of the game. This increases the difficulty, since the dog has to solve two problems in order to get to the treats. Another example is the DogBrick, where the dog shall slide bricks in order to get to the treats underneath. These bricks can be locked in place with blocks, which means that the dog first has to lift up the blocks in order to be able to move the bricks and thereby find the treats. If putting the games on a chair or similar it will be another challenge for the dog which also is perfect if the dog has injuries on legs or paw and needs to be calm and not move too much.

MATERIALS

Nina Ottosson Puzzle Games and Toys are made of two materials, composite and plastic. The more nature-friendly composite is a mix of wood fibers and plastic with a heavier design, excellent for dogs that get excited and tend to get rough, and can be used with both wet and dry food and great for dogs who drool a lot, or when the games are used for more than one dog. The plastic games have a design who is colorful and stable, easy to clean, and can be used with both wet and dry food and is great for dogs who drool a lot, or when the games are used for more than one dog. This means that you also can use all Nina Ottosson games to make “Frozen Puzzle” by mix some tasty treats with water or yogurt, pour some of the mixture in the compartments, put the game in the freezer and let it set. This is perfect for hot days or when the dog needs some extra activity. These shall be used under supervision.

MY DOGS

I have had several Bouvier Des Flandres (my favorite breed of dog) over 40 years, but right now I have Bosse, a little Affenpinscher, he is very cosy, intensive and quite intelligent, and he is a really good puzzle player, I love his energy, my daughter have Thea, a smart energetic toller, she is a puzzle pro and extremely intelligent, and in the family we also have little Elsa, a mix poodle and Papillion. All of them absolutely love playing games, especially when I put the games in the freezer to make a "Frozen puzzle". Sometimes they even wait by the freezer until I take them out.

DEVELOP NEW PRODUCTS, BY DOGS WITH DOGS FOR DOGS NOT BY A COMPUTER

I'm always working on new ideas in my head, which I then test on my dogs, to see what works and what we may need to change to make it possible, before moving on to the next step, so that after many test rounds and prototypes become a finished product.
Every time I launch a new product, I looking forward to see what dogs and their owners think about it, and it´s very exciting and little scary each time.

MY TESTING DOGS

My own dogs always test my ideas first, and they love to try new games. If it goes well, then I have a mix of different dogs to do the second round of testing.. These dogs are a great mix of different types, characteristics, sizes and ages, and I also test on several other dogs as well. Other dogs see me as a fun ”play and food mom” with lots of treats in my pockets who lets them play with fun games. My dogs think I’m in charge of fun and exciting stuff, since they always get to go with me both at work and when I’m off. The very few times they have to stay home they think I have abandoned them forever. They would probably describe me as stubborn, energetic, weird, impulsive, animal lover, adventurous, fun, works too much, likes walks in the woods, and that I exaggerate in teaching them different weird but fun tricks, and finally that I’m probably a pretty good owner!

WHAT PETS AND ANIMALS CAN USE THE ACTIVITY TOYS AND GAMES

Almost all the games can be used by dogs of all sizes, and also by cats, parrots, rabbits, ferrets, minipigs, monkeys, lemurs, iguanas, wildcats and other animals at the Zoo. For small dogs or cats, you can tie a string in the blocks or handles if they have difficulty gripping them. Other than that, size is not really an issue. We, the dog owners, sometimes put too many restrictions and limitations on our dogs. I have tested the games on all kinds of animals of all sizes and ages, everything from dogs and cats to monkeys, ferrets, and iguanas, but mainly on dogs - from puppies to old dogs and from really small dogs to very large ones. The main factor that determines if the dog likes the games is if the dog is motivated to work for the treats or food that you hide. I would say that approximately 75% of the dogs are and 25% are not motivated to work for food or treats.

COMPANY AND TRADEMARK