Puzzle feeders for competitive dogs: Beagle & Dachshund

Competitive feeding between a Beagle and a Dachshund is a really common headache — both breeds are famously food-motivated, and once one dog senses the other nearby, they both bolt their food even faster than usual. Puzzle feeders are genuinely useful here because they do two real things: they slow down fast eaters (which reduces bloat risk and helps digestion) and they give each dog a mental job to focus on instead of eyeballing each other. The key is matching the difficulty level — too easy and they lose interest fast, too hard and they give up. To point you in the right direction: are you mainly trying to slow the eating down, or is enrichment and keeping them occupied the bigger goal? And would you say either dog tends to give up quickly when something's tricky, or do they both persist until they get the food?

That's a really useful distinction — a persistent Beagle and a lower-tolerance Dachshund means you want something that slows eating effectively but doesn't require complex problem-solving. Are you feeding them dry kibble, wet food, or a mix? That matters because some puzzle designs work brilliantly with kibble but get messy or even counterproductive with wet food.

Dry kibble is ideal for this — and yes, eating in the same room absolutely ramps up the urgency for both of them. My clear recommendation is the LickiMat Wobble, and I'd get two. It's a weighted, wobbly bowl with a textured surface — kibble gets trapped in the ridges and the bowl moves slightly as they eat, which naturally forces them to slow right down. It's not a complex puzzle, so your Dachshund won't get frustrated and walk off, but it's engaging enough that the Beagle stays focused on the bowl rather than glancing over at the other dog. The wobble motion also means they can't just bury their nose in and hoover — they have to work across the surface. It's easy to clean, robust enough for both breeds, and because each dog has their own one, the competitive dynamic shifts: they're each absorbed in their own task. It's one of the most effective slow feeders for dogs who aren't puzzle enthusiasts but do need to be slowed down.

Yes, the LickiMat Wobble works well for both. It comes in one main size that suits medium-small breeds comfortably — a Beagle will work across the whole surface, and a Dachshund won't find it overwhelming. The feeding area is wide enough that neither dog needs to contort to reach the food, which is worth flagging for your Dachshund specifically since their long spine means you don't want them straining or hunching awkwardly at a raised or oddly-shaped feeder. Flat-surface wobble feeders are actually a good fit for Dachshunds for that reason. If you find the Beagle finishes noticeably faster than your Dachshund even with the Wobble, you can spread the kibble more thinly across the surface or add a small amount of water to make it slightly more adhesive — that adds a minute or two to the whole process without changing the feeder itself.

Great — two LickiMat Wobbles should make a real difference at mealtimes. If after a couple of weeks the Beagle has fully mastered it and starts rushing again, the LickiMat Splash is a step up in difficulty and uses the same format, so it's an easy upgrade without retraining. Good luck with them both!