Best dog feeding mats according to redditors

Here's what I've picked up for christmas gifts so far:

• Husband: Nintendo Switch, Zelda and Mario; and a microwave popcorn popper with a variety of popcorn kernels
  
• Mom: Kate Spade handbag from the surprise sale
  
• Dad: Chipolo Classic 4-pack
  
• Every parent and stepparent in my husband's family: 23 and me ancestry kits
  
• Brother in law: Books (his request)
  
• BFF: She requested bright, cute and practical kitchen accessories so I got her this sponge caddy, blue le creuset salt and pepper shakers (acquired locally), these tea bag holders, this cast iron trivet and this spoon rest.
  
• Work friends: These are more like gag gifts that make more sense if you know the people-- but I got one guy a blind box from an aquarium-themed cat hat collection and another guy a fidget pen.
  
• Dog themed secret santa: This was a pretty high budget exchange that I took part in this year. My recipient has a blind dog so I got her a snuffle mat, a giant bone and I found a company on aliexpress that literally has someone HAND-PAINT whatever image you want onto canvas and mail it to the US for like $20. So I ordered a painting of a modern pop art style greyhound. It hasn't arrived yet though.
  
  Still need to arrange a low budget work group secret santa, pick out some liquor for my boss, a nice candy set or something for some of our support staff downstairs and maybe something more personal for each of my in-laws-- I did find a beautiful painted glass Turkish bowl for my MIL but I'm at a loss for the others.

Oh Lordy I have a ton...I'll try to categorize them...

Best for Puppies
These are all easy toys that dispense a lot of kibble with very little movement. Perfect for baby puppies or really low-confidence dogs. These can also be upgraded in difficulty later by stuffing them with wet food and freezing, or stuffing with a large, hard to extract treat (like a slice of lunchmeat).

• PetSafe Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat...total pain in the ass to fill if you put more than half a cup of food in it, but it's a great "intro to puzzle toys" for a dog that has never had to work for food before. Also very easy to clean.
  
• Soda Pup Coffee Cup...representative of a whole genre of "rubber toys with large holes" that make great easy kibble toys or challenging stuff and freeze toys. Some other toys in this genre are the Kong and the West Paw Toppl. I like the Soda Pup ones best because they have higher capacity and a flat bottom.
  
• Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Snoop...pretty easy by itself with kibble, can be made more challenging by stuffing a Mazee ball in the large hole.
  
• Plastic Milk Jug...or a water bottle, raid your recycling bin. You'll have to supervise to make sure your puppy doesn't shred and eat the jug, but it's a relatively easy and fun (and free) enrichment item. Another puzzle toy you may find in your recycling bin is a cardboard box filled with paper balls. Sprinkle some treats in the box, fill with the balls, and let your dog forage around in your DIY ball pit.
  
  Easy Rollers
  These basically just dispense kibble by rolling. Not particularly complex, but good for the dog that prefers to solve puzzles by brute force.
  
  
• IQ Treat Ball...this toy takes the longest to empty out of all my toys, but it is way too freaking small and loud as hell on my hardwood at 6am. Really easy to fill and clean though, as it comes completely apart.
  
• Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball...a lot quieter but it empties faster and isn't as easy to fill (or clean).
  
• Kruuse Buster Cube...this one is also ungodly loud, but it takes a good while to empty despite the fairly consistent payoff per roll. It's a cube (but they also make a spherical one) and the insides have a few baffles to keep kibble from just falling out.
  
  Wobblers
  These require a more finessed rolling motion to empty, so they're the next step up from just batting a toy around.
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble...more of a wobbler/roller hybrid. Surprisingly time-consuming for how huge the holes are, and it gets an A+ for filling and cleaning. Unfortunately my GSD knows how to unscrew it, so it's not much of a challenge for him.
  
• Starmark Bob-A-Lot...lots of ways to adjust the difficulty on this one, which is nice. I had a foster chew the yellow piece off of mine, but it still works well.
  
