A common mistake people make is feeding puppies from food bowls instead of hand feeding while training and providing food puzzles to make eating a more natural and learning experience. Pets need, desire and benefit from daily  mental activity.

A "food puzzle" contains food and requires the pet to work to find a way to get the food. The most common food puzzle is a, "Kong" toy. Kongs can be filled with frozen canned food with kibbles mixed in that slowly melts and becomes available.  Kongs can also be painted with an inch of peanut butter inside that requires licking.

Many brands and types of food puzzles are now available. For the very active and motivated dog, a, Buster Cube is a good option.  Finally, some individuals make their own food puzzles using PVC pipe or other improvised devices.