Puzzle toys and enrichment for anxious dogs: give the worry somewhere to go
Sniffing and licking are calming behaviours in their own right, which is why a snuffle mat or a lick mat does more for an anxious dog than a squeaky toy. They give the adrenaline somewhere to go. Start with the easiest version so the dog wins, build it into a routine before the stressful day rather than on the night, and remember a puzzle occupies a dog; it does not treat the anxiety underneath.
Why sniffing and licking settle a dog
A dog's nose is how it processes the world, and a dog working a scent breathes slower and deeper than a dog pacing at the window. Licking is the same: it is what a dog does to itself and to its puppies to settle, and a steady rhythm of it lowers arousal. Neither needs teaching. Put the opportunity down and most dogs take it.
That is the whole idea behind a snuffle mat and a lick mat. They are not clever in the way a slide puzzle is clever. They just give an anxious dog the two behaviours it would choose for itself, in a form you can put down in the car, at the groomer, in the crate or on the kitchen floor while the fireworks go off.
Snuffle mats: dinner as nose work
Scatter part of the dog's normal dinner across the fleece strips and let it forage. Five to fifteen minutes of nose work at the end of a walk, or twenty minutes before a known trigger, takes the edge off a dog that arrives at the evening already wound tight. Dry kibble works best; wet food gets lost in the fabric.
The Large Snuffle Mat For Dogs suits a Labrador or a Collie that will otherwise flip a small one over, and the Plush Snuffle Foraging Mat is the softer, gentler version for a smaller or older dog. The Machine-Washable Snuffle Mat for Nose-Work Feeding goes in the machine, which matters because a drooling dog leaves a mat that smells within a week.
Lick mats: the one to take out with you
Spread wet food, mashed banana or a dog-safe paste thinly across the ridges. Frozen overnight, it lasts three or four times longer, which is what you want for a car journey, a nail trim or the hour the rockets are loudest. Stick it to the inside of the crate or the car boot and the dog has something to do with its mouth other than pant.
The LickiMat Classics Food Enrichment Lick Mat is the standard flat one. The LickiMat Slomo Slow Feeder Mat for Dogs has a bowl-shaped section that takes a whole wet meal, and the LickiMat Tuff Boredom Buster Feeding Mat is the stiffer version for a dog that will try to eat the mat as well as the topping.
Puzzle feeders for a dog left briefly
A treat ball or a slide puzzle gives a dog a job for the ten minutes after you leave, which is when most separation stress peaks. The Guru Busy Ball and the Nina Ottosson Treat Tumble Dog Toy roll and drop kibble as the dog nudges them; the Nina Ottosson Dog Treat Maze and Dog Casino, the Slide Puzzle Treat Dispenser Dog Toy and the Ancol Orva Puzzle Wheel need the dog to slide or lift parts to get paid.
Never make a puzzle the only answer to a dog that panics when alone. It bridges a short absence for a dog that is mildly unsettled; it does nothing for a dog that is howling and scratching the door, and that dog needs a proper plan with the vet or a behaviourist.
Start easy, supervise, and build the routine early
Difficulty is the part people get wrong. A frustrated dog is a more wound-up dog, so start at the easiest setting with the treats half showing, let the dog win quickly, and only then make it harder. Match the toy to the chewer as well: a dog that eats plastic needs the Interactive Treat Puzzle Feeder for Dogs supervised, not left alone with it.
Begin the routine a couple of weeks before Bonfire Night, so by the time the bangs start the snuffle mat already means calm. Calming chews such as Vetiq Serene Calming Supplement Chews or Bugalugs Calming Chews Duck can sit alongside, with realistic expectations: they take the edge off a mildly anxious dog for some owners and do nothing for a terrified one. If anxiety is severe, persistent or new, the vet comes first, because pain is a common hidden cause.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Duck Treat-Dispensing Puzzle Toy
A duck-shaped puzzle toy that dispenses treats when your pet presses the paddle.
£36.99
Slide Puzzle Treat Dispenser Dog Toy
An interactive slide-puzzle toy with numbered sliding tiles that hide treats underneath. Dogs nudge the blocks to reveal rewards, encouraging problem-solving and easing boredom. Helps slow eating and provides mental enrichment.
£10.99
Ancol Orva Puzzle Ring
A 30 x 3.5cm dog puzzle ring for treats or paste, with a built-in lick mat
£21.99
Ancol Orva Puzzle Wheel
A 35 x 4cm dog puzzle wheel that dispenses treats during supervised play
£21.99
Interactive Treat Puzzle Feeder for Dogs
A puzzle feeder that hides treats under sliding blocks for nose-and-paw rewards.
£18.99
Turtle Treat-Dispensing Puzzle Feeder
A turtle-shaped interactive feeder: press the tail and a treat pops up under the clear dome, rewarding your pet for play. Slows snacking and adds mealtime enrichment for cats and dogs.
£29.99
Interactive Dog Treat Puzzle Feeder
A slide-and-find puzzle board that hides treats under moving blocks and lids, encouraging your dog to sniff, nudge and problem-solve. Great mental enrichment that eases boredom and slows down fast eaters.
£22.99
Round Slide Puzzle Treat Dispenser for Dogs
A round interactive puzzle board with sliding paw-print tabs that hide treats underneath. Your dog noses and paws each slider open to earn a reward, slowing fast eaters and keeping curious minds busy.
£12.99
Nina Ottosson Dog Rumble Treat Puzzle Game
A Level 1 treat puzzle combining a treat ball and a maze ball in one toy
£17.99
Chase Buddy Boredom-Busting Dog Toy
An interactive chase toy that gives a restless dog somewhere to put its pursuit instinct, providing mental and physical exercise indoors or in the garden.
£14.99
Smart Choice Treat Dispensing Birthday Cake Dog Toy
TPR birthday cake treat dispenser dog toy, approximately 14cm, in assorted colours
£5.99
Common questions
- Do puzzle toys help dogs with anxiety?
- They help a mildly anxious dog by giving it sniffing, licking or problem-solving to do instead of pacing, and they lower arousal before a known trigger. They do not treat the cause, so a dog with severe or worsening anxiety needs a vet and a behaviour plan alongside them.
- Is a lick mat good for fireworks?
- Yes, and frozen it is one of the longest-lasting distractions you can hand a dog during the noisiest hour. Spread wet food or a dog-safe paste thinly, freeze it for a few hours, and put it in the dog's den before the first bang rather than after.
- What can I put on a snuffle mat?
- Part of the dog's normal dry food is the best option, because it costs nothing extra and adds no calories. Small dry training treats also work. Avoid wet or greasy food, which sinks into the fleece, and wash the mat every week or two.
- Can puzzle toys make anxiety worse?
- They can if the puzzle is too hard, because a dog that cannot get the food gets frustrated and more agitated, not less. Start at the easiest level, let the dog succeed within a minute or two, and put the toy away if it starts barking or pawing at it.
Related
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Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.