3 Enrichment Trends Dogs Are Loving Right Now

TL;DR: Three enrichment trends are dominating dog-owner feeds right now: fresh puzzle feeders like the KONG Gyro and Roolo, zero-cost DIY sniff games built from laundry baskets and cones, and lick-and-chew calm-downs like refillable lick toys and holiday long chews. Each one targets a different kind of boredom — and you can try all three this week.

Why These Three Trends, Why Now

Every few weeks, the enrichment world has a moment where several genuinely new ideas surface at once. October 2026 is one of those moments. A major enrichment roundup dropped a crop of new puzzle feeders, two DIY sniff games went viral in the same week, and the holiday chew season kicked off with a launch timed for Thanksgiving cooking chaos.

What ties them together is that they solve different boredom problems. Puzzle feeders work the problem-solving brain. DIY sniff games work the nose. Lick-and-chew outlets work the need to settle. A dog who only gets one kind of enrichment is like a person who only does cardio — the other muscles atrophy. Here's the best of each trend, and how to try it.

Trend 1: New Puzzle Feeders That Aren't the Usual Suspects

The puzzle-feeder category has been dominated by the same few names for years, so it's news when genuinely new formats break through. Two are getting the most attention this month.

KONG Gyro: a ball trapped in a ring

The Gyro is a treat-dispensing ball held inside a red outer ring. Your dog pushes and paws it around, and treats drop out as the ball rolls. It's a step up in difficulty from a plain rolling dispenser because the ring changes how the ball moves — the dog has to figure out the angle, not just shove it.

Start with high-value treats that fall out easily so your dog learns the game pays off, then switch to smaller kibble for a longer session. It's a good fit for dogs who've already mastered a basic treat ball and need the next rung up.

Roolo by Play9: the new all-rounder

Roolo is a modular treat-dispensing toy from a newer brand, and it just topped a tested 2026 enrichment roundup with a perfect score as best overall boredom-buster. A smaller Roolo Mini joined the lineup after fresh testing this autumn.

The appeal is versatility: it's a dispenser, a chewer, and a puzzle in one unit, and the modular design means you can change the difficulty as your dog gets smarter. If you're buying one new feeder this season rather than three, this is the one reviewers are pointing to.

Try it this week: Pick one feeder, not both. Run it at the same time each day — say, right before you sit down to work — so it becomes your dog's "job" while you're busy.

Trend 2: Zero-Cost DIY Sniff Games Going Viral

The best trend of the month costs nothing. Two DIY extraction games blew up on social media in the same week, and both use things already in your house.

The laundry-basket towel-pull

Fold treats into small towels, then thread the towels through the holes of a laundry basket so the ends stick out. Your dog has to pull each towel free to get the treat inside. It looks simple, and it is — but the pull-through mechanic is genuinely puzzling for dogs used to unrolling or nosing things open, and the basket adds just enough resistance to slow them down.

A viral reel from October 19 framed it perfectly: "your puppy isn't misbehaving — your puppy is bored." The game is part of a weekly zero-cost household-item series, and it's the kind of thing you can set up in two minutes while dinner cooks.

Set it up: Start with the towels loosely threaded and the treats easy to smell. As your dog gets the idea, thread them tighter and hide the treats deeper in the folds.

The cone-and-rope extraction game

Take a rope ring toy and trap it inside a holed training cone — the kind used for agility or sports drills. The dog has to work the ring free by nudging, biting, and tipping the cone. An October 23 reel of a Maltipoo solving it by bulldozing the whole cone over is doing the rounds with small-dog owners, and the "let them improvise" angle is exactly the point: there's no single right solution, so the dog has to experiment.

This one suits dogs who like to use their mouths and paws together, and it's a great rainy-day game because it takes up almost no floor space.

Safety note: Use a lightweight plastic cone, not a heavy rubber one, and supervise the first few sessions. If your dog starts chewing the cone itself rather than working the ring out, swap to a sturdier cone or retire the game.

