The Best Snuffle Mats For Dogs

While dogs love and appreciate living in our homes with us, it can be frustrating for them when domestic life squashes their natural instincts. Dogs get a small chance to indulge their senses when out on walks, but for the majority of the time, they simply can't. Snuffle mats are products specifically built to allow your dog to satisfy some of those instincts. Aside from helping dogs satisfy those urges, snuffle mats can also keep mischievous dogs busy while you're away at work. Just hide a collection of doggie treats inside the folds of your snuffle mat and watch your dog have at it for hours. Read on to discover which snuffle mat is right for you and your dog.

Awoof Travel Snuffle Mat

Snuffle on the go

Awoof's travel-size snuffle mat encourages your pooch to use their natural instincts while keeping them occupied.
Best Overall

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If you’re looking for a way to keep your dog occupied that also stimulates their natural instincts, you can’t go wrong with this travel-sized snuffle mat from Awoof. The mat features a green felt cloth construction with plenty of nooks and crannies for you to hide treats inside. Dogs will spend hours nestling their noses into the many folds of this snuffle mat in search of tasty treats. Many dogs experience separation anxiety when their owners are away, but snuffle mats are an excellent way to give them a source of comfort and distraction while you’re gone. Not to mention, this snuffle mat folds up easily for travel use.

Pros:

  • Snuffle mat with deep folds that can keep your dog occupied
  • Resembles grass
  • Folds up for travel use

Cons:

  • Might be a bit small for large dogs

Awoof Floral Snuffle Mat

Fun foraging

Give your dog the gift of hours of entertainment with this beautiful floral snuffle mat from Awoof.
Best Design

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Not only is this snuffle mat from Awoof an excellent addition to any dog’s toy collection, but it also boasts an eye-grabbing floral pattern that makes for a nice decorative piece. Awoof’s floral snuffle mat features a wide variety of folds and designs for your dogs to explore and dig their noses into. There are four layers of orange petals to hide treats inside, with grass-like fabric folds toward the edges of the mat. One of the features we love most about this mat is the buckle that allows you to strap the snuffle mat to a piece of furniture. Many dogs love to throw these mats all around the house, so this buckle feature really helps keep the mat stable and secure.

Pros:

  • Elaborate floral design
  • Provides many deep folds to hide treats in
  • Includes a buckle to secure to furniture

Cons:

  • It takes up a lot of floor space

Paw5 Wooly Snuffle Mat

Dig in

Paw5's snuffle mat utilizes virgin upcycled materials to create a sustainable and entertaining snuffle mat for your dog.
Most Durable

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Unfortunately, dogs don’t get to spend nearly as much time sniffing and foraging as they’d like to. This snuffle mat from Paw5 is a perfect way to help your dogs get in touch with their natural instincts. This snuffle mat emulates the feeling of sniffing around in fields and meadows for food. Paw5 utilizes virgin upcycled materials to create its snuffle mats, meaning this is an eco-friendly choice to boot. The sheer quantity of folds and the depth of the fabric pieces create many deep crevices for you to hide treats inside. This is an excellent way to distract mischievous dogs that tend to make a mess of the house while you’re away.

Pros:

  • Eco-friendly snuffle mat
  • Provides many deep folds for treats
  • Mimics the look and feel of field scavenging

Cons:

  • It may be difficult to machine-wash

Livekey Snuffle Mat

Snuffle search

Livekey's ornate snuffle mat provides a full-bodied configuration of folds for your dog to get lost in.
Deepest Folds

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If you’ve got a pup with an overactive imagination and a rambunctious attitude, Livekey’s snuffle mat might be the ideal way to achieve canine calm in your home. This snuffle pad provides an intricate tangle of cloth folds for your dog to get lost in while sniffing around for treats. A single Livekey mat is on the smaller side, but luckily the company gives you the option of connecting multiple snuffle mats together to create a larger mat. Not to mention, this snuffle mat is washer- and dryer-friendly.

Pros:

  • Snuffle mat with deep, enveloping folds to hide many treats inside
  • You can connect other snuffle mats to it, creating one large snuffle mat
  • Washer- and dryer-friendly

Cons:

  • Expensive if you plan on purchasing multiple snuffle pads to connect together

Vehipa Snuffle Mat

Interactive and instinctual

Vehipa's snuffle mat provides multiple sources for canine foraging fun with this elaborate yet affordable snuffle mat.
Most Elaborate Design

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Vehipa’s snuffle mat is one of our favorites on the market thanks to its versatility and originality. This snuffle mat provides the usual smattering of cloth folds to hide treats inside, but it also houses different configurations and designs of fabric to keep your dog entertained for longer. Dogs, much like children, tend to become bored of their toys rather quickly. With a snuffle mat like this one from Vehipa, you stand a much better chance of your dog staying entertained longer. If you’re looking for a last line of defense against a dog who won’t stop tearing apart your house, Vehipa’s snuffle mat might be just what the doggie doctor ordered.

Pros:

  • Varied, puzzle-based snuffle mat
  • More options mean your dog is less likely to get bored
  • Excellent distraction for when you’re away for work

Cons:

  • The fabric quality could be more durable

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cats use these snuffle mats as well?

Usually, snuffle mats are primarily marketed for and used by dogs, but many cats enjoy these mats as well. Cat owners tend to sprinkle catnip deep into the folds of the snuffle mat and watch their cats go crazy for it. 

Are snuffle mats right for every dog?

With the right training, we believe that a snuffle mat could be beneficial for every dog. However, dogs that are prone to gnawing and eating clothing or furniture may not be the best snuffle mat demographic. If you do plan on buying a snuffle mat for a dog like this, please supervise them as they acclimate themselves to the new toy. You’ll want to ensure that the dog is eating the hidden treats and not the fabric folds that surround them. 

About the Author

With extensive experience as a professional dog handler, Nick wants to help owners choose the best possible products for their pooches. Since dogs show their humans such unconditional love, Nick believes it's only fair that we give it right back to them -- and who wouldn't want to? He has had dogs since elementary school himself, so you can trust him to have the best advice on canine care.

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