The best lick mats for dogs: benefits, uses & easy recipes
The complete beginner's guide to lick mats — what they are, why dogs adore them, the types we reach for again and again, and nine easy recipes to spread on yours today.
Everything you'll learn
If you have a dog, you've probably had at least one of these moments: dinner vanishing in ten seconds flat, a thunderstorm turning your calm companion into a pacing shadow, or a long rainy afternoon where nothing seems to settle them. For us, that's exactly how lick mats started — not as a trend, but as a small fix for a very ordinary problem.
I was looking for simple enrichment ideas for Lana — something that could keep her mind busy, help her settle, and give her something positive to focus on. A friend suggested a lick mat. I smeared on a spoon of plain yoghurt the first time, half expecting her to lose interest — and instead watched her settle into the quietest, most focused ten minutes she'd had all week. We've never looked back.
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A quick note: I'm a dog lover sharing what works for Lana and me, not a vet or a behaviourist. Every dog is different, so please check with your own vet before changing your dog's diet or routine — especially if they have any health concerns.
Our five favourites
Every mat we mention in this guide — swipe to browse or click any card to shop.
Quick start guide
New to lick mats? Here’s everything you need to get going tonight.
Soother for calm & beginners, Wobble Bowl for full meals, Playdate for a challenge.
Plain yoghurt, pumpkin, mashed banana or xylitol-free peanut butter all work beautifully.
Use the back of a spoon to press the topping deep into every groove and ridge.
Pop it in the freezer for 1–3 hours to turn a 5-minute snack into 20 minutes of calm.
Supervise the first few sessions, count the topping toward daily food, and watch your dog settle.
What is a lick mat?
A lick mat is a flat silicone mat — or sometimes a bowl or tray — covered in textured grooves, ridges, bumps and channels. You spread something soft and tasty across the surface, and your dog has to work it out of every little crevice with their tongue. That's the whole idea: a few spoonfuls of food turned into several minutes of slow, focused licking.
Most mats are made from food-grade, BPA-free silicone, which means they're soft on the tongue, freezer and dishwasher safe, and flexible enough to clean easily. Many have a suction base or grippy backing so they stick to a smooth floor, a wall, or the side of the bath — handy for keeping things steady while your dog works.
So why does licking matter? For many dogs, licking is a naturally soothing, repetitive behaviour that can support calmer moments and may help some dogs settle. It's a little like the canine equivalent of a slow, mindful activity — useful as part of a wind-down routine for a busy mind.
The common uses tend to fall into a few buckets: slowing down dogs who eat too fast, supporting calmer moments when the day feels busy, providing mental enrichment on quiet days, and keeping a dog happily distracted during grooming, nail trims or vet visits. One simple mat, surprisingly many problems solved — which is exactly why they've earned a permanent spot in our kitchen drawer.
Why dogs love lick mats
It's easy to assume a lick mat is just a tidy way to serve a treat, but the reasons dogs respond so strongly run a little deeper. Here are the five benefits we notice most with Lana.
Mental enrichment
Dogs are built to work for their food. In the wild, very little arrives in a neat bowl — it's foraged, sniffed out and worked at. A lick mat taps into that instinct by making your dog use their tongue, nose and a little patience to clear every groove. That gentle problem-solving is genuinely enriching: it engages the brain, satisfies a natural drive, and leaves most dogs calmer and more content afterwards.
Helps reduce boredom
A bored dog is often a destructive one — the chewing, digging and barking that drive owners up the wall are frequently just a busy mind with nothing to do. A lick mat is one of the simplest ways to fill that gap. On days you can't get out for a long walk, a few minutes of focused licking gives your dog a real task, and the mental effort can tire them more than you'd expect from something so quiet.
Can promote calm behaviour
This is the reason I reach for one most. Licking can be naturally soothing, and for some dogs a lick mat may help them settle as part of a calming routine. We use one when the thunder starts, when visitors arrive, and as part of Lana's wind-down before bed. It isn't a fix for genuine anxiety on its own, but as a gentle, positive ritual it can support calmer moments alongside everything else.
Slows down fast eaters
If your dog inhales dinner before you've sat down, a lick mat is a kind, low-stress way to slow things down. Spreading a meal thinly across the grooves stretches a ten-second gulp into a satisfying few minutes, which many owners find helps with the gulping that comes with speed-eating. For serious gulpers, a deeper bowl-style mat slows things down even more.
Makes treats last longer
A single spoon of peanut butter disappears in seconds from a bowl — but spread thin across a textured mat, it becomes a proper activity. And if you freeze it, that same spoonful can keep your dog happily occupied for twenty minutes or more. It's a small trick that makes treats feel more generous, stretches enrichment further, and keeps portions sensible at the same time.