• Kong Wobbler...pretty standard toy, I actually do not have one of these but I know a lot of people that like them. They're available at big box pet stores which is nice.
  
• Nina Ottosson Pyramid...very similar to the Kong Wobbler, but the hole is in a more difficult location. Good toy but the bottom could use more counterweighting for the wobble action.
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom...really good wobble action, but for some reason it's common for dogs to try and chuck this one down the stairs and break it. I've heard of a few dogs doing this, including my GSD. I have no idea what about this toy screams "fling me down the stairs!"
  
  Complex Action Toys
  These need movement in more than one direction (or very specific movement) to get kibble out of, which makes them pretty challenging.
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug...this toy is hard to learn but easy to master. Once your dog figures out the mechanism it doesn't last long. Also that rope gets SUPER GROSS.
  
• Nina Ottosson Board Games...I don't personally have any of these because my dogs cannot be trusted with small parts, but I've heard people say good things about them.
  
• Trixie Mad Scientist...this toy is cool because the dog has to learn to spin the tubes slowly or centripetal acceleration holds the food in. Good exercise in impulse control. I had a DIY one for awhile but my dogs decided to brute force this toy.
  
  Soothing, Low Energy Toys
  Along with the stuff n' freeze toys, these are good for dogs on crate rest or who need some extra help relaxing before bed.
  
  
• Snuffle Mat...great toy for activating a dog's foraging instincts and calming their minds. This is a good DIY project, or you can get extra lazy and chuck a bunch of food into the grass for nature's puzzle toy.
  
• HyperPet Lickimat...my cats eat their wet food from the orange kind ("buddy"), and my dogs use the green kind ("soother") with some PB or cheese as a distraction during grooming. You can spread a thin layer of something tasty on them and freeze for a long-lasting treat that promotes the calming behavior of licking.
  
  
  My dogs (and cats!) eat all their food out of puzzles so I am constantly on the lookout for new challenges! I'd be happy to provide more details on any of the toys I have, or buy and review any toys people have been wondering about :)
  EDIT: btw this Jackson Galaxy Asteroid is my favorite cat puzzle toy. They really need to make one for dogs because it is kinda quirky with its bounciness and super quiet.

I also recommend a snuffle mat. I got this one. I love it because you can change the difficulty.

If your dog likes sniffing around and foraging, you should look into a snuffle mat! I have a super smell driven pupper and she loves it. Meal time taking 10-15 minutes is great and exercising her sniff senses definitely chills her out a bit.

That said, if you have the type of dog that will immediately search for the fastest way to get the food, you might need to teach them to use by starting with only 5-10 pieces of kibble. I'm sure my lab growing up would have realized flipping it over is the fastest way to get the food if we just dumped food on it.

I have a fat rat too. I don’t know why, because I have six others that are normal. But I just always see her eating. She’ll be eating when no one else is. So I bought this snuffle mat so she has to dig around for treats instead of just being handed them. Hope this helps!

Find a good vet and positive reinforcement trainer or take classes still positive reinforcement. Makes sure to crate train. Be consistent with all training everyday. Give lots of mental mad physical stimulus during day. In morning before you leave house talk potty walk and play to use some energy up. Make training fun, exercise some before you start will help them pay attention to you. Which every way you go class or trainer you must still work with your dog daily between the sessions. Being consistent is the only way they will learn what is expected. Only working onece a week isn't going to help.

Understand dogs do not know what we expect of them and must be taught. Again be consistent use redirecting for bad behavior giving a positive experience.

Potty training again make it fun and make a solid routine. If caught in house simply sternly say "no out" and walk outside. I'd suggest bell training to ring every time you go out with out command also give dog a way to say I need out. When goes outside be excited with lots of love and treats. I'd buy a small carpet clean, use enxyme ceeaner with it, for messes they can happen when change causes stress.

They are perpetual toddlers who will always need us including entertainment. You've got this wihh everyone here to help when we can.

