Some of my favourite products to evaluate are products that provide enrichment for our pups, and the Wooly Snuffle Mat is one of those products. What exactly does “enrichment” mean? For our canine friends, it means providing activities and jobs that help them exercise their natural abilities. If you have a dog that was bred for scent work, then they may find it very enriching and fulfilling to take a nose work class, or become skilled at tracking. I know for myself, photography is how I find fulfillment and when I am not able to create, I am not as happy.
Check out this recent blog post: “Top 10 Enrichment Activities to Prevent Dog Boredom”
What is a Snuffle Mat?
A snuffle mat is a “rug” that you can hide food and treats in for your dog to sniff out and forage for. Dogs in the wild are foragers and therefor this particular game can be considered enriching. This activity is a great for indoors when the weather outside is bad. It is also a great way to feed your dog if they eat dry food. Slowing down mealtime can reduce gas, which we can all appreciate!
The Wooly Snuffle Mat made by Paw5 is one of the best quality and most versatile snuffle mats I have seen. One amazing feature of this particular mat is that it’s machine washable and can be dried in your dryer too. Which honestly, if you are feeding your dog with it a couple of times a day, it will need to be washed regularity. If you use it as a game only, maybe not so often but still important.
Here are a few of its other key features:
- It’s easy to use. Just sprinkle the food or treats on the mat and let your dog do the rest.
- It’s appropriate for any size or breed of dog. Just modify the amount of food or treats.
- It’s easy to clean as it’s machine washable, and dryer friendly.
- It looks good! No crazy colours here. Just a nice, modern grey colour that fits into your decor.
- It’s designed to encourage your dog to use his natural sense of smell.
- It’s non-toxic and safe for your dog.
PAW5 has an entire page on their website dedicated to the company’s stance on sustainability. They are adamant about supporting their community and having as small of an impact as possible on the environment. Sustainability is step one in their design process. Read more about their “Four from Five™” Promise.
I don’t feed kibble, so I use my snuffle mat for entertainment only. All of the pups were quick to figure out what they were supposed to be doing, and I was surprised when they didn’t pick up or shake the rug. They used their noses to sniff through the rug find their treats. I also found it interesting that in the case of Pebbles, she got her full body involved by doing push ups and then standing, then laying down. They used their paws a little, but this was definitely a nosey game! Fun was had! I only wished I’d had three as my dogs don’t like to share.
Check out my post on the Paw5 Snuffle Mat on Instagram below and don’t forget to follow me while you are there!
Final Consensus
Research has shown that dogs experience gratification for successfully completing a challenge and obtaining a reward for that achievement. Exactly like we do! Whether it’s studying hard and getting an A on a test, or fixing a broken transmission and saving a few hundred dollars, we all feel better about ourselves when we have the opportunity to successfully solve problems.
In this day and age when our dogs spend much of their time alone, and they are locked up for hours while we go to work, having a few enrichment toys in the home are going to help them in leading a more fulfilling life. PAW5 is a conscientious dog brand that has done their part in contributing to a better quality of life for our canine companions. They have taken the Snuffle Mat to a whole other level.
I have nothing negative to say about this mat, and therefor it gets a perfect score!
Final Score – 5/5 BrindleBerries
You can purchase the PAW5 Snuffle Mat on their website: www.paw5.us, or at your local, independent pet retailer.
Brands – please contact for purchase/usage of photography or copy.
This post was not sponsored and I was not compensated for it. I purchased my own product for the review.