Our favourite types of lick mats
Not all lick mats are the same — and the right one really does depend on your dog. Over time we've gathered a small shelf of favourites, each suited to a different need. Here's a quick overview, then my honest, personal take on each one below — based entirely on what we've tried, tested and lived with at home.
| Lick mat | Best for | Texture / style | Frozen-friendly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soother | Calm & beginners | Soft, shallow grooves | Yes |
| Playdate | Keen, experienced lickers | Firm, varied textures | Yes |
| Wobble Bowl | Fast eaters & full meals | Deep, rocking bowl | Yes |
| Yoggie Pot | Runny foods like yoghurt | Deep, high-sided pot | Yes |
| Keeper Tray | Dogs who flip mats | Weighted holder frame | Holds any mat |
Best for calming
Soother Mat
The gentle classic, and the mat I recommend to almost everyone starting out. Its soft, shallow grooves are easy and soothing rather than challenging, which makes it a lovely choice for nervous or excitable dogs, puppies and quiet wind-down moments. This is our go-to for storms and bedtime.
Pros
- Soft, soothing and beginner-friendly
- Gentle on puppy tongues
- Lovely for calmer moments and bedtime
Cons
- Empties quickly for keen lickers
- Better frozen to last longer
The soft, gentle starter mat we reach for on nervous evenings.
View on AmazonBest for keen lickers
Playdate Mat
A flat mat with a firmer, busier mix of textures — ridges, waffles and bumps that make a determined dog work a little harder for every lick. It's the one to graduate to once a softer mat feels too easy.
Pros
- Varied textures extend licking time
- Lies flat — easy to store and freeze
Cons
- Firm texture can frustrate beginners
- Holds less than a bowl-style mat
Firmer textures for dogs who finish a soft mat too quickly.
View on AmazonBest for fast eaters
Wobble Bowl
A textured bowl on a rounded, weighted base that gently rocks and wobbles as your dog licks. The movement adds a little challenge, and the deep sides hold far more than a flat mat — which makes it brilliant for full meals and generous frozen fillings.
Pros
- Holds a whole meal, not just a snack
- Wobble adds gentle extra challenge
- Excellent for frozen fillings
Cons
- Bulkier to store than a flat mat
- Tips if a dog is very forceful
The deep, rocking bowl we use to slow Lana's dinner right down.
View on AmazonBest for runny foods
Yoggie Pot
A deeper, pot-style lick feeder with high sides built to hold runnier toppings — yoghurt, kefir, blended food and softened meals — without the drips and mess a flat mat can make. It's the tidy choice for liquid recipes and a wonderful vessel for frozen treats.
Pros
- High sides contain runny toppings
- Great for frozen, longer-lasting fills
- Less mess on floors and walls
Cons
- Deeper shape is trickier to clean
- Not as flat-packable to store
Deep sides that keep yoghurt and kefir where it belongs.
View on AmazonBest for mat-flippers
Keeper Tray
A weighted frame or tray that holds a lick mat firmly in place, so enthusiastic or powerful dogs can't slide, lift or flip it across the kitchen. If your dog treats every mat like a frisbee, the Keeper is the accessory that finally keeps mealtime where you put it.
Pros
- Keeps the mat completely still
- Catches drips and crumbs in the tray
- Pairs with the Soother and Playdate mats
Cons
- An extra piece to buy and store
- Only needed for keen flippers
Using lick mats for mealtime
A lick mat isn't only for treats — some of its best work happens at dinner. Turning a meal into a lick-mat session is one of the easiest ways to slow eating, add a little enrichment, and make an ordinary bowl of food far more interesting. Here's how we use them at home — everything below is based on our own experience with Lana, and every dog is different, so your results may vary.
What would have been a ten-second gulp becomes several minutes of slow, satisfying work.
🥣 Wet food meals Press it into the grooves and a thirty-second meal becomes several minutes of slow, satisfying work.
🥩 Fresh food meals Mashed sweet potato or blended fresh meat spreads beautifully and keeps things tidy and mess-contained.
✨ Food toppers A spoon of yoghurt or broth over kibble turns a dull dinner into something exciting — without overfeeding.
🐾 Dogs that gulp Spreading a meal thinly across the grooves naturally slows the pace — brilliant for air-gulpers.
I like to prep three mats at once and stack them in the freezer — always ready when you need them.
Lick mats for enrichment & calm
Beyond mealtimes, a lick mat is an easy thing to reach for in the small everyday moments that unsettle a dog. These are the times we set one up most.
