Dog Toy Reviews

West Paw Design Toppl Review – Tough Chewing, Treat Dispensing Fun

Harley and Charlie gearing up for our Toppl Review
Written by Kevin Sando

It has been a crazy week weather-wise, even by Rochester standards. Yesterday was nearly 70 and today it is in the 30s! With that sort of temperature swing comes very high winds, so we were stuck inside last night and today – without a walk!

With a couple of bored and stir crazy dogs on our hands, we figured it would be the perfect opportunity to test out a brand new interactive dog toy!

Introducing the Toppl

The Toppl is another innovative dog toy from our friends at West Paw Design. This rugged, cup shaped toy is designed for treat dispensing, fetching, and even chewing! It can also be converted into a puzzle toy to challenge your dogs problem solving skills!

Toppl is made from Zogoflex, which is one of the toughest (and safest) dog toy materials on the market.

West Paw was kind enough to send over a couple Toppl’s for us to test out! They are also sponsoring a giveaway for 3 lucky readers, so make sure to read through until the end!!

More About the Shape

The Toppl comes in 2 different sizes and 3 vibrant colors. The large Toppl has a height and diameter of 4″ while the small a height and diameter of 3″. The easiest way to describe the basic form would be that it looks like a cup with a rounded bottom. It is unable to stand up sturdily on its own, hence the name – Toppl!

On the inside of each toy are a series of ribs which fan out from the center. These are designed to hold dog treats and create a challenge for your dog to access or release.

Another cool design feature is that the small Toppl is made to fit into the top of the large Toppl. This creates a challenging puzzle toy for your dog to solve! There is a small hole on the side of each Toppl which allows loose treats to tumble through as it is being manipulated and batted around.

Click Here to Check it Out on Amazon

What exactly is Zogoflex!

Zogoflex is West Paw Designs proprietary material which has been specifically designed for tough chewers. We have tested several Zogoflex dog toys in the past including the Hurley, Bumi and Tizzi – and been extremely impressed with them all!

Among other things, Zogoflex is:

  • Ultra Tough
  • Flexible
  • Recyclable
  • Non-Toxic
  • BPA-Free
  • Phalate-Free
  • FDA Compliant
  • Buoyant
  • Dishwasher Safe

And if that’s not enough, it is also manufactured right here in the USA in West Paw Design’s own Bozeman Montana facility.

Multiple Ways to Play

Just like most of West Paw dog toys, the Toppl really shines in it’s versatility. There are tons of different ways to use it, so you can always be mixing things up to keep your dog entertained. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical stimulation for dogs so this is always something we look for when evaluating dog toys.

The easiest way to use the Toppl is to stick some treats between the ribs and let your dog have at it! You will see both their jaws and their brains working together as they manipulate the toy to shake loose the treats at the bottom!

Another option is to slather some peanut butter (xylitol free of course!) or another favorite spread around the sides and in between the ribs. This is a great way to keep your dogs occupied for a bit while they work diligently to get the goodness out from all the cracks and crevices.

TIP: The Topple can also be used to create a frozen treat to cool down a hot dog! Just fill with peanut butter, yogurt, or pumpkin and toss in some treats before placing in the freezer.

Finally, the Toppl can also be used as a treat dispensing toy! All you need to do is fill the large Toppl with a handful of treats (training treats work best) and insert a small Toppl into the top. You will hear a snap as they lock together.

Now watch with joy as your dog tosses, bounces and rolls it around to work the treats out through the holes in the sides!

TIP: This would be a great way to feed a dog that eats too quickly! Fill up a set of Toppl’s with kibble and make them work for their meal to slow them down!

Time to Play! (Our Toppl Review)

We tested out the Toppl in all its different varieties of play and our boys enjoyed each and every one of them!

Inserting a few large treats between the ribs is a quick and fun way to game to play with your dog. You will enjoy watching them use their brains to figure out how to access the treats, and they will appreciate the mental challenge. The rounded bottom of the Toppl causes it to wobble and move in ways that are unpredictable and help to keep your dog engaged.

