Lick Mat
🟡 Useful in certain situations
A lick mat is a simple way to keep your dog occupied for a while without turning it into a full training session.
You can spread or fill it with a little food and give your dog a calm activity. Especially on days when there’s simply less time for enrichment, this can be very practical.
Calmness and Enrichment
Licking can have a calming effect on many dogs, which also makes a lick mat useful in situations where you want your dog to settle down a little.
For very active or nervous dogs, for example, a lick mat can provide a calm activity between other things you’re doing.
It can also be a helpful little distraction during things your dog may not particularly enjoy – such as grooming, brushing or nail trimming.
My Tip for Warm Days
I especially like using lick mats in summer.
You can fill the mat and then place it in the fridge or freezer. This means it takes your dog considerably longer to lick everything off, while also giving them a pleasantly cool activity.
What you put on it naturally depends on what your dog tolerates well. Small amounts of their regular wet food or other foods that agree with them can work well, for example.
What I Would Look For When Buying One
I prefer lick mats made from robust, easy-to-clean material with different textures. This helps spread the food around and makes it take your dog a little longer to reach everything.
Models with suction cups on the back can also be very practical. They can be attached to smooth floors, tiles or even a suitable vertical surface.
If your dog tends to destroy objects or chew on the mat, I would take it away again once they’ve finished licking. After all, it’s designed for licking – not as a chew toy.
Alternative: Chewing
If your dog prefers chewing to licking, you can alternatively or additionally offer suitable chews or wooden chew sticks.
For me, both are simple ways to give your dog a calm activity in between without turning it into a complete training session.