A snuffle mat is essentially a mat with flaps of fleece that a dog owner or cat owner puts the dog s food hidden within and the dog sniffs around snuffles finding all of the bits of food and crumbs hidden in the nooks and crannies of the mat.
Homemade snuffle mat for dogs.
Dogs take to scent games like well fish to water.
What exactly is a snuffle mat.
You simply sprinkle in some treats into the mat dried liver is great but you can use any treats and watch as your dog has a ball sniffing them out.
While a snuffle mat benefits most breeds of dogs there are a few situations where a snuffle mat should be skipped.
Enter the snuffle mat a homemade toy that provides dogs with an opportunity to use their most highly developed sense to sniff out hidden treats.
Quantity depends on the size of the mat but 1 5.
Diy snuffle mats for dogs are the perfect solution to all of this.
The loose ends of the fleece are on top and provide the hiding spots for the treats.
These mats incorporate something called nose work.
Search and rescue sniffer and hunting dog trainers use snuffle mats as a way to train dogs to locate scents.
With a snuffle mat your dog gets the chance to work for their food in a relaxing way.
Snuffle mats are used to enable people yet another way to ditch the food bowl and feed their pets.
Change it up or down depending on your dog s size.
This will allow them to build an understanding that the mat is used for rewards.
Get your dog s favourite dry treats and place a couple on the top of the fabric letting your dog sniff and take them.
Dog trainer amanda cornell cpdt ka who owns accomplished canines dog training shared with us this great diy for a fun way to give your dog his food or treats in something called a snuffle mat that is actually a brain stimulating activity for your pup it s basically a rubber mat tied with lots like a ton of fleece fabric strips.
When used for training activities snuffle mats are sometimes called nosework mats.
There s loads of different enrichment toys available on the market but these snuffle mats are an easy and fun project to make for your pooch using only a few materials.
12 by 15 inches works well for medium sized dogs.
Start by placing your snuffle mat on the floor and letting your dog have a sniff and explore.
Snuffle mats are made using a safety rubber mat as a base with fleece tied into knots to create a mountain of soft tassels for you dog to nose around in.
Mental enrichment for dogs is a very important part of their overall wellbeing and many bored dogs start showing problematic behaviours when they aren t getting enough enrichment.
If your dog is eating too fast a snuffle mat can slow things down.
