are snuffle mats any good?

[Vortek]

11 week old puppy - cocker. Will a snuffle mat be fun for her? And any recommendations for a make?

[BiteyShark]

Mine tried to tear it apart so we gave up on ours after one try.

[jinxpixie]

I love them - they are great for many dogs. They do need supervising obviously when using them.

On first go do not put the food too deep into the snuffle mat .As frustration can cause the dogs to throw them around . Make the food easy to get to start with then build up to hiding the food deeper in the mat.

[heatseeker14]

I made one for our pup because I was worried he would destroy it in 5 seconds, like pretty much everything else we have bought him. 😏 The mat is not pretty to look at, but dpup likes it. I put treats in small clusters so he doesn’t get frustrated, and the mat is put away as soon as he has finished with it.

[RedRed9]

Yes but put it away after they’ve had a shuffle otherwise they’ll just start to play with it and tear it to shreds.

Lickie mats are also great. You can smear their wet or raw food onto them for meals or put dog friendly peanut butter or yoghurt etc on them as a treat for stimulation.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Mine can find his bits of food in there in seconds. Licky mats keep him busier. I put peanut butter or wet dog food in there.

Or if I want to hide his kibble around the house that keeps him entertained for a while. Plus good practice for 'stay'.

Sometimes I hide bits of his food in a blanket and twist it around. That also keeps him busier. Or put some in the bottom of a cardboard box and twist the end shut so he can pull the box to pieces getting his food.

[GeraltOfRivia]

Mine loves it but I have to supervise and remove it once he's had the food or her tries to shred it. Great as a distraction if he's being a pain and need him out of the way a bit

[HairyDogsOfThigh]

I've hidden treats in a rolled up towel, they quite enjoy snuffling through that, unrolling it to discover treats.

[Girlintheframe]

Mine loves his. I use it mainly when it's horrible weather and put his dinner in it (scatter feed normally outside). I also use it sometimes when I feel he needs extra stimulation. They can get a bit smelly but you can pop them in the washing machine.

[MaitlandGirl]

I don’t use them as I don’t want to encourage my dogs to eat anything they find on the floor - I want them to associate me with their food, so they only eat what I give them.

I know a lot of people like them, but they’re not for me.

[Muddypup]

We have a 9 month old cocker and she always eats half her meal from a slow feeder bowl and half from her snuffle mat. She prefers the snuggle mat. I’ll get another when this one’s had it. It’s lasted really well and goes in the washing machine every few days.

[RedRed9]

They still associate you with their food @MaitlandGirl as much as putting it in a bowl and giving it to them. You can tell them to sit and wait, place the food in the snuffle mat and then give them a command to eat; just the same as you would when bowl feeding.

It’s great stimulation for them. But I assume you must create other stimulation for them so each to their own.

[BarkandCheese]

Mine doesn’t have a snuffle mat because she won’t eat dry food, but she does have a lick mat which she loves. It’s also a really good distraction if she’s been wound up by something, because it makes her stop and focus on something other than the source of her irritation (which is usually pigeons sitting on the shed roof refusing to move when she barks at them).

[thefemalelemur]

Mine cottoned on very quickly that if she just picked it up and shook it all the treats fell out. So that was the end of that 🙄

[MaitlandGirl]

@RedRed9 my dogs aren’t that bright!!! Seriously though, we are in a rural area and don’t want the dogs eating anything that isn’t placed directly in their bowls or hand fed to them.

We can’t take the risk of them picking up something they shouldn’t eat.

We do make sure they have to work for their food - half of their meals are given as training rewards (gotta love dry food).

[RedRed9]

Your dogs aren’t that bright but are bright enough to resist sneak eating something that they find out on a walk? They’re brighter than mine then!

I actually don’t use a snuffle mat as we raw feed (I use a lickie mat though and our friends have a snuffle mat which works really well for them).

[GeraltOfRivia]

We raw feed too @RedRed9. He gets grated cheese, apple, and carrot in his mat. Sometimes a couple of his 100% dried meat treats too as a surprise.

[RedRed9]

That’s a good idea @GeraltOfRivia Thanks!

[GeraltOfRivia]

@RedRed9 now worries. I use it more as a treat / distraction than as a feeding device for a meal.

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

We have a snuffle mat but I massively prefer the snuffle ball! I made it by tying fleece (like you would for a snuffle mat) in one of those hole-e-roller balls. Ddog gets her breakfast in it most days, takes 10 minutes to eat instead of 10 seconds!