Trend 3: Lick-and-Chew Calm-Downs for the Busy Season

As the holidays approach, the trend shifts from tiring dogs out to settling them down — especially when guests arrive and the kitchen gets chaotic. Two calm-down outlets are leading the conversation.

BARK Licksters: the refillable lick toy

Licksters are lick toys loaded with a refillable treat puck — peanut butter flavor is the standard. Owners report roughly an hour of licking from one puck, versus minutes for a toy that gets destroyed. An October 23 reel from a large golden retriever account, complete with a Target refill run and an ASMR licking segment, pushed it into the spotlight.

Licking is naturally calming for most dogs — it's repetitive, rhythmic, and self-soothing. That makes a refillable lick toy a better evening wind-down than yet another puzzle: it's the difference between a crossword and a warm bath.

Try it this week: Offer the Lickster in the evening, after the last walk, when you want your dog to settle. Keep a spare puck in the freezer so the next one is ready.

Beggin' holiday long chews: the Thanksgiving distraction

Launched October 22 with vet guidance against table scraps, Beggin's holiday line — including a candy-cane-shaped long-lasting chew — is pitched squarely at the "keep the dog out of the kitchen while you cook" problem. Thanksgiving is the peak guest-and-food chaos night of the year for many dogs, and a long chew that lasts through dinner prep is a practical management tool, not just a treat.

The rule that matters: A long chew is a supervised activity, not a babysitter. Stay in the room, and take the chew away when it gets small enough to swallow.

How to Combine All Three in One Week

You don't need to buy everything or build every game. Here's a simple rotation that hits all three boredom types:

• Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Puzzle feeder at breakfast (problem-solving brain).
• Tuesday/Thursday: A DIY sniff game in the afternoon (nose work).
• Evenings: Lick toy or long chew after the last walk (settle-down).

That rotation covers the three kinds of mental work most dogs need, costs almost nothing beyond one feeder purchase, and takes about ten minutes of your day to set up.

Safety Checklist for New Enrichment

• Supervise every new toy or game the first few times. You need to see how your dog plays with it before trusting it unsupervised.
• Size everything to your dog. A treat or toy that's fine for a 60-pound dog can be a choking hazard for a 15-pound one, and vice versa.
• Check holiday treats for xylitol (birch sugar). It's extremely toxic to dogs and hides in some sugar-free products. Read the ingredient list, every time.
• Remove toys that are coming apart. Loose squeakers, torn seams, and small fragments are the real hazard — retire the toy, don't repair it.
• Budget treats against meals. Puzzle feeders and lick toys add calories. Trim the dinner bowl slightly on heavy enrichment days, especially for small dogs.

Frequently Asked Questions

My dog destroys puzzle feeders in minutes. Are these any different? The Gyro's ring and the Roolo's modular design both add difficulty layers that plain dispensers don't have, but no feeder is indestructible. If your dog is a power chewer, use feeders only under supervision and remove them once the food is gone — they're puzzle tools, not chew toys.

Are the DIY games really as good as bought toys? For sniff work, yes — often better. Dogs care about the puzzle, not the packaging. The towel-pull and cone extraction games work because they make the dog think, and they cost nothing to replace when they wear out.

How long should a lick session last? There's no strict limit, but 20–30 minutes is a good evening wind-down for most dogs. If your dog is still going at an hour, that's fine too — licking is low-intensity. Just watch for a sore tongue or frustration if the puck runs dry.

Can I use these trends for a puppy? Yes, with easier settings. Start puzzle feeders with the easiest configuration and high-value treats, thread the towels loosely, and keep lick sessions short. Puppies learn the games fast — the trick is keeping the difficulty low enough that they win early and often.

What if my dog ignores the new feeder or game? Don't force it. Smear a little peanut butter on the opening, use smellier treats, or demo it yourself by rolling it once. Some dogs need to see the payoff before they engage — and if a particular game never clicks, drop it. Enrichment only works when the dog enjoys it.