Snuffle mats explained: what they are and how to use one

A snuffle mat is a base with lots of fleece or felt strips tied into it. You scatter dry food or small treats into the strips, and your dog uses their nose to find each piece. That is the whole idea. It turns a meal that would vanish in seconds into a few minutes of sniffing, nudging and rummaging.

Dogs are built to use their noses. Most of what a pet dog eats arrives in a bowl, in one go, in the same place every day. A snuffle mat gives back a little of the searching that a dog would naturally do, without you having to train anything first.

Who a snuffle mat suits

• Fast eaters who inhale dry food. The mat spreads a portion out and slows things down.
• Floor hoovers — the dogs who already patrol the kitchen for dropped crumbs. They tend to understand a snuffle mat immediately.
• Dogs who get frustrated by puzzles. There are no lids, sliders or levers. If your dog gives up on a puzzle feeder, a snuffle mat is often a better first step.
• Older or less mobile dogs who still enjoy a job but cannot do much running about. They can lie down and sniff.
• Rainy evenings. Ten minutes of nose work on the kitchen floor is a decent substitute when the walk has been cut short.

Who should skip it, or go carefully

• Puppies and dogs who chew fabric. Fleece strips can be pulled out and swallowed. If your dog shreds soft toys, a snuffle mat is not a safe unsupervised toy, and may not be safe at all.
• Dogs on wet or raw diets. Wet food in fleece is a hygiene problem. Use a lick mat for wet food instead.
• Dogs who guard food or resources. If your dog stiffens, freezes or growls when someone comes near their food, feeding from a mat on the floor in a busy room can make that worse. Feed somewhere quiet, and speak to a qualified behaviourist if guarding is a pattern.

How to introduce a snuffle mat

1. Start easy. Lay the mat flat and sprinkle a few pieces of kibble on top of the strips, where your dog can see them. Let them find those.
2. Then hide a little. Push a few pieces slightly into the fleece. Let your dog work it out. Do not point or help unless they are about to give up.
3. Build up slowly. Over a few sessions, scatter a full portion of their normal dry food deeper in the strips.
4. Stay in the room. Watch for chewing or pulling at the strips. Pick the mat up as soon as the food is gone, so it does not become a chew toy.
5. Keep it special. Put the mat away between uses. It stays interesting for longer that way.

Use part of their daily food allowance rather than extra treats. If you do use treats, choose small, dry ones and take them out of the day’s total.

What to put in it

• Their normal dry kibble. This is the simplest option and adds nothing to the day’s food.
• Small, dry training treats, broken up.
• Small pieces of plain, dog-safe vegetables your dog already eats, if they are dry enough not to make the mat soggy.

Avoid anything wet, greasy or sticky, and the usual dangers: grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, cooked bones and anything containing xylitol.

Choosing one

Look for a non-slip base, strips that are firmly attached, and a size that suits your dog. A large dog on a tiny mat will just flip it over. Machine-washable is worth having. The Paw5 Wooly is a well-known fleece design, and the Trixie Snuffle Mat has a firmer base that helps it lie flat. You can also search Amazon UK for dog snuffle mats (affiliate link, opens Amazon UK) to compare current sizes. Check the listing for washing instructions and dimensions before you buy, and check the live price — we do not list prices because they change.

Cleaning

Shake out crumbs after every use. Wash the mat regularly according to the label — many are machine-washable on a cool cycle — and let it dry completely before the next use, because damp fleece and food crumbs are not a good mix. Retire any mat that is losing strips or coming apart at the base.

Make one before you buy one

Not sure your dog will like it? Try a rolled-up towel first: lay a clean tea towel flat, scatter kibble across it, roll it up loosely and let your dog unroll it. If they enjoy that, a snuffle mat is likely to be a hit.

For a side-by-side comparison with the other popular slow-feeding format, see our guide to lick mats vs snuffle mats.

A snuffle mat is a food game. It is not a treatment for any health or behaviour problem. If your dog’s eating, weight or behaviour worries you, speak to your vet.