Best Snuffle Mats For Dogs & Why You Need One

Dogs love to use their senses! It is inbuild and fun for them. A snuffle mat has a lot of fabric layered over each other on the mat which offered great hiding spots. You place the food or treats in between to hide them. You then let your dog follow its nose to find the food.

Benefits of a snuffle mat

Stimulation Of Senses

For one, this activity stimulates your dog’s brain, and he can use his senses to find the food. This feels rewarding and also is a lot of fun for them.It is similar to a treat dispensing toy where your dog needs to figure out how to get to the treats or food.

Slower Eating

By default, if you feed your dog this way, he will take more time to eat. If you have a pup that loves to just swallow down his whole meal in a matter of seconds, this snuffle mat can actually help get your dog to eat slowly and enjoy his food more. It is best with dry food. If you want to feed your dog wet food, we recommend getting a slow feeder bowl instead to keep it less messy.

Fun & Activity

A snuffle mat is lots of fun for your dog. On a small space it gives your dog the opportunity to be active, use his paws and nose. It is also a great way to keep your dog busy and distracted if your he tends to get bored and you don’t have time to play right now. Some dogs get sad when their owner leaves the house. Using the mat then can distracts your pup from the fact you are leaving and makes him focus on something nice.

There is a lot out there to choose from and too many options can often be overwhelming. At DoggyAdvice we have compiled a list of our favorite snuffle mats for you to look at.

The Best Snuffle Mats For Your Dog​

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Tips & Tricks For Using A Snuffle Mat

• Keep an eye on your dog when introducing the mat. If your dog keeps biting the mat or doesn’t understand what is going on, try to help by showing him where treats might be hidden.
• Wash the mat to keep it clean. A lot of mats you can wash in a machine! How often might depend on how often you use it, what kinds of treats you hide in it, and where you store it.
• If you notice that your pup is having trouble getting treats out from the layers, try bigger treats.
• If you have a larger dog, we recommend getting a larger mat. They might be going through the treats quicker and they can also eat some more than a smaller dog.
• You can also DIY your own mat or extend one you bought to make it bigger!

Making Your Own DIY Snuffle Mat For Dogs

Materials you need:

• A base
  • A mat with holes in it such as a rubber sink mat. There are different sizes you can choose from depending on how big or small you want the mat to be.
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  • Or you can use a piece of fabric and sew the fabric strips to it.
• Fabric
  • Most people use fleece as the fabric for the strips as they are pretty sturdy and the edges don’t easily wear out.
  • You could also use other old fabrics or blankets you have at home to cut your strips.
  • How much you need depends on how big your mat will be and how long and thick you plan to make your strips.

How to make it:

Making the base

• Cut your base if you are using a fabric base.

Cut your strips

• We recommend making them 2-3cm wide and 20-30cm long depending on your base size.
• If your mat has smaller holes, you might need to cut it thinner. It is best to try to tie one piece to test if you like the width and length.
• You can also cut different lengths to give more of a variety in the mat.

Connect your strips to the base

• Push your strips through one hole and back to the other side through another hole.
• Tie your strips to the rubber mat with a double knot.
• Or sew them to your fabric base
• Repeat until your whole mat is covered. You might want to add additional strips if your holes in the rubber mat are big.