Ten minutes of sniffing tires a dog more thoroughly than half an hour of walking, because scent work uses the part of the brain that does most of a dog's thinking. Scattering a meal into a mat of fleece strands turns dinner into exactly that work: the food is all there, but finding it takes a nose, some patience and a good deal of concentration.

The mat is a base with long fleece ruffles knotted through it, and kibble drops down between them out of sight. Fleece holds scent well, which is precisely what you want here, and it is soft enough that a dog can push a snout right down to the base without discomfort. It goes into the washing machine whole, which is what separates a mat you actually use from one that lives in a cupboard.

• Measures 50cm x 45cm
• Soft fleece strands hide kibble and treats
• Machine washable
• Slows down fast eaters
• Suits small and large dogs alike
• Doubles as a settle and training mat

Supervise it, and wash it. Some dogs try to eat the fabric rather than search it, so stay with your dog for the first few sessions and lift the mat between meals. A mat used daily gets greasy and starts to smell, so wash it regularly, and air dry rather than tumble drying to stop the strands matting together.

Who it's for: Dogs with more energy than their walk uses up, fast eaters, and anyone with a dog on crate rest who needs low-impact enrichment.