Also a week not hearing from a rescue is not ghosting you. They stay busy with many run by volunteers. Sometimes it takes a little bit for them to go over everything before making a choice and other people are also interested.
I am glad it worked out and you have you new family member.

A few toys ideas:

UOLIWO Dog Treat Dispensing Toy, Duck Dog Toy Squeak Dog Treat Puzzle Toy Durable Plush Chew Toys for Small Medium Large Dogs Training Playing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2NLBQ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Xl7LDbJTMP3F3

AWOOF Dog Puzzle Toys, Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs, Interactive Feed Game for Boredom, Encourages Natural Foraging Skills for Cats Dogs Bowl Travel Use, Dog Treat Dispenser Indoor Outdoor Stress Relief https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1JYYCW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Ym7LDb7DCBKCJ

Our Pets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy (ASSORTED COLOR) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_in7LDb9AX6C5Q

Trixie Dog Activity Flip Board Strategy Game (9.05 inch) (Multicolored) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076MGW9RM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Fn7LDbBAQ1KAK

The Trixie has tons of different ones.

Snuffle mat?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P55R963/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OfGPDbMBKCNQG

Yep! It's actually a [snuffle mat] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0751324TZ?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf) that I bought on Amazon. It's fantastic, slip resistant and machine washable.

AWOOF Snuffle Mat Pet Dog Feeding Mat, Durable Indestructible Interactive Puzzle Dog Toys Encourages Natural Foraging Skills https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QYZ2YPH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3tHlDb8RFGQDT

A rescue local to me has started using things like

https://www.amazon.com/Wooly-Snuffle-Mat-Encourages-Foraging/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=sr_1_32?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1538592079&sr=1-32&keywords=dog+food+mat

​

To slow down their fast eaters. Those are just the first that came up on amazon for an example BTW

Not the OC, but I've used the IQ Treat Ball and Omega Paw ball with success!

I also recommend a snuff mat, especially if you'd rather keep your floors kibble-free! Not necessarily recommending that specific brand of snuff mat as I think snuff mats generally work the same, just wanted to show you the product. :)

This isn't a puzzle toy, but we feed our dog using a snuffle mat. It slows her dinner down from 5 seconds to 5+ minutes, her poops have gotten better, and it has the same kind of energizing/entertaining/mental stimulus factor.

Please know that he's not trying to get into trouble. Dogs are observant, but -thankfully- incapable of premeditation. He's just bored and making his own fun. He doesn't know he's been bad. Dog's are much simpler than that. They experience moments. He just has a history of moments where you come home through the door and the garbage can is side ways, then you get angry or loud and he feels scared. So, in his pup brain, it's more like key in lock + garbage on floor = sinking feeling out of nowhere.

On to solutions!

I second an exercise pen or crate to keep his options limited. With the right preparation 8 hours of den-time can be pretty neutral for him. Even a locked room will focus in your puppy proofing efforts. Do treat it like a crate and work up to long absences though. However, the best thing you can do is come at it from the other side as well: lets wear this boy out. A comprehensive recipe for a perfect tired boy follows

• No more free food, not cause Good Boy doesn't deserve it, just because he'll actually be happier if it's hard to get. He'll feel accomplished and less bored. Options include: a puzzle matt or feeder ball for dry food, frozen Kongs for wet food (get black for a serious chewer, and get 2), hiding his food around the house (skip the kitchen and near trashcans), doing a command for each pinch of kibble, scattering the kibble in your grass if he'll go for it... whatever works for you and your wife to put some challenge into breakfast/dinner time.
  
