The Outward Hound Story: Nina Ottosson and the Dog Puzzle
Nina Ottosson began designing dog puzzles in 1990 to keep her two Bouviers busy indoors. In 2015 her company joined Outward Hound. Here is their story, and their toys explained.
In short
- Nina Ottosson, the designer behind the puzzle line, says she has designed dog puzzle games since 1990, when two young children left her too little time to train her two Bouvier des Flandres.
- She founded her company, Zoo Active Products AB, in 1993, and Outward Hound acquired it in 2015, announced as a new home for the Nina Ottosson puzzles.
- Outward Hound calls itself a team of pet parents and a family of pet brands, with the stated mission to enrich the lives of pets and their families with innovations that deliver happiness.
- Nina Ottosson puzzles come in four levels, from Level 1 Beginner to Level 4 Expert, and most can be made harder by locking parts in place.
- Every treat puzzle is a supervised game: play it together, start easy, and lift it away if your dog starts chewing the pieces.
If you have ever hidden a treat under a sliding bone and watched your dog work it out, you have met a game that began with one dog lover in Sweden. The Outward Hound story is really two stories: a designer who wanted her own dogs to have more to do indoors, and a pet company that brought her puzzles to homes across the United States. Here is what each tells about itself, in its own words, followed by the toys explained plainly.
1990: two Bouviers, two babies and a guilty conscience
Nina Ottosson's own story page opens with a simple line of thinking: a dog has four legs and one head, and all five need activity in different ways. She writes that she worked in health care for 17 years. Her two children were born a year and a half apart, in 1989 and 1990, and suddenly she did not have the hours to train and compete with her two Bouvier des Flandres the way they were all used to.
In her words, a bad conscience set her thinking about how to keep the dogs busy indoors in a simple, fun and varied way, with the children joining in. From 1990 she began designing what she calls brainteasers for dogs: boards with hidden compartments that a dog opens by lifting, sliding, spinning or pulling, with a treat as the reward. She says she shaped them around a dog's natural movements and its instinct to work for food.
1993: a company built around testing with real dogs
She started her company, Zoo Active Products AB, in 1993, handling design, development, manufacturing and sales to stores in different countries. The 2015 announcement of the acquisition describes the business as based in Sweden and Nina as a pioneer of dog puzzle design since 1990.
Her testing method is the part she writes about with the most warmth. Ideas go to her own dogs first, then to a mixed group of other dogs of different sizes, ages and characters, through many prototypes. Her heading for it says it plainly: products developed by dogs, with dogs, for dogs, not by a computer.
That testing is also where the levels came from. She writes that once she watched different dogs play, she realised the games needed different levels of difficulty to suit as many dogs as possible, much as some people enjoy easy crosswords and others want harder ones.
2015: joining Outward Hound
On September 9, 2015, Outward Hound announced that it had acquired Nina Ottosson Puzzle Games and Toys. The announcement quoted Kyle Hansen of Outward Hound saying Nina's expertise would be invaluable for future product development, and Nina calling the company the ideal partner to help her puzzles reach more homes. It also described plans for a European office led by Nina and her team.
The same announcement mentions two recognitions for Nina that year: the 2015 Pet Age Women of Influence Award, and being named by Dog Fancy magazine as one of 45 people who changed the dog world.
Outward Hound's own About page describes the company as a team of passionate pet parents who see pets as part of the family, and who design by listening to other pet parents and playing with their own pets. Its stated mission is to enrich the lives of pets and their families worldwide with innovations that deliver happiness, under three values it names Love, Respect and Unity. Today it lists a family of brands that includes Outward Hound, Nina Ottosson, Petstages, Planet Dog, Best Friends by Sheri and Charming Pet.
How the puzzle levels work
Every Nina Ottosson puzzle carries a level from 1 to 4. The idea is to start where your dog wins quickly, then step up once the game is easy. Our guide to dog puzzle toys by level goes deeper on choosing a first puzzle; here is how this family's levels compare.
| Level | What the dog does | Example in the range |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Beginner | One simple move per treat, such as lifting a bone-shaped lid | Dog Smart |
| Level 2 Intermediate | Slides, spins or rolls; some pieces cover others | Hide N Slide, A-Maze Ball, Lickin Layers |
| Level 3 Advanced | Two steps per treat, like unlocking before opening | Dog Casino, Dog Worker |
| Level 4 Expert | Several mechanisms in one board, in sequence | Tower of Treats, Multipuzzle |
Nina describes making a game harder without buying a new one. On the Dog Casino, a dog first learns to pull out the six drawers; then you lock each drawer with the bone pieces on top, so it solves two problems for each treat. She also suggests setting a game on a chair as a fresh challenge.
Nina Ottosson puzzles from beginner to expert
Begin at the easiest board and move up only when your dog finishes it easily.
Composite or plastic: the two materials
Her story page explains that the boards come in two materials. Composite is a mix of wood fibres and plastic: heavier, slower to slide around the floor, and described as the more nature-friendly of the two. Plastic boards are colourful, stable and easy to clean. She notes both handle wet or dry food.
