Nina Ottosson is according to many dog psychologists and trainers around the world one of the best at development and design of educational activity puzzle games for dogs and other animals. She pioneered this category of pet products more than 25 years ago.
The products are carefully developed by Nina together with dogs, using only the best materials for optimal function and safety for the dogs as well as the environment. She is one of the 2017 Pet Age ICON award recipients for her contributions and long-term commitment to the pet industry. In 2015 she won the Pet Age Women of Influence Award, and was also named one of “45 people who changed the dog world” by Dog Fancy Magazine.
I have always had dogs, cats, and other animals, and had two Bouvier des Flandres (my favorite breed) that I used to train and compete with. But when my two kids were born a year and a half apart, I did not have time to activate my dogs the way they and I were used to. 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.
Since 1990 I have worked with development and design of dog activity toys and games that stimulate the dog mentally. The games are fun and educational, easy to play with indoors or outdoors, and are developed with the dog’s natural movements and instincts in mind. They are designed for the dog to work with problem solving by finding hidden treats/food in different ways. I call them “games” because the owner and the dog are supposed to play together, which strengthens the bond between them.
They can be used by dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds, and also by cats, ferrets, parrots and lots of other animals. My philosophy is that dogs have four legs and a brain, and all five need to be stimulated and activated. All dogs as well as other pets need to use their brain in order to keep healthy. Some dogs need more brain activity than others. If dogs are not provided with an outlet for their energy in the form of different types of activity or other stimulation, they can sometimes find their own “activity” which we as dog-owners often do not appreciate, like chewing, becoming aggressive or just generally hyperactive. Products like my puzzle games & toys can help dogs to not be a problem dog. Many dog psychologists and trainers around the world use my games when they train dogs with behavior problems.
I only use the best materials, since my dogs as well as your dogs will use the products. My products are developed with dogs and for dogs – not by a computer. 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. 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 these games.
These games are 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 overweight, they have to work for the food and as well underweight dogs, many dogs will eat more when the food is put in the games instead of the bowl. My goal is for dogs and their owners around the world to have fun with my products!