You probably know the feeling — your dog pacing from window to window on a rainy afternoon, certain they're missing something outside. A frozen lick mat is often all it takes to break that loop. Lana goes from restless to settled in minutes, and over time that quiet ritual has become one of the most useful parts of our day. Here's when we reach for one most.
A mat and a soft topping is often all it takes to turn a restless moment into a calm one.
🌧️ Rainy days. When a proper walk is off the table, a lick mat gives a restless dog a real job to do indoors. The mental effort takes the edge off pent-up energy and helps a long grey afternoon pass far more peacefully.
🩹 Recovery days. If your vet has advised rest after surgery, illness or an injury and movement has to be limited, a lick mat is one of the kindest forms of low-effort enrichment. It keeps a bored, crate-rested dog gently occupied without any physical strain — just check with your vet that it suits your dog's recovery.
🔔 Visitors arriving. The doorbell, new faces, sudden noise — arrivals can send an excitable or nervous dog over threshold fast. Setting up a lick mat as guests come in gives your dog a calm, positive focus exactly when they need it most.
✂️ Grooming sessions. Smearing a topping onto a lick mat (or sticking one to the wall or bath) is a classic groomer's trick. It keeps your dog still and happily distracted during brushing, nail trims or bath time, building a positive association with what's often a dreaded routine.
🌙 Quiet evenings. A lick mat makes a lovely wind-down ritual. A little something soothing after dinner helps signal that the day is slowing down — for Lana it's as much a part of the evening as the couch and a blanket.
🏠 Crate rest. Whether you're crate training a puppy or settling an adult dog, a lick mat turns the crate into a calm, rewarding place. A frozen mat especially can buy a long stretch of quiet, contented time. Shop crate lick mat →
Stick a mat to the side of the bath before grooming. By the time Lana has licked it clean, the worst of the brushing is already done — no wrestling required.
A few minutes of slow, happy licking can settle a dog more gently than almost anything else in the house.From Life With Lana ♡
Easy lick mat recipes
Simple, dog-safe spreads with a few ingredients each. Every one can be frozen to make the fun last longer.
A quick note from me: I'm just a normal person sharing what works with Lana — I'm not a vet, a nutritionist or a behaviourist. These recipes are based on our own experience at home. Always check peanut butter labels for xylitol, count toppings toward your dog's daily food, and if you're ever unsure about an ingredient or your dog's health, please consult your vet first.
Blueberry Yogurt Delight
- Plain yogurt (unsweetened)
- A handful of blueberries
Instructions: Two ways to do it — spread plain yogurt into the grooves and press a few squashed blueberries on top, or blend the yogurt and blueberries together first for a pretty purple swirl. Both work beautifully.
Freezing tip: Freeze 2–3 hours for a cooling summer treat that lasts.
Banana Peanut Butter Treat
- ½ ripe banana, mashed
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
Instructions: Mash together until smooth and spread across the mat. Lana's all-time favourite.
Freezing tip: Freeze 1–2 hours; the banana sets beautifully.
Pumpkin & Yogurt Swirl
- 2 tbsp plain pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
Instructions: Swirl the two together for a marbled look and spread thinly. A simple, mild everyday combination.
Freezing tip: Freeze 2 hours — lovely for storm season.
Apple & Cottage Cheese Mix
- 2 tbsp plain cottage cheese
- Finely grated apple (no seeds or core)
Instructions: Stir the grated apple through the cottage cheese and spread on. Light, fresh and low-fat.
Note: use plain, unsalted cottage cheese, and go easy on the first serve — some dogs are sensitive to dairy.
Freezing tip: Best fresh, but freezes for a firmer 1-hour treat.
Frozen Berry Treat
- Plain yogurt or kefir
- Blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (stems and tops removed, sliced)
Instructions: Two ways — blend the berries into the yogurt for a colourful swirl, or spread plain yogurt and lay sliced berries on top. Both are lovely.
Note: stick to blueberries, raspberries and strawberries only — always remove stems and tops before serving, and keep raspberry portions small.
⚠️ Never give your dog grapes or cherries. Both are toxic to dogs — don't use them, ever.
Freezing tip: Freeze 3 hours+ for the longest-lasting treat here.
Mango Yogurt Freeze
- Ripe mango flesh (skin & stone fully removed)
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt (unsweetened)
Instructions: Blend mango until smooth, swirl through the yogurt and spread across the mat. The natural sweetness makes this a favourite without any added sugar.
Note: always remove the skin, stone and any fibrous threads near the pit before blending. Mango is high in natural sugar — keep it as an occasional treat rather than an everyday topping.