• One mile of walking for each hour Good Boy is going to be alone. His breed needs a lot of stimulation and activity like you say, and this is the best way to get out that destructive wiggle juice pumping through his adolescent veins. "But that's 8 miles a day? Who has time for that?" you may say. Totally fair. Hopefully you do, but let's see if we can make things more time efficient anyway. We'll say 2 miles of running counts as 3 miles of walking, so a 5ish mile jog gets you there much faster. But that's still over an hour. So we'll add a doggy backpack with 5% of his body weight (don't go over 12% until he's full grown, add on slowly) to take off one more mile since it doubles as mental stimulation. Ok we're down to 4 miles, still a fair bit if you aren't much of jogger to start. 10 minutes of tug counts as 30 minutes of walking, so we'll call that 1 mile of jogging (Example rules for good tugging!). So, we're at a 10 minutes of tug followed by a 3 mile weighted jog, to be dived between you and your wife however makes the most sense. Call it 45 minutes. And as a bonus, you get to eat more human treats. Additional Options and Equipment: ball chucker, flirt pole, doggy playground items like ramps and tubes, a pulling rig ones he's old enough.
  
• Prevent separation anxiety. Home with no humans for 8 hours is tough for a social animal, but you can make it easier. Making sure he's wore out will go a long way, but the biggest thing is to make your departure a good thing. And only Good Boy gets to decide if that's true. If you throw him a steak each morning, but he doesn't touch it until you come home then you leaving isn't a good thing yet. So I would leave his breakfast for absolute last if he has already pooped and can hold it that long. Either way, grab some high value treats and/or toys (the stuff he goes completely ape for which may or may not be cheap) and toss them in the room/pen/kennel the second before each of you leave.
  
  So a sample perfect morning might go something like this: You wake up and take Good Boy out for a leak and some quality tug time. Maybe you're wife doesn't wan't to deal with most doggie-teen things, but it was her 2018 resolution to run more anyway. So you put on his back pack, tuck a .5 L water bottle into each side, and hand him off for his 5k. While she's gone you fill up yesterdays empty kong with canned food, and pop it in the freezer. Today's kong is frozen solid and ready to go. You grab giant ball to put in his play pen and a puzzle toy with those nasty fish puffs he loves. It's been a couple weeks so you put a puff of pheromone spray on his bed so that it smells like Good Mom. You make your coffee, scroll your reddit, eat your toast and generally get ready for the day. Good Boy is back, flopped on the floor and it's time to go. You do everything you need before you walk out the door, tie shoes, kiss wife, eveerything, and then your grab and jingle your keys. Good Boy comes running. "Caaarrot tiiime" you announce reaching in to the fridge. He paces until he sees you've got the goods then runs to his pen, where you make it rain baby carrot bits before booking it to your car before he can find them all. Wife will also throw a carrot party when she departs plus a stuffed toy and a rubber chewy. You come home to an upside down dog bed and the giant ball bit the dust and deflated, but the dog is happy and the house is fine.
  
  
  
  Now, this may seem totally unrealistic, because in a way it is. Shit gets busy, runs get cut short, tug toys get lost, and humans do human stuff. Don't think of this as the bare minimum for a good day. Just think of it as what would happen in a perfect world where you had the time and brain power to do everything possible for Good Boy before heading off for work. If you can integrate any of this stuff, even slowly it will help you guys get through this teen phase with your house in tact.
  
  
  
  
  
• 0. Miscellaneous!
     
  • • Pheromone spray should work well since he's a pup, thunder shirts, and supplements could be good too. I like the ThunderShirt brand since they make lots of anti-stress products and have a long term reputation to protect.
      
  • • Bitter Apple or No Chew spray for anything he's previously gotten his boredom out on (eg. baseboards).
      
  • • If you're handy you could always build you own doggie treadmill!
      
  • • Look for toys with a replacement garuntee like West Paw's Jive Balls or Hurley. My crazy chewer has been trying to shred his ball from them every for the last two months and it doesn't have a scratch.
      
  • • Consider learning a dog sport! Agility, Nose Work, and Flyball are fun competitions that emphasize teamwork. Your local AKC or affiliates will likely have intro classes.
      
  • • Don't under estimate fresh produce as a treat. Banana, carrots, and blueberries are a few fido-faves.
      
  • • Pride Bites squeaky toys aren't indestructible, but the foam inside them is digestible and non-toxic. So, they're on the safer side to chew unsupervised.
      
