Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Top Swedish Design Brands of 2016
Above: Founder and CEO Nina Ottosson with her dogs Nisse and Thea. Top right: The Dog Casino is a perfect game for hot summer days; just mix the dog food with water before popping the whole game into the freezer. Below right: The Toller Thea looks for treats in the Dog Treat Fighter.
The woman who changed the dog world It is not always easy to find the time – or ideas – to exercise your dog, but man’s best friend needs mental exercise as much as daily walks. Nina Ottosson’s puzzle games and toys are here to help. By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Nina Ottosson
“A dog has four legs and one brain and all five need activity, but in different ways,” says Ottosson, founder and CEO of the Swedish company. It all started in 1990, when Ottosson wanted to find new ways to exercise her dogs. She was used to training and competing with them, but being a mother of two small children meant it was hard to find the time. “All animals search for food naturally and that inspired me,” she says
and adds: “I want the dogs to act more natural and not always just get their food in a bowl and gulp it down.” The games are available in all levels of difficulty to suit dogs, and other pets, of all ages, sizes and breeds. “Dogs are like people that way. It is like a crossword puzzle, you have to start at the right level to make it challenging and fun,” she says.
Mental activation is here to stay Ottosson has won numerous awards and reached widespread recognition for her inventions in mental activity for dogs. But because the concept was something completely new, the first ten years involved a great deal of hard work. “Some people thought I was crazy to think I could sell games for dogs,” she says. “Games were something meant for
20 | Issue 89 | June 2016
people and children, not dogs. But I knew I was onto something good.” Ottosson is proud to have established the category of mental activation, and the products are in great demand around the world. The games are made of plastic or wood, always in non-toxic, sustainable and durable materials. Last year, the US-based pet product company Outward Hound acquired Nina Ottosson Puzzle Games & Toys. But Ottosson is still designing and developing new products in Sweden, and she has a loyal test panel by her side: Nisse, a Bouvier des Flandres, and Thea, a Toller. “The best part is to see a dog try a game for the first time. Some use the nose, others the paw; they all have different approaches. It is such fun to see how they figure it out – and to see the joy when they find the treat,” says Ottosson. For more information, please visit: www.nina-ottosson.com