With a combination of brain, paws, jaws and tongue, your dog will be rewarded throughout for their persistence!

We also tried filling the Toppl with a thick spread to see how well it held up under heavy use. (There is nothing like a little peanut butter to grab a dogs attention, right!)

Harley and Charlie got right down to business after receiving a peanut butter filled Toppl! The taste and aroma also got them to do a bit of chewing and gnawing once the spread was all gone. This is a great way to burn off some anxious energy and strengthen those jaw muscles!

Both of our Toppl’s looked like they had just came out of the package after our boys were through with them! Talk about a tough dog toy!

Finally, we tested the Toppl as a treat dispensing toy by adding some small treats and interlocking the large and the small together…

It was a blast to watch the boys try to figure out how to get at the treats that they could clearly smell and hear shaking around inside! If they are having difficulty or getting frustrated give them a hand and try to get them to nose it around. Once they see one treat come out they will often get the hang of it and keep trying to repeat the action. Crafty dogs may even learn how to toss the Toppl’s in the air to knock the treats out quickly!

We would highly recommend picking up both sizes of the Toppl so that you can use them in this way!

Why MyDogLikes the Toppl Dog Toy

This is one of the most versatile dog toys that we have ever come across. Not only is it a great treat dispensing toy, but it can also be converted into a puzzle toy with the addition of a second Toppl. Since it bounces and floats, it is also ideal for fetch both indoors and out.

Best of all, this thing is extremely tough! After hours of heavy use, ours don’t have a scratch on them. The Toppl should be able to withstand your dogs chewing, but as with all toys, make sure that you are keeping an eye on them as well! Should your dog manage to rip or tear their toy, West Paw offers a product replacement guarantee!

This toy would be great for dogs of all shapes, sizes and chewing strengths!

Want to Give West Paw a Try? 


Quick Summary

West Paw Design Toppl

9.1

Durability

9.0/10

Value

8.4/10

Fun

10.0/10

Pros

  • Durable
  • Versatile
  • Interactive

Cons

  • A bit expensive (though worth it!)

About the author

Kevin Sando

Kevin is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has move than a decade experience in new product design, prototyping and early stage manufacturing. Pairing this background with his love of dogs, gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the design and execution of new and interesting pet products.

85 Comments

  • My dogs favourite way to play would be trying to keep theother two from getting a chance to play with it in the bcak yard!

  • My dog would love getting peanut butter in a Toppl. I love that it is dishwasher safe. Many of the other brands that make similar toys do not make them dishwasher safe & I like being able to toss something on the top rack & know it is clean.

  • My Border Collie would love this with peanut butter or treats in it, and for just a great all around puzzle toy.

  • I would love to use this with my dog. I would try putting peanut butter and strong cheese in it because those are his favorite!

  • I think it would keep them busy and entertained, I would put small kibbles in it.

  • My dog would probably enjoy peanut butter or chicken scraps in this cool toy 🙂

  • My dogs would like two interlocked as a treat dispenser. They love trying to figure out dispensers.

  • My pit/chow mix Bailey would love his organic peanut butter with cinnamon in his toy!

  • My dogs would love these toys. I would put then together to make a food puzzle toy.

  • Roxy loves to play for treats – just hope she’s not too strong to destroy the treat toy as well

  • Peanut butter and yogurt – two of their favorites! I like the idea of freezing it too.

  • We have 4 dogs. We’re always looking for something fun & new for them to play with. Never heard of this toy and would love to try it out on my crew

  • Nala would like this especially if I put bisquits or other treats inside. She would have a ball playing with it trying to get the treats out. And she wouldn’t give up until she did.

  • Our dogs would love these the most if we filled them with peanut butter. It would give us at least 30 minutes of alone time. Lol.

  • I think my three would play keep-away from the others. I have three rescued Treeing Walker Coonhounds. My girl, Kyoko, was nearly starved before she was dumped at the kill shelter I adopted her from, and she’s very food oriented. The boys, Kenji and Seiji, would likely tag-team with the toy, each taking a turn until they finally figured it out.