  • • Also hiring a walker a few times a week is a great idea and helps take the pressure off when you can't even get close to a perfect day.
      
  • • Take pictures of your darling Good Boy and post them to reddit, remind yourself how jealous the world is of your smart, beautiful, energetic dog.

Thank you...so so so so much. I will definitely try this leash method in the AM. Just wanted to mention - we don't ever feed him in a bowl. We do make him work for his food. Either through a Kong, or a puzzle/snuffle matt (this in particular).

In the mean time, I will remain vigilant, and redirect with proper toys etc, the minute I see him ready to BITE.

Thanks!

Puzzle toys are great too. Kong Wobbler, The Foobler, and Snuffle Mats are great options. You can make your own snuffle mat pretty easily.

Kongs are the simplest and its really easy to "level up". Start by just putting in dry kibble, then wet kibble, then freeze the wet kibble and seal up the big hole with yogurt or peanut butter. Then you can layer it so its frozen wet kibble, cheese, kibble, yogurt, kibble, peanut butter etc. It'll start taking longer and longer to get everything out. My pup loves the Kong Wobbler too! Not only does it tire him out, but it spreads out his meal so he doesn't eat it as fast. Same with the IQ ball. The puzzle board was great for awhile but then got too easy for him. Snuffle mats are pretty easy to DIY too if you don't want to fork over the money to buy a real one.

Snuffle Matt with an IQ Ball is my genius invention I haven’t seen anywhere else.

https://www.amazon.com/Wooly-Snuffle-Mat-Encourages-Foraging/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=asc_df_B01N1FV55I/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198071232162&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3592997858012089969&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031939&hvtargid=pla-349638453770&psc=1

You hide kibble under the felt and it triggers the dogs instincts for digging through grass. It takes our 14 week old about 20 minutes to sniff it all out and holds a 1/3 cup easily.

https://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Treat-Interactive-Dispensing/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=asc_df_B003ARUKTG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198111066934&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10592075457433977437&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031939&hvtargid=pla-355229308255&psc=1

She pushes the IQ ball around to get kibble out and they fall in to the snuffle matt, forcing her to find them again.

Lots of kibble and easily a 30 minute effort that she naps after.

Leash walking takes time to train, I’m talking minimum months, frequently a year or more.

>but what "nose work" can I give her that doesn't involve her wanting to pull me into someone yard?


That’s what you are going to train. You can play find with treats and toys. If you use a soft toy, I suggest storing it with your dog’s food so that it absorbs the smell.

You can also use a snuffle mat at home to hide treats, or kibble at meals. Using it for meals is great for active, nose driven dogs.

If she pulls you into a yard, stand firm and practice good leash manners.

I recently made a snuffle mat for my dog. It is essentially a rubber bar mat with fleece strips tied through the holes to resemble grass. You make on yourself or buy one on Etsy or this one on Amazon

The best part is that the dog makes a wicked cute "snuffling" noise when sniffing for the food :)

I don't know how we lived without snuffle mats.

This is the best one you can buy that I'm aware of for meal feeding and regular use. We've had a couple for a long time and machine wash them frequently and they've held up beautifully. I personally wouldn't waste my money on a fleece one.

Not sure if this allowed couldn’t find anything in about section that prohibits sharing links but here ya go!

Nina Ottoson Outward Hound Dog Brick Treat Puzzle Dog Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9XTF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dzNPDbQ0N6AW1


PAW5: Wooly Snuffle Mat - Feeding Mat for Dogs (12" x 18") - Encourages Natural Foraging Skills - Easy to Fill - Fun to Use Design - Durable and Machine Washable - Perfect for Any Breed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dANPDbB4NDWAG

The last thing we did was get tennis balls and a muffin tin, filled a few with treats and covered the muffin slots with the balls to have her sniff them out.

And the easiest is to hide treats and have her sniff them out throughout the house.