Freezing tip: Freeze 2–3 hours for a lovely cooling treat.
Sweet Potato & Peanut Butter
- ½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato (cooled)
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (xylitol-free)
Instructions: Stir together until smooth — the thick texture fills grooves perfectly. Works well at room temperature or frozen for a longer session.
Freezing tip: Freeze 1–2 hours for a firmer mat. Always use cooked sweet potato, not raw.
Watermelon Slush
- Seedless watermelon (no rind, no seeds)
- 1 tbsp plain yogurt (optional)
Instructions: Two ways — blend watermelon smooth and spread straight onto the mat, or spread a layer of plain yogurt first and swirl the watermelon slush over the top for a pretty two-tone effect. Almost water-like — incredibly cooling and hydrating on hot days.
Freezing tip: Freeze 3+ hours. Double-check for stray seeds before blending.
Chicken & Carrot
- Low-sodium dog-safe chicken broth (no onion or garlic)
- Finely grated carrot
Instructions: Stir grated carrot through warm broth, spread while slightly liquid and allow to set. A savoury option that tempts even the fussiest dogs.
Freezing tip: Pour and freeze 2 hours. Only use broths confirmed safe for dogs — no onion, garlic or high sodium.
Want more? We have a whole post of lick mat recipes for dogs and easy frozen yogurt dog treats to try next.
How to choose the right lick mat
With so many options, it helps to start from your dog rather than the product. Here's the quick-reference guide we share with friends — find the line that sounds most like your dog, and you'll have your answer in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Are lick mats safe for puppies?
Yes — lick mats are a lovely calm activity for puppies, as long as you supervise. Choose a soft, food-grade silicone mat like a Soother, use puppy-safe toppings in small amounts, and take the mat away if your puppy starts chewing rather than licking it. They're a great way to settle the zoomies and build positive associations with crate or bath time.
Can lick mats be frozen?
Absolutely — most silicone lick mats are freezer safe, and freezing is one of the best things you can do with them. Spread on a soft topping, freeze for one to three hours, and you'll turn a five-minute snack into twenty minutes or more of cooling, calming work. Frozen mats are perfect for hot days, longer enrichment and crate rest.
How often can dogs use lick mats?
A lick mat can be used daily — either as part of mealtime or as a calming wind-down ritual. The main thing is to count any toppings toward your dog's daily food so treats stay in balance, and to keep everyday portions small. Many owners use one once or twice a day without any problem.
What foods should be avoided on a lick mat?
Always avoid xylitol (found in some peanut butters), grapes, raisins, chocolate, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts and anything very salty or sugary — these are toxic or unhealthy for dogs. Stick to dog-safe staples like plain yoghurt, plain pumpkin, banana, cottage cheese, xylitol-free peanut butter and your dog's usual food. When in doubt, keep it simple.
Can lick mats replace puzzle toys?
They complement each other rather than replace one another. Lick mats are best for calm, soothing enrichment and slowing down eating, while puzzle toys challenge problem-solving and encourage active thinking. Rotating between the two keeps a busy dog engaged and helps prevent boredom — many dogs love having both.
How long should a lick mat session last?
Most sessions last anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the topping and whether it's frozen. There's no strict limit — let your dog finish at their own pace, then take the mat away to wash. If you'd like sessions to last longer, freezing the topping is the easiest way to stretch the time.
Final thoughts
If there's one thing I hope you take from this guide, it's that a lick mat isn't really about the mat at all — it's about the small, quiet moments it makes possible. A meal that lasts longer. A storm that passes more gently. A rainy afternoon that ends with a contented, sleepy dog instead of a restless one. For something so simple, it changes the rhythm of a day in the loveliest way.
Start with whichever mat matches your dog's biggest need, keep your first few recipes simple, and pay attention to what settles them most. Some dogs melt over a frozen yoghurt swirl; others light up for warm pumpkin or their ordinary dinner served slowly. There's no single right answer — the joy is in discovering what your own dog enjoys.
I'm a dog lover sharing what works for us, not a vet or behaviourist — if your dog has any health, diet or behaviour concerns, please check with your own vet first. And always supervise your dog with a new mat, keep toppings xylitol-free and dog-safe, count them toward the daily food, and wash the mat after each use.
Ten minutes ago she was pacing. Now she's flat on the floor, mat cleaned, completely settled. That's the whole magic of it — and once you've seen it with your own dog, you'll wonder how you ever managed without one.
So pick a mat, spread on something delicious, and watch what happens. However you use yours, here's to slower meals, calmer days, and a little more everyday joy for you and your pup.
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@lana.thegoldenretriever