Licking is calming for many dogs, which is why lick mats show up at kennels, vet offices and living rooms. The idea is simple, and so is the safety checklist.
Fillings suggested by a vet school
Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center lists canned wet food, yogurt, peanut butter and pumpkin puree as fillings for lick mats and stuffed toys, and notes that freezing the filling before serving keeps a dog busy longer. If your dog has dietary restrictions, ask your vet for substitutes.
How to make one
- Pick a mat or a stuffable toy sized for your dog.
- Spread a thin layer of a safe filling over the surface, pressing into the grooves.
- Freeze it for a few hours, or serve it fresh for a quick snack.
- Serve on a washable surface and supervise.
- Wash the mat with hot soapy water after each use.
The xylitol warning
The FDA says xylitol is found in some peanut and nut butters, sugar-free gum, mints, baked goods, medicines and supplements. In dogs, it can cause vomiting, then low blood sugar with weakness, stumbling, collapse and seizures, sometimes within 10 to 60 minutes and sometimes up to 12 to 24 hours later. If your dog ate it, call a vet or an animal poison control center right away. Always read the label first.
Keep the calories in check
A filled mat counts as food, not a free snack. Ask your veterinarian about the right ratio of treats to meals. Shrink the portion of dinner on days your dog gets a big lick mat, and keep servings small for little dogs.
Or buy one at the kennel
Happy Paws sells a Happy Lick Mat with peanut butter or cheese for $4.99 and a Happy Pupsicle, a frozen bell pepper treat in beef or chicken, for $7.99 on the 2026 rates. Ask for them at drop-off. See lick mats, pupsicles and more enrichment ideas.
Common mistakes
Overfilling a mat so that a dog eats a meal's worth of calories, leaving it unwashed so it grows bacteria, using a filling your dog does not tolerate, or serving a frozen block to a dog who gulps. Start with a thin layer, offer it on a mat or floor where you can see the dog, and take it away when the dog is done.