Ten minutes of sniffing tires a dog more thoroughly than twenty minutes of fetch, and it does it without winding them up in the process. Scent work occupies an enormous share of a dog's brain, and the effort of working a nose through fabric to find scattered kibble leaves most dogs genuinely settled afterwards rather than revved up and casting around for the next thing to do. That is the difference between enrichment and exercise.

The mat is dense fleece strands sewn into a base, and that density is the specification that actually matters. Sparse strands surrender the food straight away, while thick ones make a dog work for every piece. Scatter a meal through it and a dog who normally inhales a bowlful spends real minutes on the same food instead, which is the practical part for dogs who bolt their dinner. It rolls up between uses and washes when it needs to.

• Dense fleece strands that hide treats and kibble
• Slows fast eaters down at mealtimes
• Encourages natural foraging behaviour
• Soft and washable
• Rolls up for tidy storage
• Works for cats as well as dogs

Two things worth knowing. Snuffle mats are for supervised use, and a dog who chews and swallows fabric should never be left alone with one.

Who it's for: dogs who eat too fast, dogs stuck indoors on wet days, and anxious pets who settle better after using their nose properly.