Sorry, that was my confusing typo. It should have read “she loves her snuffle mat.” A snuffle mat is a mat made of fleece material with various pockets to hide kibble in. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Snuffle-Nosework-Washable-Training-Activity/dp/B07MFJB749/ref=asc_df_B07MFJB749/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312168070559&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8381223204339441400&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014962&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-663149291239&psc=1

I think once a week is perfect for classes. You need time in between classes to practice the behaviors being taught. One of the biggest gains from classes is that they teach you how to train your dog. You won’t get mastery of most behaviors in the six weeks that you have class, but you will know how to continue working so that you and your dog become well trained.

I did omit one big thing: housing security. Many people find pet ownership to be fun until they move. Where I am, many places do not allow pets, and only certain breeds or sizes. That can make finding an affordable place to live much more challenging. It’s hard to predict everything that may happen over the 15+ years of a dog’s life, but it is important to have dog friendly housing plans and alternatives in mind.

My jindo also loves going for walks/sniffing, and does not care at all about toys. He is very food motivated, however, so we keep him mentally stimulated with different types of feeder puzzles/toys.

We have this snuffle/sniff mat for nosework and we have an assortment of the Nina Ottosson puzzle feeders (we started with this one which is a level 2). The puzzle feeders are great because they are labeled by difficulty level and, depending on which one you have, can be more mentally exhausting than others. We have a variety of level 1, 2, and 3. He's still trying to figure out how to master this one.

We only feed him his meals through these puzzle feeders/sniff mats and just switch up which puzzle he gets every day so he doesn't get bored. He really enjoys working on them and it's always entertaining to watch him think and figure them out/get better over time.

Like another commenter mentioned, we also do moderate obedience training every day for about 5-15 minutes. We work on reinforcing something he already knows to get a really solid response (and use these commands at the end of the session to end on a good note!), and we'll also incorporate a new command slowly within these sessions (the new commands we never go beyond 5 minutes of training within a session so he doesn't get frustrated). They're really smart dogs so they can pick up new commands quickly!

We're also looking into taking him to nosework classes, which are becoming more popular, so you can search and see if your area offers any near you, though I'm not sure that's what you're looking for if you're at home working.

And to reiterate what everyone else is saying, our boy loves to be near us and is very chill indoors, so I'm sure your pup is just glad you're home and around.

I've had 4 ferrets (Sable, Tux, Butterscotch & Black-eyed White). All of them exhibited similar behavior from time to time.

A lot of animals will "leak" a bit when they're in distress (like when a paw is caught) or excited. And if she went to squeeze through a space that was a bit tighter than she thought, while holding on to a full bladder; then yeah, she might let a little out (again, if she got caught for a few seconds and got scared, there might have been a reflex there, too).

If it becomes a very regular thing, head to a vet; but otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much.

​

>She also digs out her water til it's ALL gone in seconds.

All of my fuzzies did this from time to time. It's annoying, and hilarious - but she's just having fun. I ended up getting a food mat to deal with the water (something like this or this might do the job).

Precious Abra may enjoy this hay tray instead. Our piggy injured his leg from jumping in and out of a deep tray as that one, he now enjoys this one: https://www.amazon.com/Easyology-Premium-Pet-Food-Tray/dp/B01FK6EY28/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1526857447&sr=1-2&keywords=Easyology+Premium+Pet+Food+Tray

A dish drying mat won't keep them from moving the bowl. I was referring to something like this that will make it more difficult for them to move, and has a reservoir that should hold the entire bowl of water if they manage to dump it.

You could get a large dog food feeding mat, those are silicone and don't have suction cups on them! Here's one I found on amazon but it's a bit textured, I know they make completely smooth ones out there too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0A4YV3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rsTCybXSXQ83B

Dogs need two types of exercise, physical and mental. Although what you are doing with him does have a lot of mental stimulation it's mostly physical. Spend some time every morning and evening doing some type of training, either a new trick, or reinforcing the things he already knows.

Also get toys that will keep his mind active. I feed my dog with this every evening. You could also try a Snuffle mat.

