Dogs are natural foragers. They have instincts to hunt, sniff, and consume. While we probably don’t want our dogs to be hunting and eating things outside, the best snuffle mats can give your dog a good outlet to practice this instinctual behavior.
Snuffle mats are typically made with lots of long pieces of fabric attached to a base or mat to create a grass-like toy for your dog to sniff through and find food in. Some snuffle mats aren’t simply long pieces of fabric, they may also include different shaped treat compartments and additional built-in enrichment toys for an added challenge.
Are Snuffle Mats Good for Dogs?
Feeding your dog’s meals in a snuffle mat instead of a bowl is good for dogs for multiple reasons. First, dogs who eat too fast may be at risk for bloat. Snuffle mats extend mealtime and significantly slow down fast eaters.
Snuffle mats are also good for mental enrichment. Sniffing is the number one way dogs gather information about the world, and dogs have between 100 million and 300 million scent receptors in their noses (in comparison, humans only have about five to six million). A good sniff sesh can also tire your pup out. Sniffing increases your dog’s respiration rate, so it’s almost like your dog is exercising while sniffing.
Whether you’re stuck inside due to bad weather or simply don’t have the time to take your dog on a long walk, dog snuffle mats are a fantastic way to give your dog some mental enrichment indoors and with little effort on your part.
It’s been scientifically proven that toys and bowls are breeding grounds for bacteria if not cleaned properly. Like dog food and water bowls, snuffle mats should be cleaned between each use to prevent biofilm from forming. Biofilm is a mixture of different bacteria that can settle on your dog’s toys, water bowls, and snuffle mats and cause a slimy or crunchy texture to build up. Some of the bacteria present in biofilm can make both humans and dogs sick.
In a previous story for Whole Dog Journal, Rachel Goldammer, a service-dog breeding consultant and interim kennel manager at Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar, California, recommended using a degreasing agent to break down biofilm on dog toys.
If your snuffle mat is machine-washable, toss it in the laundry with hot water and a degreasing laundry detergent to banish biofilm and reduce the risk of the pets and humans in your home getting sick. If your snuffle mat is not machine washable, you’ll have to hand wash it. Opt for degreasing laundry detergent or Tide dish soap and hot water when hand washing snuffle mats. Make sure to thoroughly scrub them and allow them to soak in the hot water to remove any leftover food debris and germs.
Traits We Want in a Dog Snuffle Mat
The best snuffle mats for dogs should be durable, have lots of hiding spots for food and treats, and be easy to clean. Here are the factors we took into consideration when testing snuffle mats:
Durability: Consider your dog: Are they a chewer? Will they pull out a string attached to a bowl-style snuffle mat? Some snuffle mats on the market have lots of fabric attached to a big mat, and depending on the quality, these fabric pieces could easily be pulled off and destroyed or ingested by your dog. Pick a snuffle mat that’s durable if your dog is a chewer, and always monitor them as they use the mat to make sure they’re using it safely.
Difficulty: The whole point of a snuffle mat is to give your dog mental enrichment, so choose a difficulty level appropriate to your dog. We like snuffle mats that have dense snuffle sections with lots of places to hide food. Options like the Pet Parents Forager Snuffle Mat and the PAW5 Wooly Snuffle Mat offer tons of hiding spots for dogs, simulate real foraging in grass, and take dogs a longer time to find all the food.
Cleaning: If you know that you’ll never hand wash your dog’s snuffle mat, opt for one that’s machine washable. Snuffle mats should ideally be cleaned between each use, so picking one that’s easy to wash means you’ll be more likely to clean it frequently.
