Why should every dog owner have a dog lick toy? Explore the surprising health benefits it offers.
Okay, so I wanted to share something I tried out recently. My dog, you know how they get sometimes, a bit antsy, especially when I'm busy or the weather's bad. I'd seen these things, these sort of rubbery mats or toys designed for dogs to lick stuff off. People online kept saying they were great for calming dogs down or just keeping them occupied. Figured, why not give it a shot?
Went and bought one. Wasn't anything fancy, just a simple silicone mat with bumps and grooves all over it. Looked sturdy enough, which is good because my dog can be a bit of a chewer sometimes, even when he's not supposed to be.
Getting it Ready
First time, I decided to use peanut butter. Seemed like the obvious choice, right? Most dogs love it. I grabbed the jar – the dog-safe kind, of course, no xylitol. Spread a thin layer across the mat, pushing it into all the little patterns. Didn't want to put too much, just enough to make him work for it a bit.
The Big Test
Alright, moment of truth. I put the mat down on the kitchen floor. He came trotting over, gave it a good sniff. You could see his tail start going. He recognized the peanut butter smell immediately. Then he just went for it. Started licking away at the mat.
And honestly? It worked better than I expected. Here’s what I noticed:
- It kept him busy: Seriously, he was focused on that mat for a good 15-20 minutes. Just licking, licking, licking.
- He seemed calmer: The repetitive licking thing really did seem to chill him out. He wasn't pacing or whining like he sometimes does.
- No chewing (this time): Thankfully, he understood it was for licking, not destroying. I kept an eye on him though.
- A bit noisy: The sound of constant licking isn't the quietest thing, but hey, small price to pay.
Clean Up and Thoughts
When he was finally done, the mat was pretty clean, actually. He did a good job. Gave it a quick scrub with hot soapy water, rinsed it off, and it was good as new. Super easy.
So, the verdict? Yeah, I'm keeping this thing around. It’s a pretty simple way to give him something to do, especially when I need a few minutes of peace or want to distract him from something else. Tried it with some plain yogurt too, and that worked just as well. Definitely a useful little tool to have in the dog gadget collection.
