What is snuffle mat? The snuffle mat is a toy that provides the dog with an opportunity to sniff and search for hidden treats. The snuffle mat consists of fleece strips sewn on to a mat. The loose ends of the fleece are on top and provide the hiding spots for the kibble and treats. Why is snuffle mat needed? Snuffle mat helps dogs to improve sense of smell, relieve stress, reduce anxiety, stabilize emotions and work off the excess energy. Meanwhile, this feeding way can help your dog eat more slowly, which is beneficial to its digestion. How is snuffle mat used? Spread it out into a bowl or a mat and hide treats/kibble inside it, and let your dog find them out. (BEWARE: Please have your dog watched, in case some treats or kibble are hidden so as not to be eaten, your dog would tear up the snuffle mat.) Why choose our snuffle mat? Durable Good-looking Available for all kinds of dogs Storage Design Multipurpose Machine Wash Safe Read more Why do dogs need snuffle mats? Eating Too Fast Eating too fast can cause gastric dilatation, or volvulus (AKA bloat). Bloat is a serious condition and can occur when a dog swallows too much air during a meal causingdistension of the stomach and predisposing it to twist over on itself. Overabundant Energy Do you know, 10 minutes of sniffing uses as many calories as an hour walk? This is why a snuffle mat makes a great activity for highly active dogs who still have boundless energy even after a walk. The sniffing will also act as a calmer and directs excess energy into a different activity. Lack of Exercise What the snuffle mat does is forcing your dog to use their beautiful canine instincts. Some breeds of dogs don’t rely on their noses as much as they could. This nose work is mentally stimulating and the perk is that mental stimulation can be as exhausting as physical exercise. Read more True Stories About Snuffle Mat Liz and her dog Ann "I have a dog called Ann who refuses to chew her food. Yup, no chewing. From day one she will shove her face in the bowl and just inhale. I started with putting tennis balls in her bowl to make this difficult, and of course it didn’t slow her down. So I don‘t want that and I started looking into what else I can do besides picking up her bowl every so often. During my web surfing I discovered snuffle mats. My first impression was pure excitement. I bought one and my Ann finally became a slow eater and started to chew her food because she can only pick up a few kibble each time." Matt and his dog Walter "My dog Walter, a spunky Corgi, can be described as having two settings: on and off. To help us all out, I’m focusing on training “calm” behavior through hunting techniques and nosework. I’ve tried and reviewed a lot of puzzle toys but none of them is working well. And one tool, in particular, has been a lifesaver: a snuffle mat. I typically swap in new interactive tools every week or the dogs get BORED, but the snuffle mat stays in the rotation. Elegantly simple, it’s just the thing to keep Walter busy." Zach and his dog Luke "I am a video game streamer and live alone. So I adopted a dog, Luke, so I could use some company. Sometimes I don't have time to walk Luke. One time while I was live streaming, I talked about it and felt sorry for Luke because I am always busy at streaming and barely leave my house. An audience suggested me to try a snuffle mat if no time for dog walking. I did some research and took the advice and the amazing thing happened. Luke loves it and I noticed he slept longer than usual after using the snuffle mat, which means he can really get some exercise from it." Read more How do I teach my dog to use a snuffle mat? Only 3 Steps! 1. Spread out the product to bowl shape or mat shape. 2. Hide treats/kibble inside it. 3. Let your dog search for the food. Tips: For dogs that are new to nose work or scavenger hunts, let it watch you sprinkle some of its treats/kibble on top of the mat. Once it successfully finds the first round, let it watch you sprinkle some on top and bury some deeper into the mat. As it becomes better at finding its food, bury more at the bottom of the mat while it’s not looking. If you have a dog that is already good at this kind of activity, skip straight to the hardest level. Sniffing never gets old or boring – it’s one of your dog’s favorite things to do – and the Snuffle Mat is the perfect product to let your dog be a dog! Caution! Never underestimate the destructive power of a dog. Please have your dog watched while the mat is being used. The snuffle is not a chew toy, please do not leave it alone with your dog. Put it away from your dog after use. Read more