If your dog suffers from any type of anxiety they might display it in a variety of ways such as hiding, following you around, barking, whining and so many more behaviours can indicate anxiety.
As a loving owner it’s important to recognise your dogs anxiety and try to find ways to help them. There are a number of natural anxiety products on the market or maybe a trip to your vets would be a great start to rule out anything serious.
The LickiMat is a silicone mat with dips and ridges that you simply fill with your dogs favourite food in the form of a spread or mash etc, it has had amazing results in helping to reduce anxiety and stress levels in dogs as they have to focus on licking the food out of the mat which can take them a while. It’s like mindfulness for your pooch.
The Lickimat Soother And Buddy
The LickiMat can really help to reduce those anxiety levels which may even simply stem from boredom, just like humans dogs need their minds entertaining and stimulating throughout the day.
Spread a layer of your dogs favourite food onto this mat and as they spend their time licking it off, their body will naturally release endorphins which are the feel good hormones that they need to de stress and feel happy.
It’s a great way of distracting them through stressful events such as vet trips, having guests round, fireworks and any situation where your dog feels uncomfortable. This is also a great option for crate training too as it makes the process less daunting and more enjoyable.
Vets thoroughly recommend this product as it is a natural, cheap and effective way to help your dog reduce anxiety. It diverts their attention and makes them focus on the task and it reinforces good behaviour which results in a happier and healthier dog.
LickiMats are also a great way of getting your dog to have their daily pill without the need of forcing it down them. Place the pill in the spread, on the mat and they will be that engrossed in licking their treat off they won’t even know they’ve just had their daily medicine.
The licking action will also help to benefit their dental health as the silicone grooves will help to scrape any trapped food particles off their tongue resulting in fresher breathe and happier teeth.
You can serve a variety of treats on the LickiMat such as yogurt, peanut butter is an absolute favourite and you can blend your own healthy purees to spread on the mat. This way you know exactly what your dog is eating and it will promote their health too.
These mats are excellent if you have a dog that needs to loose some weight as it drastically prolongs the enjoyment of food time and it’s also a good workout for them.
The LickiMat is environmentally friendly and also super easy to clean and if you want to you can even pop it into the dishwasher as it is very strong and durable but please ensure your dog does not chew this mat as it is not a toy.
