01 AugPuppies love snuffle mats! The work-to-eat toys our dog trainers recommend
What’s a snuffle mat?
Snuffle mats are a type of dog toy intended to keep dogs occupied and mentally stimulated during mealtimes or snack time. We love letting dogs use these in the beginning of class in Puppy Kindergarten as they can help the pups get a chance to self soothe and settle down while getting lots of edible reinforcement for little work. It's easy for the people, too: All the new dog owners have to do is hide goodies in the mats' folds and crannies.
Snuffle mats come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors available. We provide a wide range of these on our online shop StoreForTheDogs.com as well as at the School For The Dogs' shop in New York City. We specialize in selling ones that are handmade in the USA, like the Taco Snuffle mat, in which yummy stuff can be tucked in strips that are contained inside a soft “shell.”
The DogNMat Taco Snuffle mat is handmade in the USA
Feeding your dog in a snuffle mat
Feeding your dog in a snuffle mat is an easy way to soothe your dog, and it doesn't require much more effort than putting food in a bowl. You just put food in the mat instead. Using their nose to find food can soothe a lot of dogs, and satiate their need to problem solve. Putting all of a dog's food in a simple bowl may be more harmful than beneficial. Allow them to forage for food in a mat instead of looking for crumbs in your sofa, and you're giving your dog a chance to do a kind of puzzle for forcing them to engage their brain, mouth and nose in an enjoyable way. We call toys like this “work to eat” toys, or “enrichment toys.”
Snuffle mats may be used with dry food or dry treats. or even slightly moist treats, like shredded cheese. They can be put in the washing machine after each use.
One wonderful aspect of snuffle mats is that they can be readily packed for travel. The Buster Activity Mat is a favorite among many of our training clients because it comes with its own cute carrying case and has detachable parts that may be combined in an infinite number of ways.
Snuffle Mats: Are they Safe? Yes!
Puppies and adult dogs can both enjoy snuffle mats, but if you have a dog who tends to shred things up, we usually suggest avoiding ones made of fleece and instead using ones made of sturdier material. The Paw5 Wooly and the Buster Activity Mat by Kruuse are good options that won't tear or shred easily.
The Paw5 Wooly is a machine washable snuffle mat.
The Kruuse Buster Activity Mat
DIY Snuffle Mats
Want to make your own snuffle mat? You just need a scissors, some old t-shirts you can cut into strips, and something with holes, like a shower-caddy, rubber flooring, or a sink liner. Simply thread the strips through the holes and knots them together. (Note: If your dog is playing with a handmade snuffle mat, keep an eye on him since the materials aren't intended for dogs and it's always possible he'll bite off and swallow a piece of rubber or plastic).
See all of the snuffle mats we carry at StoreForTheDogs.com or our Manhattan shop at 92 E. 7th Street.
Learn more about snuffle mats on School For The Dogs Podcast!
