After testing and playing the Outward Hound Paw Hide puzzle toy, Frodo and I knew exactly the next toy we wanted to test.

Yet another Outward Hound puzzle toy.
It is called Tic Tac Twirl.

The idea of a "tic-tac-toe"toy appealed to us. How cute is that? And in what seems to be Outward Hound's corporate green colour for dog toys with bold colour blocking, the Tic Tac Twirl puzzle toy is no exception. And we love toys that spit treats out!

We bugged mummy to let us test the Outward Hound Tic Tac Twirl puzzle toy now. Like NOW. Pronto!

Frodo and I secretly sniggered behind mummy's back. We knew, in terms of difficulty, this would be an easy-peasy puzzle toy. Easy-peasy that spits treats is even better. Quick access to get food into our stomachs.

Note from mummy:
I would recommend for dog owners to have puzzle toys of different difficulty levels. Dogs learn well with success so the easy-to-win games keep them interested and motivated for the more difficult ones. This will be proven in the boys' final toy review - the Nina Ottosson Dog Finder Interactive Toy  The key idea is that the dogs know that they WILL get the treats - a matter of how.

Back to Flapper and Frodo.

Thank you mummy for that blah.

The concept of the game is really REALLY simple. No rocket scientist game as explained below.

via GIPHY


Easy, right?

So we, the dogs, can either use our nose or paw to push that twirling-flap-that-does-not-really-twirl. As shown above, the flap (no pun intended) stays vertical so not all the treats get thrown out. In our colourful imagination, we visualized twirling flaps and flying treats.

But in reality.... when "played right" and the treats do get dispensed....

via GIPHY


As seen above, I was actually trying to eat direct from the treats container then by fluke I got the 'jackpot'.

No twirling flaps and flying treats.

Frodo and I decided unanimously that eating straight (free food!) from the treat container was the way to go.

No jackpot needed.

via GIPHY


Me thinks.... the humans were more disappointed with the toy than Frodo and I were. We are true-blonde foodies so the easier the access to the food, the happier we are!

Flapper: Easy peasy. Just eat direct.

Frodo: Put more treats in... please?

Flapper: Pretty and interesting concept but the not much twirling and flying treats. Disappointed (so mummy says).

Frodo: I do not need to think much! That's good... no?

Is It Worth The Price?

Click on image to view product on Kohepets Pet Shop, Singapore

It is clear that mummy is not keen on this toy and it's much-a-twirl-about-nothing. As per our review of the Outward Hound Paw Hide Puzzle Toy, we are happy with the toy quality. However, based on the lacklustre fun factor of the Outward Hound Tic Tac Twirl Puzzle Toy, I would not be inclined to purchase this toy at SGD33.90.

The toy failed to deliver. Period.

I would rather save that money and get meself a Outward Hound Daypak! *Hint hint Miss U from Kohepets. My birthday is comming soon....*

I spy with my shopping eyes and I see a cool daypak!

Okay... the large one costs SGD65. I don't think mummy will break my doggie-bank anytime soon.

Oops! Sorry! My roving eyes got distracted. So back to the toy....

Flapper: Well, I think the money can be put to better use. Some other toy perhaps... or daypak doggie fund. *guffaw*

Frodo: Because Flapper says so.....

When All Else Fails.....

After the disappointing result of the Outward Hound Tic Tac Twirl puzzle toy test, Uncle Nic and mummy decided... when all else fails, might as well "up" the value of the game a little. They decided to use four different treats, let us sniff first and see which treat we would go for first.

Sorry guys! Mummy lost Frodo's video footage of this test!



And that was about as exciting as our testing with this toy got. Disappointing, it was.

This is perhaps my shortest review ever but a dog (or two) got to be honest, right?

This toy is, really, much-a-twirl-about-nothing.

When we first received our package of goodies toys from Kohepets pet shop Singapore, mummy asked Frodo and I which toy would we like to test first. We unanimously agreed on the Outward Hound Paw Hide puzzle toy.

Which dog can resist the brightly-coloured toy that is in the shape of the paw?

Frodo and I are fans of interactive/puzzle toys. We already have a couple of Nina Ottosson toys from many years back. So when Miss U from Kohepets asked if Frodo and I would like to try some interactive, we gave her a resounding "Woof!".

Bring on the interactive toys!

Frodo and I happily posing with our loot of interactive toys.. except one (Hint: See Frodo's eye line....)

How Paw Hide Puzzle Toy Works

I must confess.

Such games are not novel for Frodo and I. Mummy has been playing similar-type games with us for many years. It does burn some brain juice to figure out how to get the treats. Brain juice power required depends on difficulty level of the toy/game.

And of course, greedy and motivated dogs are essential for the games too.

Note: DO NOT be ambitious and start with toys of high-level difficulty especially if the dog is unfamiliar with such games. If the dog does not get it, it will lose interest as quickly as you plonk in the treats. Know thy dog.

The Outward Hound Paw Hide puzzle toy is very straightforward... as illustrated below.

Nothing complicated. A matter of holes and cups.... and treats.

So yeah, intermediate level difficulty, pretty colours and paw-shaped... what's not to like about Paw Hide?


