How Does an Avocado Mat Make Mealtime More Engaging?

Just putting food in a dog's bowl and allowing him to finish the dish in a few minutes isn't a meal. Sniffing, searching and exploration is a natural activity for dogs, and this can make a bit of a challenge the much more interesting activity to make meal time.

Use an avocado mat to encourage children to try an activity with their food. Your dog can play a game looking for kibbles or treats in the mat rather than one big bowl. This helps to promote foraging instincts, and provides your pet with an interesting focus.

The avocado mat is the name given to a mat of avocado leaves

An avocado mat is a type of enrichment mat that will make dogs work for their food. The fabric sections make small spaces to hide kibbles and treats which will get your dog excited to use its nose and paws for finding them.

The "avocado" design adds a playful look to the mat, and the enrichment element makes this a more than a typical feeding tool.

Dogs that love to sniff and search will find avocado mats interesting for their daily activities.

Why make mealtimes more interesting?

Dogs have a natural curiosity. A traditional bowl makes food easily accessible, but doesn't involve much problem solving or searching.

Your dog has to search for each food piece in different areas with an avocado mat. This can make for a simple scavenger hunt with food!

Your dog can do the following things during a feeding time:

• Sniff various parts of the mat

• Search in the folds of the fabric

• Find out where the food is hiding by walking around.

• Sniff out treats using its nose!

• Take more time to spend on its meal.

This can be as easy as they've asked to have it implemented - the routine is not complicated.

Using doggy mats and natural foraging

A lot of Doggy Mats are based on the concept of enrichment. They do not just present food, but rather they interact with a dog's food.

Foraging for hidden food is similar to what dogs naturally do when they are looking for food. Your pet gets to sniff around and explore various spots.

So an avocado mat can be used as part of a wider enrichment programme, in addition to walks, training, puzzle toys and interactive play.

The important thing is to make it fun and doable with your particular dog!

Does an Avocado Mat Slow Mealtime?

There are some dogs that eat very fast. If there is food placed across an enrichment mat rather than in a single pile then the dog must find bits and pieces of food.

This of course will create pauses between bites and will lead your dog to spend more time searching.

When you're feeding your dog its regular dry food, an avocado mat is a great thing to have. Just scatter a good amount of appropriate rewards around the mat, instead of a huge amount of additional treats.

But, an enrichment mat is NOT a substitute for veterinary counseling. When your dog eats too fast, has trouble eating, or has digestive upset, consult your vet.

How to get an Avocado mat started

If your dog has never used Doggy Mats, use a simple arrangement.

Put some kibbles or small treats with your dog's nose and eyes so they can see and smell them. Allow your dog to explore, but not necessarily interact with the mat.

After your puppy learns to look for food in the fabric, you can begin to make the task more difficult.

Don't make the first session difficult. The idea is to make it a positive experience not frustrating your dog.

Serve Regular Food or Treats

To make an avocado mat, you're not required to use special treats. Many sessions of enrichment can be done with your dog's everyday dry food.

Secondly, it helps to avoid the extra calories of using part of the daily food allowance.

If it's a treat, make sure to give your dog small portions, depending on their age and size. Distribute them around the mat so that your dog has multiple points of interest.

When you enrich your dog's life, always watch how much your dog eats.

Supervision Is Important

All thorny Doggy Mats should be used responsibly, even those that are more durable. Some dogs might chew or tug on the fabric instead of looking for food.

During initial sessions observe how your dog reacts to the mat! If your pet begins to tear, chew or swallow pieces of fabric, remove the mat immediately.

Check the mat frequently for loose threads, rips or any other forms of wear. Clean and care for the mat according to the manufacturers' guidelines.

Using these strategies can help keep mealtimes fresh and interesting

Dogs can get much benefit from variety in their activities. Depending on the dog's opinion, one can use an avocado mat on certain days rather than all days of the week for all meals.

Enrichment can be used in conjunction with other activities. For instance, play a short sniffing game before your dog eats or provide a portion of your dog's meals to use for basic training.

Food can be more interesting if you alter your dog's food habits.

The reasons for choosing an avocado mat for your dog

An avocado mat is a fun design and enriching activity. It allows dogs to sniff, discover and explore to locate their meals.

It can be a simple activity for pet owners to add to their day without making a complicated activity. It can make dog feedings interesting and interactive for dogs.

An avocado mat can be a convenient part of your pet's routine, whether you're using it as a feeding accessory to make your dog's training more fun or as a Doggy Mats for daily enrichment.

Ready to make mealtime more fun? Contact us today