With a sniffing mat, the dog trains its search behavior and is challenged creatively with various tasks. To make a sniffing mat for dogs yourself, all you need is a few pieces of fabric and a bit of talent for sewing (ideally with a sewing machine, of course). Read here how you can equip the sniffing mat for your dog and why your beloved animal can benefit from training with the sniffing mat.
Sniffing mat for dogs: what it brings
Games and interesting tasks are important for dogs to create a varied daily routine - a sniffing mat for dogs is ideal in this context to encourage your four-legged friend. A dog's nose is many times more powerful than a human's - so encouraging the olfactory organ can be used very well for training and games.
Especially for active breeds, the balance between physical and mental activity is an important part of everyday life. You can read how to keep an active dog busy in our guide on this topic. In addition to training the dog's nose with its fabric hiding places, the sniffing mat also provides mental stimulation and can be easily combined with other sports or mental tasks. The reward of tasty treats for dogs also creates the necessary incentive for the animal.
Make your own sniffing mat
If you want to make a sniffing mat for your dog, you should consider three aspects: a non-slip surface, the difficulty of the challenges and the size of the dog. You should therefore avoid bags that are too small or delicate pieces of fabric in the interests of fun and durability.
If you make the sniffing mat yourself, you can attach an anti-slip fabric to the back of the mat or put a rubber mat underneath before playing. In any case, the mat should be stable enough not to slip too much when playing with paws or mouth and should also withstand repeated use.
The difficulty of the challenges can vary depending on whether your dog already has experience with a sniffing mat. As a rule, fringes or loops are always good for hiding small treats. The size, distance and number of elements can be varied. Pockets with cutouts and gathered fabric elements are also very good for making the sniffing mat a challenge for dogs. If you choose a large surface as a base, you also have the option of adding more difficult tasks to the existing sniffing mat later.
Playing with the sniffing mat for dogs
When playing with the sniffing mat for dogs for the first time, you can slowly introduce the animal to the task. Show the dog the treat, hide it and encourage the dog to search for it. Later, you can prepare the mat in advance and let the dog search on its own.
Which treat does your dog like best? In the BARF shop at haustierkost.de you will find numerous treats that are suitable for all types of dogs. We hope you and your dog have lots of fun with the homemade sniffing mat!
