In Before Times, Tucker spent most of his day at work with me, interacting with film crews, standing in line at catering, getting treats from craft service, and taking naps while I worked at the computer. But when the pandemic hit and we were forced to work from home, Tucker no longer had endless stimuli to keep him entertained.
In my search for safe activities to keep my big-brained dog from going crazy, I came across the Snuffle Mat.
Not All Snuffle Mats Are Worth Snuffing About
Snuffle Mats come in all shapes and sizes and are made from a variety of materials. The concept is the person hides food or treats beneath and around tufts or protrusions of material, and the canine part of the team needs to “snuffle” through them to find them.
We tried a few mostly made of felt, and none of them lived up to my standards. They got dirty and gross quickly, never got fully cleaned, and when Tucker was fed up with snuffling, would simply rip off the felt tabs. And to top it off they took up a lot of space. I needed something durable, easily cleanable, and something relatively compact so when we did go back to work, it didn’t take up a lot space in our suitcases.
The Wooly Mat
The Wooly Mat design differed from others in materials and design. Less like a Home Ec. project designed to look like a flower, butterfly, vegetable garden, or some other human-centric art project, it was more like 12×18 sturdy square of fabric sod. I appreciate utilitarianism when it comes to interactive dog gear. After all, I’d prefer to be able to throw some food on the lawn and have him forage but I don’t want him eating bugs, worms, and squirrel poop in the process. A synthetic version of my lawn made the most amount of sense for a snuffle mat.
Paw5 Wooly Snuffle Mat
It’s lasted a good five years now, travelled in Tucker’s suitcase across the country and back, and is still in near perfect condition. But, because product quality can change over the years, I bought a new one to test for this review.
They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To
The grey mat was out of stock, so I nabbed the grey and teal, which actually made it easier to compare. First, right out of the box, the teal one is much lighter than the original grey one. Checking the stitching on the back, the grey has 12 rows of “snuffle” fabric sewn in whereas the new one has only nine.
The original is double-stitched; the new one is single-stitched. I wanted to know when and why this change was made. I emailed the company and messaged them on Instagram, but after two weeks, my queries have still gone answered.
I put both in the washing machine and dryer and while the new one dried super fast, the original one just didn’t dry — a testament to the thickness and durability of the fabric.
The other noticeable difference (aside from 1/3 less material in the product), is that the original snuffle tufts were stretchy like a jersey material. I imagine that is why Tucker hadn’t ripped them out or chewed them in half. Dog teeth can’t get purchase when there’s so much give. The tag on both mats give the exact same percentage of materials (4% spandex), but the new one has way less consistent give and spring in the tufts. Another note: My original was made by “Paw5 LLC”, whereas the new one is by “Paw 5 LTD”.
But these are practical matters. The real test is Tucker’s experience. Cause if it doesn’t work for him, then it doesn’t work for us.
Old v. New: A Canine Perspective
I put down Tucker’s old mat with some food in it, and he snuffled away for about four minutes until he was done.
I put down the new one with less snuffle lines, expecting Tucker’s to blow through it in half the time. I used the same amount of food but to my surprise, it took him longer to get through the new mat.
Perhaps having more pieces fall beneath the tuft line is more work. He was at it for at least five minutes, snuffling away.
When Tucker was finished, I noted the state of the mat. The teal tufts were all matted down with his spit. Perhaps this is what slowed him down. The tufts remained wet and gross for quite a time while his original wasn’t even damp. The new material soaked in his saliva.
Since it’s an easy wash and quick dry, I suppose it’s only a minor inconvenience. However his original has only been washed a handful of times since it stays clean and dry.
Tucker didn’t seem to care, and enjoyed taking a well-deserved nap on the mat he dampened with his drool.
Despite my misgivings about it being less material and inferior quality to the one we’ve toted around the country for the last five years, Tucker still had a blast. At one point I thought he would rip out one of the strands, but it held tight. I suppose had I never had the original, I would like it but it is a bit overpriced at $35. However, it’s still phenomenally better than the felt ones for ten bucks less—and the felt ones priced the same.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to hide food between the snuffle tufts.
- Washes well
- Dries quickly.
- Folds up or lies flat to be stored in small spaces.
- Super light–doesn't take up much space or weight in a suitcase.
Cons
- Gets wet and matted down from saliva.
- Needs to be washed often.
- Not as durable a the original.
- No customer service – still no reply to my inquires.
- Slightly overpriced (but they all kind of are).
The Final Bark
Snuffle mats are the human’s answer to our dog’s request to just let them be a dog. Using their nose to get food and treats is just the sort of activity that makes them feel like a dog again. There are many choices in snuffle mats out there, and despite my disappointment in its inferior quality to the original, Tucker and I still recommend it. It just might not hold up five years. But it’ll hold up longer than many others. And Tucker likes that it doubles as a napping blanket.
If you choose to give Wooly Mat a shot, please remember: always supervise your dog when they’re snuffling. Not only does it keep them safe, but bearing witnessing to their joy is priceless.