I've found that most dogs chew because they're either bored or they teething. Keeping them active both physically and mentally will help cut a lot of unwanted chewing. After that just keep consistent and when you find them chewing on something they are not supposed to chew give them something they can.

It's up to us to teach them what is or is not allowed, they eventually catch on, but sometimes it can take a bit.

Oh yes I've been paged. A couple years ago I made a giant one myself but it broke in the washing machine. I just splurged at got this EXTRA AF one from amazon and my dog Suki seems to really like it so far. It is the Sniffiz one!

Would this help?
http://www.amazon.com/Drymate-28-Inch-Large-Stripe-Design/dp/B00A8HXH32/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1407419384&sr=8-3&keywords=dog+bowl+mats
I have one similar to this for my drippy mouth'ed weimie and its not foolproof but it seems to help

Holy crap! I've never seen something like that before!! Btw I found this other cute snuffle that's all fleece - there's actually a ton of different ones! On my phone so I can't link properly

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PG6LS1S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_S9kWDbJ6HY8S2

I occasionally use one of these type of pet food mats when not working over the sink. It keeps the countertop clean and dry.

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Peanuts-Silicone-Flexible-Protects/dp/B01EG48TZI/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1518320844&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=pet+food+mat&psc=1

I have a pup who occasionally gets in a picky mood so I got one of these wobbler feeding balls to mix up his mealtime routine.


If he still seems disinterested, sometimes I throw in one or two pieces of a small treat that I know he will smell and go after. It's a lot of fun to watch, too!


Edit to add: Since you mentioned that she sometimes eats it when scattered on the floor... have you looked into a Snuffle mat? They are basically small fringed rugs that the food "hides" in and they have to sniff it out.

We have something similar in bone shape. My wife bought it so I don't know the store. I found a different one on Amazon though.

https://www.amazon.com/Petrageous-Designs-Bone-Black-Bottom/dp/B003O68Z5O

Here’s a link to the snuffle mat I have.

If anyone else is interested in a snuffle mat but finds the cost prohibitive, it’s also possible to feed your pup by tossing kibble in the grass. Be sure your puppy has been vaccinated and that there is no waste or still water in the area before you do, though.


I posted a link to the flirt pole I have in another comment, if you’re interested, by the way.

Good luck!

I have had the same issue. I adopted a Australian Shepherd who lived most of his life in shelters. It is so sad that he can't play yet. When I fist got Timber he couldn't even enjoy being touched. It's been a long road. I can recommend two things whole-heartedly:

1. A Snuffle Mat! You hide food in it and it takes him a while to find them and we do make it like a game and it reinforces his beagling skills https://www.amazon.com/Wooly-Snuffle-Mat-Encourages-Foraging/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=sr_1_3?crid=38K8RUHNRBC2V&keywords=snuffle+mat+for+dogs&qid=1562695856&s=gateway&sprefix=snuffle+%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-3
   
2. This toy it is awesome and my dog loves it and he can play with it alone or with me - kind of play soccer with it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054C9B1I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   I'm also playing a game - that I hope doesn't make me sound like a slob - my house is clean - I promise. But I get small treats that he really loves (cut up franks or cheese cubes) and I throw them in the house and he egg him on to run and chase them - he loves it - and I'm hoping to parlay this into fetch with a ball/frisbee. It takes a while but so rewarding to see them make little strides in 'dogging'. Good luck - please share a photo of your pup!
   
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   ETA: I'd also love to hear other advice/strategies!

You could always order one from Amazon - this one has good reviews - and have it delivered to an Amazon Locker in the city for pickup.

I made mine out of a rubber sink mat and strips of fleece fabric. There's a link to the pre-made one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kElXDbWQ1JWSR

If you want to make one just google snuffle mat and you'll get like 15 different tutorials or videos about it!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6Mn7Bb97KF4V6

This is the one we have, wouldn’t let me copy the link directly for some reason. They have all sorts available!