Why are Lickimats so great?
LickiMats are great boredom busters that can keep your dog entertained even for hours at times. They encourage licking action in dogs, whether for eating treats or food, as well providing mental and physical stimulation which is very entertaining and satisfying for dogs and the licking action itself even enhances the sense of taste of the treats.
They allow you to spread out the dog food or treat on the mat surface or press the dog food or treat into the mat surface, encouraging your dog to lick and lick and lick to get the food or treat as a reward.
The rubber tips of LickiMat gently scrape and stimulate your dog's tongue whilst feeding or snacking. This increases saliva protection, improves oral hygiene, protects teeth and gums, and most importantly soothes your dog by releasing endorphins.
The pockets of the LickiMat challenge your dog to extract the raw, wet, dry or liquid food or treat as a reward, enriching their feeding experience. The different LickiMat licking surfaces are intended to work with different treats and foots, including frozen!
Lickimat have designed lots of different types so that you can find the right one for your pet. Such as, if you are tired from wrestling with your dog whilst grooming him, try the Lickimat UFO, or if you really need a Lickimat as a distraction for anxiety then the Lickimat Soother is ideal. They come in a whole range of shapes and sizes to suit every dog and every situation so we’ve put together a handy guide to help you decide the one for you.
So many LickiMats, which one to choose?
Selecting the right LickiMat for your dog comes down to:
- what you feed your dog;
- what treats your dog likes to eat;
- whether your dog is a chewer or not; and
- whether or not you prefer to use the dishwasher to clean up.
Classic Lickimat
We had to begin with the LickiMat Classics which are fantastic for most dogs from tiny sizes to medium size dogs. It comes in three different designs and a whole host of bright colours to suit every need.The surface patterns of the three models differ a little to better suit different types of foods, treats and liquids. All three surfaces are suitable for raw, wet, dry and liquid dog food, as well as any manner of treat.
Choose between the LickiMat Buddy or the Lickimat Soother.
- Lickimat Soother is best for puppies or dogs that need a little calming time, it is best suited for soft, runny and liquid foods and treats. It is preferred for liquids such as the juice from BBQ chicken or roasts as it gives the tongue an exquisite workout.
- Lickimat Buddy is best for pushing wet treats down into like runny peanut butter or mashed banana. Please see below on tips for when using peanut butter.
All LickiMats Classics are microwave friendly, so you can cook meals on them in the microwave; they are freezer-friendly, so you can freeze treats on them; You CANNOT put them in the dishwasher, but they are easy to hand-wash in the sink. They are all made from human food-grade rubber (TPR).
The Lickimat Tuff
Many owners are rightly concerned that their dog will chew and destroy the LickiMat.
If you have any doubts, you should purchase the LickiMat Tuff™ – this range is great for puppies and dogs that like to chew. This is available in the Tuff Soother, and the Tuff Buddy
If you have a puppy or a dog that likes to chew its really important that you follow the guidance notes on the reverse of the product sleeve, as when using any lickimat for the first time it will help you to train your dog. As no Lickimat is completely indestructible.
The LickiMat Tuff range is similar to the LickiMat Classic range in that they feature the same patterns but in a tougher, more durable format. The Tuff models are also fully dishwasher safe.
Lickimat MINI Tuff
These are now available in a smaller more compact design, ideal for smaller dogs or for travel and training.
The Lickimat MINI Tuff is approximately 14.5cm x 14.5cm. Available in both the Mini Tuff Soother and the Mini Tuff Buddy
Indoor Keeper
The Indoor Keeper is a great addition, which is designed to helps to prevent pets from moving and chewing their LickiMats.
It can fit either the Classic or the TUFF Lickimats, as well as being a feeding bowl itself. It can hold up to 6 cups of food and is 100% dishwaser safe. The no skid base stops it from moving around and making a mess over your kitchen floor. It also has an easy lift notch to help remove the LickiMat from the Keeper.
These are now available in a smaller more compact design, the MINI Indoor Keeper
LickiMat UFO
Dog groomers are increasingly using LickiMat UFO to help keep dogs distracted when they are getting groomed or bathed.
You can use the LickiMat UFO at home in exactly the same way they use it at the grooming salon as well as at anytime that you or the vet need to inspect or tend to your pet.
It comes with 7 suction cups and soft rubber Soother nubs, to help to distract if your dog is anxious. It is both dishwasher safe and freezer friendly. What's more it perfect for vertical surfaces, as it capures the food and saliva and is great for travel as it can adhere to car window, avoiding the mess. TOP TIP- For a stronger suction hold, wet suction caps or surface before sticking. Clean immediately after use.
LickiMat Wobble™
Does your dog need more of a challenge? Wobbles are all about extra fun for your dog.
The Lickimat Wobble as the name suggests wobbles as your dog licks their treat from the rubber dimpled surface, adding another dimension, which can greatly enrich and prolong the pleasurable feeding experience for your pet. Wobbles are designed to combine wet, raw and especially soft or liquid dog foods and treats.
TOP TIP - They are extremely well suited to freezing liquid treats and spreads - even freezing different liquids in layers, with or without solid treats added into the mix so that your dog can spend hours working through the treat and finding more surprises.
