Choosing a snuffle mat for a Dachshund
The Dachshund is brave, digging-obsessed and long in the back, and at mealtimes it typically eats quickly and begs skilfully. A snuffle mat turns that rushed bowl into a slow search, using the nose your dog barely gets to use indoors.
Digging and burrowing are the Dachshund's core instincts, which is exactly what a snuffle mat rewards.
What size snuffle mat suits a Dachshund?
At an adult weight of 7–15 kg, a Dachshund does best with around 40 × 40 cm with a shallow to medium pile.
Bigger is safer than smaller: a larger mat spreads the same portion more thinly, and thin spreading is what turns a one-minute meal into fifteen.
Pile depth and muzzle shape
Small mouths and short reach need fine fabric strips your dog can push through easily. A deep, dense mat leads to a dog that gives up after ten seconds.
If your dog stops working the mat after a few seconds, it's too hard rather than uninteresting. Make it easier and build back up.
A first-week routine for a Dachshund
Days 1–2: sprinkle a third of a normal meal on top of the strips. Let your dog succeed within seconds.
Days 3–4: work the food down between the strips and feed half the meal from the mat.
Days 5–7: feed the whole dry meal from the mat, food pushed to the base. Expect ten to twenty minutes of work.
How long the meal should take
A Dachshund that empties a bowl in under a minute should be spending ten to twenty minutes on a properly loaded mat. If it's still under five minutes, spread the food thinner or move up a mat size.
Care and safety
Shake it out after every meal, cool machine wash weekly, and air dry flat.
Supervise while your dog is teething or if it likes to chew fabric, and put the mat away between meals.
Frequently asked questions
- Do Dachshunds like snuffle mats?
- Almost all do, because sniffing for food is instinctive rather than trained. Digging and burrowing are the Dachshund's core instincts, which is exactly what a snuffle mat rewards, which is exactly why foraging feeding suits this breed so well.
- Can I feed a Dachshund its whole meal from a snuffle mat?
- Yes, for dry food. Keep the daily amount the same — the mat changes how food is delivered, not how much your dog gets.
- How long does it take to learn?
- One to three sessions for most dogs when you start with food on top of the strips. Never open the mat for your dog; solving it is the exercise.
