Does an anxiety mat for dogs really help soothe them? See how these mats reduce dog stress.

So, my dog seemed a bit stressed lately. Pacing around, whining when I left, you know the drill. I felt bad for the little guy. I’d heard folks talking about these anxiety mats, sometimes called snuffle mats or lick mats, supposed to help calm dogs down. Seemed like a good idea, give his brain something to do other than worry.

I thought about buying one, but then I figured, why not try making it? Looked simple enough online. Just needed something to keep him busy, sniffing out treats. Felt like a good little project.

Getting Started

First step was figuring out what I needed. I decided on making a snuffle mat type thing. Here’s what I gathered:

• A rubber mat with holes in it – you know, the kind you put outside a door sometimes. Found one cheap.
• Fleece fabric. Lots of it. I just used some old blankets and leftover scraps I had lying around. Different colors, why not make it cheerful?
• Good pair of scissors.

That was basically it. Pretty simple stuff.

Putting it Together

Okay, so the main job was cutting the fleece. Lots and lots of cutting. I cut the fleece into strips. Maybe about an inch wide and, I don’t know, 6-7 inches long? Didn't measure too carefully, just eyeballed it. This part took the longest, honestly. Just sat there with my fabric and scissors for a while.

Once I had a big pile of fleece strips, the next part was tying them onto the rubber mat. I took a strip, pushed the middle part through one hole, then up through the hole next to it. Then I just tied a simple knot on the top side of the mat. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Over and over again, filling up the mat.

It was pretty straightforward work, just took a bit of time. Had to make sure the knots were tight enough so they wouldn't come undone easily, but not so tight I couldn't stuff treats in later. Filled the whole mat until it was nice and fluffy with fleece strips sticking up.

Trying it Out

Finished mat looked pretty decent! Nice and shaggy. Time for the real test. I grabbed a handful of his favorite small treats and sprinkled them into the fleece, pushing them down between the fabric strips so he’d really have to sniff and dig to find them.

Then I called him over and put the mat down. He was curious right away. Started sniffing like crazy, tail giving a little wag. He got the idea pretty quick, pushing his nose deep into the fleece, snuffling around to find all the goodies. He seemed really into it. Stayed focused on that mat for a good 10-15 minutes, which was great.

Did it Help?

Well, it's not magic, you know? But yeah, I think it did help. When he seems a bit restless, especially if I need him to settle down while I'm busy, I'll load up the mat. It definitely redirects his energy into sniffing and searching, which seems to chill him out. He gets that focused look, and afterwards, he usually curls up for a nap. It's become a regular thing for us now.

Making it myself was pretty satisfying too. Didn't cost much, used up some old fabric, and now he's got this thing that genuinely seems to give him some happy, calm time. Totally worth the effort of cutting all those fleece strips!