LickiMat Slomo™
LickiMat Slomo mats are designed to combine dry, wet, raw and especially soft or liquid dog foods and treats at the same time without creating a mess. Like all other LickiMats, they can be used for treats or used as a complete and elegant feeder, especially for small dogs. Put kibble or dry treats in the small square openings (3/4" wide and 3/8" deep) and/or put soft or mushy treats into the areas with the raised dots.
The Slomo is tough is ideally suited for puppies and dogs that love to chew. It is dishwasher safe , microwave proof, freezer-friendly
OH Bowl !
The Oral Health Bowl is a vet developed product designed to encourage your pet to lick across the raised rubber tips to help clean bacteria off the tongue. It can help to:-
* Remove odour-causing bacteria which fights bad breath.
* Remove disease causing bacteria leading to healthier teeth and gums.
* Stimulate the tongue to increases saliva production that in turn also helps with improve gum and teeth health.
TOP TIP- To encourage extra licking, by getting more food to stick to the tongue cleaning zone, try adding a few drops of water or tasty liquid to the bowl before putting in the food.
It's available in 3 sizes
Small- Diameter 12cm opening x 16cm base, suitable for puppies and small dogs
Medium - Diameter 16cm opening x 21.5cm base, suitable for medium to large dogs
Large - Diameter 20.5cm opening x 27.4cm base, suitable for large dogs plus
Yoggie Pot
This LickiMat Yoggie Pot holds half a cup of raw food and makes a perfect interactive feeder and healthy distractor. It can also be used with soaked kibble when mixed with yoghurt or similar pet safe foods. Suitable for use with pates, cheese, sardines, fish treats and more. You can freeze foods scraped on the inside of this LickiMat slow feeder dog bowl to extend the licking interaction. Best to partially freeze to encourage licking and avoid biting and chewing.
Toppings for your Lickimat
Lickimat have designed a range of Hand-Baked Crushed Biscuits – Ready to sprinkle on your Lickimat !! They are available In 4 Flavours: Chicken & Broccoli, Liver & Turmeric , Turkey & Sweet Potato and Duck & Orange
They are healthy and fresh and have no added sugar and are wheat free.
TOP TIP- Wet the LickiMat using water or any other tasty liquid creating a damp surface for the Sprinkles to stick to. Shake the Sprinkles onto the damp surface evenly. A small amount is all that is needed. The Sprinkles will stick to the corners of the mat, entertaining your pet for up to 40 minutes in most cases.
TOP TIP - Peanut Butter can have a tendancy to stick in the corners of yout Lickimat which can frustrate your dog. It is recommended that when using Peanut butter on Lickimat Tuff that is it mixed with a little boiling water to make a runny mixture and allowing it to cool before use. Please remember to choose a good quality peanut butter, one that is suitable for dogs and that does NOT contain xylitol.
Using the lickimat for the first time*
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Start with food which is safe for dogs and something your dog really likes.
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Put a small circle of the food in the middle of your LickiMat. Press the food in with a spatula or the back of a spoon and then load the area above (to say half an inch or 1cm) so that they will get maximum reward for minimal effort at the start.
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As your dog learns to lick (instead of chew) you can widen the circle but steer away from the edges of the LickiMat for the first week or two to avoid tempting your dog to chew until the training has kicked in.
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Set your dog up in an area they will be comfortable in. If you have multiple dogs, they may require their own separate areas for this new activity.
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In time, and depending on what you load your mat with, you may wish to set your dog up outside or on a mat that is easily cleaned.
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Sit on the ground with your dog and place the loaded LickiMat on the floor in front of them. This ensures that you can help your dog interact with the LickiMat correctly, licking at it and not attempting to chew the LickiMat.
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Having the food/treat in the middle of the LickiMat when you are first starting should make this easier. If your dog attempts to chew, use your stop command, remove the LickiMat and try again in 5-10 minutes. Repeat until your dog’s training kicks in.
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As your dog becomes more familiar with using the LickiMat, you can start to include a wider range of foods, make it more challenging by spreading the food out thinly over the LickiMat or using stickier foods so they really need to invest in licking to get it all, or even to freezing the loaded LickiMat prior to use.
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Make sure that you pick up the mat once they have finished with it. If you are using a Classic Soother, Buddy or Playdate, simply wash it under running water in the sink after each use. Most LickiMats (Tuff Series, Slomo, Wobble and Splash) are dishwasher safe which is handy for peanut butter.
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Experiment with your dog’s favourite foods, as well as foods of different textures and consistency. Please remember to check ingredients on foods you use to make sure they are safe for your dog. If in doubt, ask your Dog Trainer or Vet. You must avoid using any food with Xylitol as it is harmful to dogs.
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Have fun! Become your own doggie Master Chef and discover what your dog truly loves. You may be surprised! Remember that investing the time to train your dog to lick will pay you and your dog dividends in the long run in the form of better physical health and better emotional health. Used correctly, the LickiMat can become a perfect training aid, a great anxiety reliever, a slow feeder, a healthy distractor, a breath freshener and provide your dog with fun and enrichment.
*Introducing Your Dog to LickiMat as written by Ramin and the LickiMat Team (Jude, Jane, Hazel and others)