Of Plastic, Slobbers and Low-Grip Height

It did not take long during our first attempt to mouth our way to the treats did Frodo and I realise that, as attractive as the design of Paw Hide looks, there is a tad bit of design glitch for big dogs. The struggles were real and we shall explain it NOW.

First, the toy is made of plastic but credit to Outward Hound, it ain't some cheap flimsy plastic. Respect for the plastic quality. That we cannot complain. HOWEVER, because it is made of plastic so the cups get very slobbered very easily. One mouth in and it is slobbered.

Slobbered = Slippery.
Slippery = Difficult to grip.

Not only does the slobbered make it difficult grip but the LOW-GRIP HEIGHT makes it even more challenging for big dogs. Have you seen the size our mouth and teeth?

Cups height explained. This game is possibly best for small to medium sized dogs. The cups may just be a tad bit too big for the toy breeds/minis but guess what? Outward Hound has a Paw Hide MINI version (scroll all the way down to see)! How considerate!

The size of our mouth and teeth as demonstrated by Frodo Choo

So there you go!

The design is attractive but it may not have been well thought out for all-sizes of dogs.

In addition, like all other interactive toys as such, it is a skating affair for big dogs. We can start from one end of the room and end up... somewhere else. Even though non-slip bits are added at the bottom of the toy, it is not enough to secure the toy to the floor.

The thoughtful non-slip bits at the bottom of the toy that does not make much difference.

There's a quick-cheat to the treats too. Paw the toy real hard and flip the toy. And ta-dah! Treats galore! Aye aye! The quick-cheats that mummy never lets us get away with. *guffaw*

As mentioned, the skating toy and quick-cheat option are common problems with most interactive toys. Most unforgiving with big dogs just because it does not take us a lot of effort to flip the toys. DO NOT even think about putting on the coffee table. All the more we will ensure the toy makes it off the table!


But When We Finally Mastered The Art of Opening Paws....

It took Frodo and I a while to learn that impatience and 'violence' were not going to get us to open sesame the cups. After couple of attempts, both of us finally mastered the art of gripping the cups with inescapable slippage with our big slobbery mouth.

Watch the video below of Frodo and me conquering the toy!



So yeah! Once Frodo and I mastered the art of those oh-so-tricky cups, we had a blast playing with it. Our kind of toy, our kind of game.

The fabulous part of these sniff-and-find interactive/puzzle games is that the level of difficulty can be "upped" by mixing things up - i.e. using different value of treats, only hide treats in certain cups, turn the cup upside down.... or if you dog is a bit like me, it can also attempt to put the cup back and hope that new treats magically appear!

It is also a good toy to conduct certain "IQ" tests on dogs - do we use our nose first or paw first? Are we able to distinguish the different values of treat through smelling? Are we reliant on visual cues from the human? Will we open up all the cups anyway even though some may be empty?

Stuff like that.

Stretch your imagination and have fun!


The Other Plastic Called $$$$

Oops! Kohepets is out of stock now on the toy... click on image to view product.

And oh look! There's a MINI version for smaller dogs. Good job Outward Hound! Click on image to view product.

Compared to those wooden Nina Ottosson toys that mummy used to buy for us, the Outward Hound plastic toys are much cheaper.

FUN FACT: Outward Hound (The Riverside Company) acquired Nina Ottosson puzzle games and toys in 2015. So they are both under the same company now! Woof!

Anywoof, for SGD37.00 (and SGD24.90 for ‘Outward Hound Paw Hide Mini Puzzle Dog Toy), I would say the price is not bad at all. Outward Hound Paw Hide puzzle toy is of easy to moderate difficulty which makes it more play-friendly for dogs. The plastic used is of decent quality too so overall, I would say reasonably priced and value-for-money.

But like most puzzle toys, once the dog figures out how it works, it can get a tad bit of a 'yawn' - more the owner(s) than dog(s). The initial excitement of seeing how the paws fare will wane but we, the dogs. ain't complaining as long as you keep topping up the treats!

Flapper: Easy peasy! Would you like me to put the cups back for you?

Frodo: And mummy/daddy calls me stupid....

Flapper: Love the colours, love that it is paw-shaped, good quality plastic used.... but points off for grip height and how slippery the cups become after one mouth on it.

Frodo: Can the cups stop slipping out of my mouth and let me grip it already?

Flapper: Yep! Pretty fun overall... and QUITE versatile too.

Frodo: If I, Frodo Choo, can get it, fun it is!

21st June 2018

Can you believe that even Frodo is a senior already? But his brains still remain at.... junior.

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

My curly ears brother officially turned 15 years old on 18th April 2018. Like me, Dumbo was adopted so no, 18th April is not his actual birthday. It was the date he was adopted into the Choo family. He was two years old. He became the 'eldest grandson'. He also became the king of the house.

As some of you may remember, Dumbo gave us a death-scare last May. Since then, there has been many up and down moments with Dumbo. His health disparity was never meant for the weak-hearted - mentally, emotionally and financially.  Mummy mocks his encyclopedic medical bills.  Dumbo probably has a life span of two cats. Mummy always insists he owes her more than nine lives. And she still calls him an a-hole but she means it in an endearing way... of course.