| Whole Dog Journal Rating | Product | Price | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Pet Parents Forager Snuffle Mat & Slow Feeder Dog Bowl | $17 | 9 x 9 x 0.25 inches | Dense snuffle section, solid construction, and thoughtful details. This reasonably-priced snuffle mat is also machine washable for easy cleaning. |
| PAW5 Wooly Snuffle Dog Feeding Mat | $40 | 18 x 12 x 3 inches | This snuffle mat took my dogs the longest to complete. It’s made of extremely dense rolled cotton material, and is decently large. I wish it was priced a bit lower. It’s also machine washable. |
 | Pupford Snuffle Mat | $25 | 18.5" x 12.5" | This fleece snuffle mat is constructed in rows, which means you can separate each row of material to fill with food. It takes a bit longer to fill than other options on the list, but going row by row makes it a bigger challenge for the dogs to find all the food. |
| Frisco Pizza Snuffle Mat | $20 | 20 x 20 x 0.39 inches | Because of the multiple sewed-on pieces, this snuffle mat is unfortunately not machine washable. It’s extremely large and has lots of hiding spots. Not the best option for dogs who shred or chew stuffed toys. |
| AWOOF Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs | $15 | 18.8 x 18.8 x 3.1 inches | Though it’s not the most durable snuffle mat, the AWOOF Pet Snuffle mat is a decent option if you buy it on sale. It’s machine washable for easy clean up, and similar in design to our top pick. |
Best Overall Dog Snuffle Mat: Pet Parents Forager Snuffle Mat & Slow Feeder Dog Bowl
Pet Parents Forager Snuffle Mat & Slow Feeder Dog Bowl
Quality construction, a dense snuffle section, thoughtful details, and a reasonable price make the Pet Parents Forager the best snuffle mat for dogs. It has a thick canvas backing, durable stitching, and non-slip backing. Though the non-slip backing doesn’t completely keep the snuffle mat from moving, it does a decent job at preventing dogs from slipping on it. This is a bowl-style snuffle mat, so you can pull the cinch string for an extra challenge or to store the mat when not in use. I loved the little tuck pouch for the excess cinch string. On other bowl-style mats I’ve tested, dogs have been able to pull the cinch string out of the mat and chew on it, which can be a choking hazard.
Best Snuffle Mat for Large Dogs: PAW5 Wooly Snuffle Dog Feeding Mat
PAW5 Wooly Snuffle Dog Feeding Mat
The PAW5 Snuffle Mat’s $40 price tag kept it away from being our winner, but it’s still a worthy option in many ways. It’s durable, machine washable, and easy to fill. It’s made of 100% cotton and can easily fit 1-2 cups of food. Just sprinkle the food over the top and push any exposed kibble or treats down a bit to increase the challenge. This mat likely gives the closest experience to foraging in tall grass and took my two dogs the longest to complete out of all the options. The only downside of this mat (aside from the price) is that because it doesn’t have a structured bottom, you can’t really fill it on the table, then set it down for your dog without dropping food out of it. It’s best to fill it while it’s already on the ground, so pop your pup in a crate, another room, or a down stay while you fill it.
Best Fleece Snuffle Mat: Pupford Snuffle Mat
The Pupford Snuffle mat was a close runner up to the Pet Parents and PAW5 options. The seamed fleece construction means you can separate each layer of fleece into rows while filling, and all the food goes right to the bottom. This way takes a bit longer to fill, but it makes it more of a challenge for dogs to find all the snacks than simply pouring the food on top of the mat.
Most Unique Snuffle Mat: Frisco Pizza Snuffle Mat
Most unique, fun-shaped snuffle mats don’t actually have many hiding spots for food and are much too easy for dogs who love to sniff. That’s not the case with the Frisco Pizza Snuffle Mat. This option is almost comically large, and features tons of hiding spots for snacks. The squiggly bacon pieces on top of the pizza are challenging spots, while in and around the pizza are a bit easier. Each section of the pizza is connected by Velcro to the crust, so you could even split it up between multiple dogs. Note that the pizza sections and the crust are plush and stuffed, so this isn’t a good option for dogs who shred or destroy plush toys. I wish this snuffle mat was machine washable, since hand washing between uses adds on an additional time commitment for pet parents.
Best Budget Snuffle Mat: AWOOF Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs
AWOOF Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs
This popular Amazon pick is a decent option if you’re looking to try snuffle mats for the first time, and if you can find it on sale. It’s similar in design to the Pet Parents Forager Snuffle Mat, but at its regular price, the AWOOF dog snuffle mat is only $2 cheaper, and the materials are definitely lower quality. In comparison, our top pick, the Pet Parents Forager Snuffle Mat, features a more durable canvas-like bottom construction, heftier anti-slip grip, thicker stitching, and denser middle construction for more challenging sniffing. In most cases we’d recommend just going for the PetParents option, however, the AWOOF snuffle mat is often on sale for $12. If price is a dealbreaker for you, this is the dog snuffle mat to grab if you see it on sale.
