Enrichment toys for Beagle and Dachshund together

A Beagle and a Dachshund in the same house — you've got two of the most food-obsessed, scent-driven breeds going, which actually makes enrichment planning quite exciting. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise for both of these dogs, and the right toy really depends on their intelligence level, persistence, and what problem you're trying to solve — boredom, destructive behaviour, separation anxiety, or something else. To point you in the right direction: what's the main issue you're seeing with them, and have you tried any enrichment toys before?

That's really useful — a Beagle who's cracked the Kong already and a Dachshund taking her frustration out on furniture. Both classic signs of under-stimulated, food-motivated dogs. A couple of quick questions: do they eat together or separately, and are you looking for something that keeps them busy independently, or are you open to each having their own toy running at the same time?

Perfect — separate simultaneous enrichment is exactly the right call with a food guarder in the mix. Given that your Beagle needs a proper challenge and your Dachshund needs something that channels her chewing instinct into problem-solving rather than destruction, I'd go with the Nina Ottosson Dog Tornado puzzle feeder — one for each dog. It's a rotating multi-layer disc puzzle where they have to spin and slide compartments to uncover hidden kibble or treats. It's engaging enough to hold a Beagle's attention because the layers mean they can't brute-force it quickly, and the physical interaction — nudging, pawing, spinning — gives your Dachshund an outlet that's far more satisfying than a chair leg. They're dishwasher safe, robust, and at level 2 difficulty they're genuinely challenging for adult dogs without being so hard they give up in frustration. You run both at the same time in separate rooms or opposite ends of the kitchen, and you typically get 10–20 minutes of focused quiet per session.

Great instinct to flag that — it's a common concern with Dachshunds. The Dog Tornado sits flat on the floor and the compartments rotate with a nose nudge, so she doesn't need to lift a paw high or apply downward pressure. Dachshunds are actually well suited to it because their long muzzle is brilliant for nosing the discs around. The one thing to watch is that she doesn't tip the whole unit — some determined Dachshunds try to flip it. Putting it on a non-slip mat or inside a shallow-sided tray solves that completely.

Start with high-value small treats for the first two or three sessions so they learn how the puzzle works and stay motivated to engage with it. Once they've got the hang of it, switch to their normal kibble — feeding a portion of their daily meal through the puzzle is ideal because it turns mealtime into enrichment time without adding extra calories. For the Beagle especially, this also slows his eating down, which is a nice bonus for a breed that's prone to gulping food too fast.