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Most dog parents have probably heard about snuffle mats by now, especially since the new foraging pads come with a range of impressive health claims. They’ve been praised not just as fun puzzle toys but also as tools for managing separation anxiety and warding off dog dementia. Even our own Rover tester crew has seen success using snuffle mats for training and enrichment.
But what benefits do snuffle mats really offer—and do they work the way their proponents claim? We wanted to know what the experts say, so we dug deeper into the topic and spoke with Gia Savocchi, a Certified Dog Behavioral Consultant.
How Dog Snuffle Mats Work: What the Science Says
The concept behind snuffle mats is simple: strips of fabric are attached to a flat mat to create pockets and folds, and then treats or bits of kibble are tucked among the fibers. Dogs follow their noses to “snuffle” through the soft fabric and find the hidden treats.
Some snuffle mats look like simple shag rugs, like the Paw5 Wooly Snuffle Mat. The upcycled gray fabric resembles an 18- by 12-inch sea anemone, but its tentacles are both effective and machine-washable, according to satisfied Rover snufflers.
Other snuffle mats are arranged in bright colors with more varied designs, like the AWOOF Snuffle Mat. This mat has fleece strips, petals, pockets, and cups, offering a variety of snuffling options. It’s about 29-inches square of sturdy, washable oxford fabric and folds into a neat little pouch for storage.
Then there are bowl-style models like the Friendly Barkz Adjustable Snuffle Mat. Its edges tighten with a drawcord, ranging from a fully-open 17-inches to a 10-inch bowl shape for mealtime snufflers and an 8-inch package for storage. A non-slip bottom helps keep it in place.
Like traditional puzzle toys, snuffle mats are designed to exercise a dog’s mind. But they’re soft rather than rigid, and many rely more on hide-and-seek than creative problem-solving.
For a dog, though, scent-based hide-and-seek isn’t mindless. Scent is the number one way that dogs interpret the world around them. Dogs have tens (or even hundreds) of millions more scent receptors in their nose than humans (who come in with a measly 5 to 6 million).
The scent-processing part of a dog’s brain is about 40 times larger in dogs than in humans too, and it makes up about one eighth of a dog’s total brain space. One scientific study even found that dogs “see” through their nose, with a unique connection between the areas of the brain where scent and sight are processed.
All of this means that when a dog sniffs, they’re not just appreciating the fresh air or deciding whether the milk has gone bad, like we might. Instead, they’re relying on their instincts and using a huge part of their brain. That theory is what drives sniffing toys like snuffle mats.
Albina White via Pexels
The Benefits of Snuffle Mats, According to Fans
Snuffle mats, with their built-in reward system, are thought to offer an impressive range of benefits.
One obvious perk is that they slow down mealtime, forcing speed-eaters to find each piece of kibble rather than swallowing the whole bowl at once. Some dog parents have had anecdotal success encouraging reluctant eaters by provoking their foraging instincts.
Anxious and bored dogs are also thought to benefit from snuffle mats, since they distract from triggers or destructive boredom. Some fans and trainers have claimed that 15 minutes with a snuffle mat can burn as much energy as an hour of walking, and they hold particular appeal for working breeds, who often become restless without a job to do.
Because sniffing engages so much of a dog’s brain, snuffle mats are also often recommended for dogs suffering from cognitive decline or dementia. For humans, science has shown that mental stimulation helps to keep our brains healthy; snuffle mats apply those principles in a dog-friendly way.
Ilona Shorokhova via iStock
Snuffle mats are sometimes recommended as part of training, especially in self-control. Ruffle Snuffle, a brand founded by British animal behaviorist Sarah White, offers tips on training with a snuffle mat: First, ask your dog to sit or wait as you fill the mat. On your command, they can approach the mat and begin snuffling.
Finally, one of the biggest claims about snuffle mats is that they teach nose work, which is the foundation of advanced scent detection. In nose work, dogs are trained to search for particular scents like birch or clove. More formally called scent work, nose work is a competitive dog sport, and snuffle mats may help dogs keep their skills sharp.
But can one mat really do all that?
Do Snuffle Mats Work? What the Experts Say
Gia Savocchi is a New York-based Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with more than ten years of experience. She also has an undergraduate degree in psychology and is working on a master’s degree in clinical animal behavior.
