A Bichon Frise will spend 20 minutes destroying a store-bought puzzle toy—then spend the next three hours asking for more. These small, clever dogs were bred as companion lapdogs, which sounds cushy until you realize it means they have brains that need work, especially indoors on days when a walk isn’t enough. The good news: you don’t need to spend $40 on a fancy enrichment toy when you can make something better with cardboard, kibble, and whatever’s in your recycling bin.
This cardboard puzzle feeder takes about 45 minutes to assemble and gives a Bichon anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes of focused foraging time—which, if you’re dealing with a bored Bichon (or one that shows early signs of the anxiety that some Bichon Frise dogs are prone to), is basically gold. The build is genuinely easy enough that kids can help. And when your dog eventually destroys it—which will happen, because that’s the point—you toss the whole thing and make another one in an afternoon.
Step 1 — Prep Your Cardboard Base
Find a shallow cardboard box. Pizza boxes work perfectly; produce boxes from the grocery store are even better because they’re sturdier. Aim for something around 12 × 16 inches and 3–4 inches deep. If your box has a fitted lid, remove it and set it aside—you might layer it into the puzzle later for extra complexity.
Line the bottom with crinkled newspaper or kraft paper packing material. This isn’t just filler. It serves two purposes: it creates air pockets that slow down kibble discovery (making the game last longer), and it gives your Bichon’s nose something natural to work through. Bichons have good noses—not bloodhound-level, but they were bred to hunt truffle-like small game—so engaging that instinct matters.
Step 2 — Build the Tube Obstacles
Take your empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes and stand them upright in the box, packed close enough that they don’t tip but loose enough that your dog can collapse them or move them around. Arrange them in a semi-random grid—no need for perfect lines. You want some tubes touching the box sides and others freestanding in the middle.
If you have fewer tubes than you’d like, cut some of them into rings (slice them into 2–3 inch sections with scissors or a box cutter) and arrange those too. The variety in heights and diameters makes the puzzle more interesting. Your Bichon’s job will be to nose these tubes around and underneath to find kibble hiding in the gaps.
Secure the tall tubes to the box bottom with small pieces of packing tape on their bases—just enough to keep them from rolling out entirely when your dog gets enthusiastic. Leave the tube interiors hollow; they’ll become hiding spots for kibble and treats.
Step 3 — Scatter and Layer Your Kibble
Now comes the fun part for your dog: actually hide the kibble. Spread a handful of your Bichon’s regular dry kibble across the paper layer, filling the gaps between tubes. Don’t use all their daily food here—this is enrichment, not a meal replacement. Use maybe a quarter to a third of their daily portion.
Toss some kibble into the hollow tubes so they have to use their nose to fish it out. Hide a few small treats (freeze-dried chicken pieces, a broken-up training biscuit) deeper in the pile. The mix of easy-to-find kibble and slightly harder treats keeps the difficulty interesting. Your Bichon will quickly learn that some spots are richer than others.
Crinkle more newspaper on top of the kibble layer to create a second “search ground.” This is especially useful if your Bichon tends to paw and toss things—the paper creates friction that slows down their chaos slightly.
Step 4 — Add a Lid Layer (Optional but Worth It)
If your box came with a fitted cardboard lid, you can cut it into strips or pieces and lay it loosely on top of the kibble. Don’t seal it—just create a loose, collapsible “ceiling” that your dog has to work around or push through. This adds genuine puzzle difficulty and extends playtime because they can’t just vacuum everything in 30 seconds.
Alternatively, you can cut a cardboard box into strips yourself and weave them into the existing tube structure like a loose lattice. Again: leave gaps. Bichons are small but determined, and part of the appeal is figuring out how to access the food, not just whether it’s physically possible.
Step 5 — Place and Supervise the First Session
Set the box on a washable surface (kitchen tile, a washable rug, or the bathroom floor). Watch the first session. This serves two purposes: you get to see what your Bichon actually enjoys (do they prefer nosing through paper, or do they zero in on specific hiding spots?), and you can make sure they’re not eating excessive paper or cardboard chunks instead of just foraging through them.
Most Bichons will attack this with focus and enthusiasm. Some will pace the perimeter looking for the “right” entry point. Some will immediately start deconstructing tubes. All of these are normal. If your dog is a chronic ingester of non-food items, stay close—but most Bichons will naturally focus on the kibble and leave the structural elements relatively intact.
If your Bichon finishes in under five minutes and seems frustrated, you didn’t hide the kibble deep enough. Next time, use more paper, more tubes, and fewer immediately visible pieces.
What You’ll Spend
If you source the cardboard box from your recycling bin (which you should), the toilet paper tubes from your bathroom, and the packing tape and newspaper from home, this costs you nothing extra. If you buy a box of freeze-dried treats to make it fancier, add $8–12. Total realistic spend: under $15 if you’re buying anything at all, and probably $0 if you keep your recycling pile.
Where It Goes Wrong
Bichons are little, but they can ingest cardboard. Don’t use glossy boxes, heavily printed cardboard, or anything with staples. Plain cardboard and kraft paper only. If your Bichon has a history of intestinal blockages or eats things they shouldn’t, supervise closely and maybe skip this particular project in favor of a rubber Kong instead.
You’ll make it too easy the first time. Most people hide kibble too loosely and then wonder why the enrichment only lasts five minutes. Go deeper than you think. More layers. More obstacles. Your Bichon will appreciate the challenge, and you’ll get a solid 20–40 minutes of independent focus time, which is the whole point.
The box falls apart immediately. If you’re using a flimsy box, reinforce the seams before you add kibble and tubes. A few extra pieces of packing tape on the corners and sides will prevent collapse mid-play.
Keep this one rotating: make a new version every week or two and store them flat in your recycling pile. Your Bichon’s brain will stay engaged, your living room won’t be covered in expensive destroyed toys, and you’ll have a standing project that costs almost nothing but delivers real behavioral benefit.
