Is your dog getting a little restless at home? Honestly I think we all probably are, but dogs need mental stimulation just as much as us humans do! There are tons of enrichment activities for your pup to help keep their mind sharp, I’m going to show you a really easy diy enrichment toy in this post. 

I’ve seen a lot of snuffle mats on social media lately, and for good reason. You can hide treats or your dogs kibble inside the fleece strips, and your dog needs to use their nose to find them. These are great toys to help stimulate your dogs mind as well as entertain them for a little while. If you’re working from home like most people are, these can be a very helpful tool to keep your dog occupied while you work.

You can absolutely buy these, but in my experience they can be pretty pricey! I’m going to show you how you can make your own using materials from the dollar store! 

Materials You Will Need

1-4 rubber sink mats. You can find these at the dollar store. They’re 12’ by 15’. How many you get will decide how big you want your mat to be. For a smaller/medium dog I would recommend 1 sink mat, and for larger dogs, 4. To make a larger mat, you can connect the mats together using zip ties. If you don’t have a sink mat, a piece of cardboard can be used. Just cut out a square to the size you’d like and punch holes about an inch apart from each other, in a grid. 

Up to a yard and a half of fleece material. I had a pack of small fleece blankets I got off of amazon awhile ago that I used, but you can definitely find them cheaper. I also picked up a couple fleece blankets from the dollar store. You can also grab some from any local fabric store. It doesn’t need to be fancy or high quality!

The fleece needs to be cut into strips, about an inch to an inch and a half wide and about 6-7 inches long. These do not have to be precise, a little variation can help add some dimension to the mat and help keep the treats in place while your dog looks for them. 

I also picked up suction cups with hooks to keep the mat in one place while your dog is playing with it. It also helps to prevent your dog from picking the mat up and flipping it over.

Putting The Snuffle Mat Together

Making this snuffle mat is super easy!

Grab one of your strips and push one end through the first hole of the mat, and take the other end of the strip and push it through the next hole adjacent to the first. You’ll then flip the mat over and grab the two pieces that have been pushed through and tie them together. You only need one knot, you won’t have to double knot but you can absolutely do so if you’d like. 

Take the second strip and do the same as the first into the next two holes in the same row. Push one end of the second strip into the third hole in that row, and then take the other end and push it through the hole next to it. Then again flip and tie the two ends. Continue this process until you’ve filled all the rows. 

Once the first part of the grid is complete you will then rotate the mat and continue to go across the next open rows in the same process. Continue all the way across until the mat is filled. At this point it may become a little more difficult to push the fleece through so it is helpful to have a pen or something to help push them through. 

I added the suction cups once the mat was done. I just hooked them into the squares on either side of the mat.

A video tutorial can be found on our instagram page! Come give us a follow!

Teaching Your Dog To Use The Enrichment Mat

If you have a younger dog you may need to help teach your dog to use the mat. If it’s your dogs first time using the mat or if you have a puppy, you may want to put some treats on top of the mat. This will show them where they are and make it a little easier, as your dog starts to understand the concept you can then start hiding treats within the fleece. 

I suggest having your dog play with this once or twice at a time depending on how fast they find the treats. Absolutely do not leave your dog alone with this toy. Make sure you are monitoring your dog while they are playing with it, and once they are finished you’ll want to pick it up and store it for the next time. If left alone you pup can potentially chew off pieces of the fleece and eat it. Try changing up the treats and kibble for your pup to keep it interesting.

If you are using a sink mat  or another plastic material as a base you should be able to wash it from time to time. Either hand washing in cold water with a little dish soap or in the washing machine on the cold delicate cycle. Make sure the water is cold and you do not put it in the dryer. Remember the base is plastic and has the potential to melt. If you are hand washing, wring excess water out and lay flat to dry.

I hope your pup enjoys this fun game! It’s so much fun to watch them go through and try to find the treats! If you make one of these please make sure to tag us using the hashtag #dogsdontwearpantsblog so I can see them! Be sure to check out some of our other posts!