Keep Your Dog From Getting Bored With These Puzzles, Mats, and Enrichment Toys
Just like physical exercise, mental exercise is important for keeping your dog happy and healthy. That’s why we recommend interactive puzzle toys, which are great for keeping your dog mentally stimulated, busting boredom, and can even help keep them calm when they’re alone.
Encouraging your dog to tap into their natural curiosity and drive to sniff, dig, chew, and forage is a great way to give them a brain workout. Plus, it gives them a healthy outlet to do activities that can lead to unwanted behavior (ahem, digging up flower beds, chewing on your couch, climbing onto the table to investigate food).
Tip: Consider what type of enrichment activity will be best for your dog. If your dog is highly food motivated, there are many puzzle options that keep your dog foraging or sniffing to find a food reward. But if you’re trying to limit treats, you may want to focus on toys that provide a non-food reward, like discovery or retrieval. Remember, every dog is different and has toy preferences!
Snuffle Mats Your Sniffy Dog Will Love
Snuffle mats are perfect for food motivated dogs. Hide treats, pieces of kibble, cheese, carrots, green beans, or cucumbers in the folds of the mat and let your pup forage for a reward!
Tip: These mats can also be used to slow down a quick eater at mealtime.
Hide ‘n Seek Snuffle Mat
Wooly Snuffle Mat
Lick Mats for Food-Motivated Furry Friends
Did you know that licking can help soothe your dog? Leaving your anxious dog with a lick mat can help calm them if they don’t like being home alone. But they’re also just a great toy to keep your pup entertained!
Try spreading peanut butter, plain yogurt, mashed banana, or cream cheese on the mat and freezing it for extra fun! Psst … All our lick mats are freezer friendly and top-rack dishwasher safe (yay for easy cleanup!).
Tip: Look for a lick mat with a suction back to help distract your dog during bath time and make it a more enjoyable time for both of you.
Sodapup Purple Bones Enrichment Lick Mat
Sodapup Jigsaw Enrichment Lick Mat
Sodapup Honey Comb Enrichment Lick Mat
Sodapup Tree of Life Enrichment Lick Mat (With a Suction Back)
Puzzles for Paws of All Sizes
If your dog likes to sniff, lick, and play with toys, puzzles might be their new best friend! Puzzles come in easy, moderate, or difficult levels, and we recommend starting with an easier puzzle at first so your pup doesn’t get discouraged and lose interest.
West Paw Design ZogoFlex Toppl Dog Treat Puzzle (For Moderate Chewers)
ZippyPaws SmartyPaws Puzzler Donut Slider