A first step up: Hide N Slide in composite
A Level 2 board in the heavier composite, shaped like a plump fish. Fin-shaped covers slide sideways and round pegs lift up to reveal the treat wells.
- Two kinds of move in one board
- Heavier material sits still on the floor
- A good next step after a Level 1 puzzle
Plush puzzles and the cat range
Not every puzzle is a hard board. The plush puzzles hide treats in soft places: the Snuffle Palz pig has a ruffled fleece snuffle mat for a belly and four flaps that fold over it, and the Twistiez monster has braided legs you stuff with kibble. The idea is the same as the boards, a little work for a reward, in a toy your dog can also carry around. If you are weighing a ruffled mat against a licking pad, our snuffle mat vs lick mat guide compares them.
Nina writes that she has tested her games with cats and many other animals too, and the cat puzzles carry her name under the Catstages label. Buggin Out is a leaf-shaped board where a cat bats pegs and swivels leaves to open 16 treat compartments, with settings to make it easier or harder. More are in interactive cat toys.
Soft puzzles for dogs, and a board for cats
Plush puzzles are for play with you nearby, not for chewing alone.
Beyond puzzles: the Outward Hound everyday range
Outward Hound's own name sits on toys and gear you may already know. The Hide A Squirrel is a plush tree stump with soft squirrels that a dog pulls out of the holes, a hide-and-seek game in a toy. The Fun Feeder Slo Bowl fills its base with maze-like ridges, so kibble sits in the grooves between them. The Tail Teaser is a flirt pole for dogs: a long braided rope wand with a squeaky plush duck on the end for chase games.
For water days there is the Granby Splash life jacket, a bright vest with a front neck float and two grab handles on the back for lifting your dog out of the water. A vest is no reason to look away: check the fit on dry land first and stay close whenever your dog swims. The family also includes Planet Dog's Snoop, a rubber treat ball with a deep pocket, and Petstages Dogwood, a chew shaped and textured like a stick. Browse the rest of the bowls and feeders or plush dog toys.
From the wider Outward Hound family
Toys, a bowl and water gear from the same family of brands.
Playing the games the way the designer suggests
Nina's own advice is practical and gentle. Play together, or at least watch closely, every time treats are inside. The first few times, hide plenty of small treats and praise every success. If your dog bites a piece or gets too rough, put a hand over the game or lift it up, wait for calm, and try again.
- Start with an easy game and short sessions; she suggests a maximum of 10 minutes for puppies.
- Leave the locking pieces off until your dog knows that the treats come from moving parts, not from chewing them.
- Add one locking piece at a time, then move up a level once the game is easy.
- Put the puzzle away after play so it stays special, and check it for wear.
For anything about your own dog's diet, weight or behaviour, ask your vet. The puzzles are games, and the joy is in playing them together.
Questions people ask
Who is Nina Ottosson?
Nina Ottosson is the designer behind the Nina Ottosson puzzle games for dogs and cats. Her story page says she has designed dog puzzles since 1990, first for her own two Bouvier des Flandres, and founded Zoo Active Products AB in 1993. Her company joined Outward Hound in 2015.
Did Outward Hound buy Nina Ottosson?
Yes. Outward Hound announced on September 9, 2015 that it had acquired Nina Ottosson Puzzle Games and Toys. Nina's own story page says the brand has since been part of the Outward Hound family of brands.
What do the Nina Ottosson levels mean?
The levels run from Level 1 Beginner to Level 4 Expert. Level 1 puzzles ask for one simple move per treat, while Level 3 and 4 puzzles add locks and several mechanisms in sequence. Most boards can also be made harder by adding their locking pieces once your dog understands the game.
Are puzzle toys safe to leave with my dog?
Nina Ottosson's own guidance is to play the treat games together or under supervision. Lift the game away if your dog starts chewing the pieces, and put it away after play. If you have questions about your dog's health or behaviour, ask your vet.
About the numbers
- Nina Ottosson, Nina Ottosson Story page, read 2026-10-07: Her own account: designing since 1990, health care career, children born 1989 and 1990, two Bouvier des Flandres, Zoo Active Products AB in 1993, testing method, levels, composite and plastic materials, play advice, 2015 acquisition by Outward Hound.
- Outward Hound, About Us page, read 2026-10-07: Team of pet parents, mission wording, values Love, Respect and Unity, list of brands, 15 years of growth.
- Outward Hound announcement of the Nina Ottosson acquisition, September 9, 2015: Date, Sweden base, Nina's 2015 Pet Age Women of Influence Award and Dog Fancy listing, quotes from Kyle Hansen and Nina Ottosson, European office plan.
- Google search results for Outward Hound founding, read 2026-10-07: Business summaries give the earlier name Kyjen and disagree on the founding year (1992 and 1998); not confirmed by the brand's own page, so no year is stated.
