Keeping pets entertained is a ‘round-the-clock sort of gig. Chew toys get boring too quickly and sometimes dogs might confuse their pent-up energy for a reason to take a walk – forty minutes and two laps around the block in and your dog still hasn’t gone number two, instead only endlessly sniffing and marking territories. While they might not be releasing what we’d like them to, even on those walks, dogs need ways to relieve energy. The constant stimulation that naturally comes with spending time outdoors gives your pup space and time to discharge all their energy, but it also shouldn’t be the only means for that. While taking your dogs on walks should always be encouraged, Gosewalk, a nose work play toy for dogs, offers a playful way for dogs to funnel their pent-up energy that won’t require putting on your outdoor shoes.
Designed by Jihyun Han, Gosewalk consists of two toy pieces, a multi-surfaced mat that resembles the different terrain found outdoors, and a silicone puzzle that stows away dog treats for your pup to sniff and find. The multi-surfaced mat brings the outdoors to your dog with different fabrics resembling different terrains. Twisted and shaggy polyester mimics the look and feel of grass, while tan corduroy and water-repellant canvas brings the colors of sand and soil to your dog’s snout. Pockets and flaps line the mat’s fabrics and provide perfect hiding places for treats and mixtures of herbs and scents to entertain your pup. The silicone puzzle, which seems to be a smaller, more portable companion piece to the bulkier mat, resembles the look of grass through its tender, spring green silicone nubs that grid the toy. Hidden compartments are carved into the silicone puzzle where dog owners can store treats for their pups to sniff out and munch on. Then, in the middle of the puzzle, a darker green, ruffled and leafy centerpiece camouflages yet another hidden storage compartment which can be used to stow away packets of herbal mixtures for dogs to sniff on while hunting for treats. Both parts of Gosewalk, the silicone puzzle, and the mat are washable and also designed to last long, so your pup won’t be able to dig this toy to shreds.
Gosewalk’s origin comes from the merging of three words: grass, nose, and walk. Taking a dog on a walk even one time will show anyone that a dog’s sense of smell is everything. Knowing that dogs make sense of their world through different smells and their memory associated with them, Han centered Gosewalk’s solution concept around the ability to smell and locate. Designed to offer the same effect that comes with taking your dog on walks outdoors, Gosework gives your dog reason to dig and chew and sniff until they’ve found all the hidden treats stored inside. Make sure your pup doesn’t get too good at the game though, treats add up, you know.
Designer: Jihyun Han