Over the last couple of years, Savocchi has built a following of nearly 75,000 on Instagram by posting training tips and videos of her furry clients and her own dogs. Snuffle mats are one of the many tools Savocchi uses in her training practice and at home. We asked her: do snuffle mats work?
“Dogs can’t read a book or watch TV and can’t walk themselves, but they need entertainment, which we call enrichment,” she says. “Puzzle toys, and specifically food puzzle toys or foraging toys, are one of the best ways to provide enrichment.”
She explained that most dogs are scavengers by nature, not hunters like many of us believe: “They’re finding the scraps, if you will.”
By letting dogs dig through fabric to find food, snuffle mats tap into this foraging instinct. However, while Savocchi uses snuffle mats for both mealtime and treats, she is skeptical about their usefulness in developing nosework skills, as scent work requires a dog to look for a specific smell.
“Mats are more about the dog having a simple, targeted activity.”
Ирина Мещерякова via iStock
She does agree, though, that that simple activity is good for combating anxiety and boredom. And pets of all ages can benefit, from senior dogs struggling with dementia to even young puppies.
“When a pet has nothing to do, they get into trouble and they develop anxious behaviors,” she says. “If I don’t give a dog a bone to chew, they’re going to chew apart my furniture. And if I don’t give my dog the opportunity to walk around or seek their food, they’re going to be bothering me for attention. It’s a way to develop some independence in your dog because they’re doing it on their own.”
That independence is particularly good for dogs with separation anxiety issues. Still, there is a limit—Savocchi warns that dogs should never be allowed to use a snuffle mat unsupervised. Dogs can easily tear up and even eat the pieces, so she puts the mat away when her pups are done. She also isolates her dogs when using the mat to prevent resource guarding and chooses extra-large, custom snuffle mats from handmade retailer Etsy.
A First-Timer’s Impression of Snuffle Mats
Intrigued by my research and my conversation with Savocchi, I ordered the AWOOF Snuffle Mat for my own dogs. They both need more enrichment than I can always give them (and more than their senior bodies sometimes allow), and the mat has already been fun.
My overthinking Terrier mix is (so far) surprisingly bad at finding the hidden treats, focusing intently on a single location. Meanwhile, the happy-go-lucky Labrador Retriever moves around the mat, scooping up all the snacks his sister misses.
I know my dogs, and so I carefully let them explore the snuffle mat together. But I also positioned myself on the floor next to it to watch for negative behavior with Savocchi’s warnings in mind.
I quickly discovered that the mat works best when there are plenty of yummy bits to find. For my big guy, a handful of treats between meals isn’t a huge deal, but his sister is barely 30 pounds and needs far less food throughout the day. We’ll need to manage snuffling treats thoughtfully to prevent overeating.
Still, I’m excited to use the mat with my dogs and even my speed-eating cat.
Final Verdict: Do Dog Snuffle Mats Work?
So do dog snuffle mats work for all the claims out there? And should you get one for your dog? As with most pet products, the answer is a solid maybe.
It’s clear that snuffle mats can be great at entertaining dogs for a relatively long time. They have many behavioral and mental benefits as well—though maybe not all of the benefits some might claim. For example, we weren’t able to validate the widely accepted idea that 15 minutes of snuffling is equal to an hour’s walk. (And most people agree that one can’t fully replace the other anyway.)
Plus, snuffle mats do require a surprising amount of human participation. That may be a challenge for some pet parents. Pet parents hoping to entertain their dogs while they’re away may need to explore other options. But if you have the time and the inclination to hide treats, watch over your dog’s snuffling, and pick up the mat when they’re done, then a snuffle mat can be a great tool to have at home.
Oscar the Rover test pup snuffles happily.
As we’ve seen, snuffle mats are especially good for:
- High-energy dogs or those suffering from anxiety, including separation anxiety
- Older dogs suffering from cognitive dysfunction or dementia
- Dogs that are scent- or treat-motivated
- Pups needing a little extra training in self-restraint
They may not work for:
- Destructive dogs, or those more likely to shake the mat than sniff it
- Teaching a pup professional-grade nose work
- Dogs that aren’t motivated by scent or treats
- Pups who prefer wet food; if that’s the goal, try a lick mat instead
Overall, it seems that most dogs will find something to enjoy in snuffle mats, especially with the right motivation—i.e., the very best treats.
