DognitionDognition (Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods) · 글
Back to home Home Top 20 Dog Games Snuffle Mat Hunt Game # 14 · Brain & Foraging Snuffle Mat Hunt Calming foraging activity that naturally lowers a dog's heart rate. What you need: A fabric snuffle mat (or a thick, folded-up old towel). How to play Drop treats or dry kibble clearly on top of the fabric loops. Release your dog with a "find it" cue to let them eat. Next time, bury the pieces deeper into the folds of the fabric. Sit quietly nearby while they spend 10–15 minutes sniffing out dinner. Coach's notes Serve a whole meal from the mat 3–4 times a week to slow fast eaters. Wash the mat weekly — food oils build up. Great pre-vet-visit calming activity 30 minutes before you leave. Pair with your dog's regular dinner cue so it becomes a wind-down ritual. If your dog loses interest Quick fixes when engagement drops mid-session. Losing interest in 30 seconds? Use smaller, smellier treats and press them deeper into the fabric strips. If your dog flips the mat, weight the corners with a book or step on one edge. Rinse the mat weekly — a stale mat smells like nothing and kills the game. Why it works Duranton & Horowitz found dogs allowed to sniff freely show reduced heart rate and more optimistic cognitive-bias scores versus dogs kept on a tight leash. References [ 4 ] Duranton, C., & Horowitz, A. (2019). Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 211, 61–66.
Which cognitive muscle is your dog's strongest? Run the same science-based tasks from Duke in your living room and get your dog's full cognitive profile. Discover your dog's profile See all 20 games