  • My bulldogs favorite way to play would be keep away. Doesn’t matter what you try to play with him with, once he has it, he refuses to give it up. He gets close enough to let you think he will give it to you, then darts off like a shot. He’s great for exercising!

  • Any of my 5 furbabies would like to try to free a treat from this toy.

  • My dog would love it because it floats! He is a yellow lab and loves to bring us things we toss in the water.

  • I have 3 dogs and they would love having the treat put in them to play with.

  • Definitely the peanut butter…it’s his favorite thing!! Although he does love all food in it’s various forms. ?

  • Our bull terriers would love to chew, lick and bounce both large and small ones, to get at some treats and peanut butter. They like toys like this that “give” when they chew on them!

  • My boys would love these filled with their favorite treats or ice cubes, they both love chewing on ice!

  • My dogs long the Kong but because they are pekes and have flat noses it’s hard for them to finish the kong…this product looks like it may be flat nose dog friendly.

  • I have a senior dog and a puppy. I think my senior dog would love to get treats out of the toy. I know my puppy would love to play with it and get treats. This is an awesome product!!

  • My pup would spend alot of time and energy getting out the treats. It would help alot with boredom.

  • Our Dogs would love chewing on it especially if there was peanut butter inside

  • These look like they would entertain our pup and make feeding time more fun!

  • My Boston terrier has the classic flat face and tiny tic tac teeth, so he may or may not chew this. I know he’d like treats to fall out and will bring his treat tos to be restuffed. Chances are my toddler will open it for him.

  • I would put some of those peanut butter milk bone treats inside and see if she could get them.

  • I can’t remember when I purchased my first pair of these indestructible chew puzzles. It’s been at least 3-4 years ago but aside from a few scratches they still look new, and that’s with weekly use. My two eskies love them frozen (and it’s a great way to get my picky eater to eat some fruit or squash). I was actually just pondering a purchase of 3 more sets so winning a set would be pretty cool 🙂

  • The puzzle design dispensing treats would be what my dogs would like most with this. Thanks!

  • My two Boston’s would love to have their soft little treats in it. They would love trying to get them out of it.

  • my 3 gals would love that i could put snacks in it when i leave so they would have something to do other than destroy things, (only the youngest still does that sometimes). i also like that i can put yogurt treats in it. like that it is dishwasher safe.

  • My girls would love just about anything I give them in it why love to lick and chew so they would be so happy.

  • Diesel would love to throw it around the yard with a bit of peanut butter in it!

  • My Dogs would love the Treats in the Toppl the Husky will clean out a jar of peanut butter he will lick it clean.Thanks for the chance.

  • West Paw Design Zogoflex® Tizzi Guaranteed Tough Treat Stuffable Fetch Play Toy would probably be denial’s favorite. Its small enough for him to pick up.

  • My dogs would love to play with it with Peanut butter! They both love Peanut butter!

  • Atticus loves pnut butter so I think that might be his favorite, but he also has one of those puzzle cubes that he loves to knock around the house, making a ton of noise, until kibble pops out. Thank you for the review and giveaway.

  • Oh my Sophie and Gracie would love these. I think they would like getting the PB out the best though they love all kinds of treats. We had a treat ball but the treats came out too easily and required no effort on their part.

  • My Camille would love gnawing on this and rolling it around to get the treats out.

  • I think my dog would enjoy playing with it with the peanut butter treats, she loves peanut butter!

  • This would be great for my “energetic” (the adjective I use when I’m not too frustrated with him! 🙂 )
    young lab! He loves food and loves to play and this puts them together – sounds like I might even be able to get some household chores done for a change!

  • The toppl is a much better toy for peanut butter, instead of the peanut butter jar,

  • I think Lucky would probably like to play with it just like Charlie did in the beginning of the video. Watching him figure out how to get the treats out was a pleasure.

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