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The Muffin Tin Game: A 5-Minute Brain Game for Dogs

Sniffing and problem-solving use a lot of mental energy. Five minutes of puzzle work can take the edge off a restless dog.

You need

• A muffin tin (6 or 12 cups)
• Tennis balls or soft toys that fit the cups
• Small treats

How to play

1. Put treats in a few cups while your dog watches.
2. Let your dog eat them straight away. This first round is just about the tin being fun.
3. Now cover the treat cups with tennis balls and say 'find it'.
4. Let your dog work out how to move the balls. Don't help unless they give up.
5. Next round: hide treats in only some cups and cover every cup.

Make it harder

• Use more cups with fewer treats
• Put the tin inside a cardboard box
• Use a 24-cup mini tin

Safety

Use balls too big to swallow and supervise. Put the tin away after the game so it doesn't become a chew toy.

This game works well alongside this 7-day plan.