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Snuffle mats are one of our favourite enrichment toys and a must-have for any dog owner! Dogs love to sniff - their sense of smell is their primary sense and the one they use to discover the world around them, so they love nothing more than the chance to give their nose (and brain) a work out! Dogs are natural scavengers and using their natural instincts to search for food is something they really enjoy. Simply scatter some of your dogs dinner (or some tasty treats) on the snuffle mat letting some of the food fall deep into the fleece, then let your dog route through the mat sniffing out the food - they'll have so much more fun than eating it from their bowl. We're often asked... 'won't my dog just destroy it or rip it up?' The key here is to start off with some really yummy high value treats so your dog will find searching for the food is much more interesting than destroying the mat. It can help to start off by just sprinkling the food over the top of the mat so it's really easy for your dog to find - finding the food rewards your dog so they're likely to carry on their search for more treats, rather than trying to destroy the mat. As well as being great fun for any dog, there are lots of times when a snuffle mat can be a useful training tool too. - Is your dog on crate rest, or do they have a condition that affects their mobility or causes pain? Enrichment is great for dogs that may not be able to enjoy as much physical exercise as normal. It helps to keep your dog calm and happy while giving their brain a workout too. Providing enrichment has also been shown to help with recovery and pain management in dogs that are recovering from surgery/ injury or have a long term condition that causes pain, so as well as being great fun, a snuffle mat can be really beneficial to your dogs overall well being! - Does your dog struggles with visitors? Maybe they're worried by strangers or just find visitors too exciting? Having a snuffle mat handy means you can engage them in a calming activity in their own space away from the excitement helping to minimise barking or jumping up. - If you're taking your dog to a cafe or pub it's a great way to keep them occupied while you eat. - Sometimes we just really need to get things done - if your dog is anything like mine and always follows you around wanting your attention, then a snuffle mat is a great way of building independence giving you a chance to get things done without a dog in tow! Or perhaps it's pouring down outside, you're full of a cold and the last thing you want to do is head out on a walk - a snuffle mat is a great alternative to a walk and the mental stumulation can be just as tiring for your dog as physical exercise. - Is your dog reactive? Reactive dogs can spend a lot of their time in quite a stressed out state and it can take upto 72 hours for dogs stress hormones to return to normal levels after a stressful event (such as reacting to a dog on a walk). Sniffing is a naturally calming activity for our dogs, so it can really help them to relax and bring down the levels of those stress hormones. The really exciting thing is if we can help our dogs to be more relaxed then they're less likely to react when they do encounter things out on their walks! Something as simple as an enrichment activity at home really can make huge differences to your daily walks, and along with positive training methods you really can start to make some huge improvements.
Our luxury snuffle mats are hand made using soft polar fleece, with a thick, deep pile that will keep your dog engaged for longer.
Dimensions: Approx. 30 × 30cm