What Are Dog Lick Mats?
Typically made of TPR rubber or silicone, lick mats come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. Their textured surfaces lock spreadable food into place—making your pup work a little bit harder for their treat or dinner.
Why Use Them?
Dog lick mats offer several benefits for both dogs and their owners, here are a few:
- Mental Stimulation: Lick mats provide mental engagement, helping to keep dogs entertained and reduce boredom, which can prevent destructive behavior boredom, which can prevent destructive behavior.
- Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Licking has a calming effect on dogs, releasing endorphins that help reduce anxiety and stress, making lick mats useful during stressful situations like thunderstorms or vet visits.
- Slow Feeding: For dogs that eat too quickly, lick mats encourage slower feeding, which aids digestion and can prevent issues like bloating and choking.
- Dental Health: The act of licking helps clean the dog’s tongue and teeth, potentially reducing plaque buildup and promoting better oral hygiene.
- Positive Reinforcement: Lick mats can be used as a reward during training sessions, reinforcing positive behavior.
- Distraction: They can serve as a useful distraction during grooming, bathing, or nail clipping, making these activities more manageable.
- Weight Management: By spreading healthy treats like mashed banana, pumpkin, peanut butter, or Greek yogurt, over a larger surface area, lick mats can help control portion sizes and support weight management efforts.
Using a lick mat can be a simple yet effective way to enhance a dog’s daily life, providing both mental and physical benefits.
Sign your pup up for an enrichment session at BFFE so they can enjoy yummy activity like this! You can add a session onto any reservation, just ask the front desk, or call either of our locations in Cockeysville 410-773-7529 or Joppatowne 410-671-7529.