Post the scare, I nudged mummy and reminded her of our planned family photo shoot for and with Dumbo for his 15th birthday.

"Break my doggie-bank and ask Uncle Nic to do the photo shoot. This shall be my gift to everyone.", I told mummy.

Mummy looked at me sadly and said, "I don't know, Flapper.... I really have no idea if it will happen."

Although grumpy old man has triumphed over yet another health calamity but this time, no one was confident if Dumbo would make it for past 15.  He has long-running heart problem and spondylosis. He is also deaf, has partially-impaired vision, slowed down significantly and seemed to be in pain more often than not. On bad days, he could be - having shortness of breath and/or both eyes are unable to open and/or difficulty moving. Something as ridiculous as changing a brand of medicine was enough to cause him to pee blood profusely. Though it is still undetermined if that was the actual cause hematuria but he - once again - recovered from it very quickly.

Need I say more?

Dumbo has truly epitomised the saying of "everyday is a bonus".


21 April 2018
Beauty Is In The EYES Of The Beholder

It was the planned date for our family photo shoot with my dear Uncle Nic (aka Furry Photos). I am an old-fashion boy who believes in the good 'ol fashion art of professional photography for capturing memories. Our last family photo shoot was back in 2014. Grandma thought I was off my rockers in engaging Uncle Nic's service but I was insistent that it would be well-worth it.

Just because.
Dumbo was still at his best.
No regrets.



That was 4 years ago when Dumbo could still perform his repertoire of tricks.

4 years on and a few days before the planned family photo shoot, Dumbo developed a bad case of droopy eyelids and could not open his eyes. Quite a scary sight, I must confess. Grandma and grandpa took him to see the vet and as it turned out, it was something about his tear duct production problem and eye infection as well. Dumbo went home with eye ointment, antibiotic eye drops and eye lubricant.

In the meantime, grandma told mummy to call Uncle Nic to cancel the family photo shoot.

In typical Grumpy Old Man's fashion, his recovery was swift. His eyes started popping open the very next day and by the following day, we could see his big mischievous eyes again.

I asked grandma, "Are you sure you don't want to proceed with the family photo shoot?"

Grandma was adamant that she only wanted memories of Dumbo at his best, at his most handsome state. It was understandable so I did not insist.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.



Even though the family photo shoot did not happen but we still celebrated Dumbo's birthday with this creative steak platter cake from The Barkery Singapore. You see, Dumbo's key motivation in life is food and there is no better design than a food-themed cake! Dumbo may be deaf and half-blind but his nose is still in good working order. *guffaw*

A view of Dumbo's cake in 3D....



25 April 2018
And The Light Shone In His Glory

Despite the failed family photo shoot, I was determined that Dumbo would still get his outdoor glory moment. Dumbo, in his younger days, loved the great outdoors. Untamed and unruly, his curly ears would fly as he sprinted off to the world of no return with the crazy humans running after him while yelling his name only to have him bolt off even faster. He always loved the outdoors and even now in his debilitating state, he still makes valiant attempt to waddle and appreciate the wind blowing against his curly ears.

Dumbo, in his glory days, would run with no care in the world and leap across fields with his curly ears flying. (Photo taken in 2010)

The few days leading up to this outdoor shoot was met with the dread of rain. I was worried that this outdoor shoot may not even happen because of the rain. I was absolutely determined that Dumbo deserves a glorious sunset photoshoot and prayed hard for good weather.

Praise God for the light shone brightly that very day with clear blue skies!

It was... PERFECT.

Not only did we get perfect sunset, Dumbo was in top form too - which we did not realize how 'top form' he was till we started the outdoor shoot. Mummy had warned Uncle Nic a few times, "We may only have five minutes of action from Dumbo."

Embarrass mummy, Dumbo did.

In a very good way of course!

This curly-ears old man outdid himself and not only did he produce more action than what anyone thought possible but he was even reluctant to go home! Oh Dumbo!

As I scrolled through the photos from Dumbo's photo shoot, I was brimming with happiness and teared as I saw how gorgeous the photos turned out. Praise God again! For this was truly Dumbo's photo shoot in full glory and without doubt, Uncle Nic had captured the best of him.

"Uncle Nic, me thinks you have outdone yourself this time. This is the best set of photos I have seen. I want to do the layout for Dumbo's album... can I?", I asked Uncle Nic.

Uncle Nic agreed.

I knew exactly how I wanted the photo album to look and this is my present for the family. I wanted it to be... perfect.



Indeed, God is good. For all the health scares and gazillion medical condition that Dumbo has, we are so blessed to still have him with us and we managed to celebrate his 15th birthday. And just when we thought the photo shoot might not happen, double blessing of perfect weather with Dumbo in his full glory. In the midst of writing up this post, my dear brother had another episode of blood in pee resulting in slight anaemia... again. And something about his kidneys too....

With Dumbo's health scares, we are indeed blessed to still have him with us and capture his best moments.

And I say again... everyday IS a bonus with Dumbo Choo.

This grumpy old man is a true fighter.

Dumbo, always and will be, my elder brother from different mother and father... united in the name of Choo.