Distraction Toys for Dog Anxiety: Lick Mats, Snuffle Mats & Puzzle Toys

Key takeaway: Licking, sniffing, and chewing all release endorphins and can help calm an anxious dog. These toys work primarily through distraction, giving your dog something engaging to focus on instead of the scary thing. They won't stop severe anxiety, but they're a useful tool for taking the edge off.

The science: sniffing, licking, and chewing

Dogs have three natural behaviors that trigger calming brain chemistry:

Licking releases endorphins, the same feel-good chemicals that make exercise satisfying. PetMD notes that licking is closely linked to dopamine release, which creates feelings of pleasure and relaxation. This is why anxious dogs often lick their paws compulsively, it's self-soothing behavior.

Sniffing engages a huge portion of a dog's brain. A 2022 study found that smell and sight areas in dogs' brains are connected in ways ours aren't, dogs literally "see" with their noses. Scent work lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and activates the brain's reward centers.

Chewing provides similar stress relief through jaw muscle engagement and the satisfaction of working on something.

The key insight: these aren't anxiety treatments so much as distraction tools that hijack your dog's attention and trigger calming brain chemistry simultaneously.

When distraction toys help (and when they don't)

Distraction toys work best when:

• Anxiety is mild to moderate
• You can give the toy before your dog hits peak panic
• The dog is still willing to eat (if they refuse food, anxiety is too high)
• Used alongside other interventions

They're less effective when:

• Your dog is already in full panic mode
• Anxiety is severe enough that food doesn't interest them
• Used as the only intervention for serious storm phobia

A useful indicator: if your dog won't touch a high-value treat, their stress is too high for distraction alone. Dr. Krista Sirois, DVM, told Rover: "If your dog is unwilling to eat from a lick mat covered in very high-value treats, that's an indicator that their stress level is high."

Lick mats

Lick mats are textured silicone or rubber mats that hold spreadable food. The texture forces your dog to work slowly, extending engagement time and maximizing the calming licking behavior.

How to use them:

• Spread peanut butter, yogurt, pumpkin, or wet dog food across the surface
• For longer distraction, freeze the mat before giving it to your dog
• Give it before a stressful event starts, 10-15 minutes of licking before a storm arrives is more effective than offering it mid-panic

Pro tip: Use a spatula to really work the food into the texture. You want thin layers that take time to lick clean, not globs they can scoop off quickly.

My experience

Juniper loves her LickiMat, but she's a fast eater: she goes through the peanut butter in a few minutes. For a 100-pound Golden Mountain Dog, a standard lick mat doesn't provide a ton of distraction time unless I freeze it.

And, if I've missed the window for medication before a storm hits, a lick mat isn't enough to keep her calm. She's just too anxious and won't even touch it. She has to be on medication to even consider using it.

Snuffle mats

Snuffle mats are fabric mats with strips of fleece or felt that hide kibble or treats. They tap into your dog's foraging instincts, the natural drive to sniff out food.

How they work:

• Scatter treats or kibble into the fabric folds
• Your dog uses their nose to find each piece
• The sniffing activates calming brain chemistry

Purina notes that snuffling "can help to slow down fast eaters, give them an opportunity to use their sense of smell, reduce anxiety and use up some canine energy."

Best for: Dogs who are food-motivated and enjoy using their nose. Less effective for dogs who get frustrated with puzzles or try to chew through everything.

Caution: Not great for aggressive chewers who might tear the fabric and swallow pieces.

Puzzle toys and Kongs

Puzzle toys require your dog to figure out how to get food out. The mental engagement can be as tiring as physical exercise, some trainers say 15 minutes of mental work equals an hour of walking.

KONG Classic

The KONG is the gold standard. Stuff it with peanut butter, spray cheese, or a mixture of wet food and kibble, then freeze it for a longer-lasting challenge.

My experience: Junie loves a Kong with peanut butter. It's our go-to for keeping her occupied. Like the lick mat, freezing it extends the distraction significantly. But like the lick mat, it's not enough to keep her calm when she's already in full panic mode.

Food-dispensing toys

Toys like the KONG Wobbler dispense kibble as your dog pushes them around. Good for mealtime enrichment, though the noise of them rolling around might not be ideal during storms.

Hide-and-seek toys

Puzzle toys like the Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel let dogs "hunt" for squeaky toys hidden inside a plush base.

My experience: For some reason, both of my dogs love this thing. It's more of a general enrichment toy than a storm-specific tool, but it keeps them engaged.

Using distraction toys during storms

Here's the practical approach I use:

Before the storm:

1. Check Dog Thunder for alerts (obviously)

2. Medicate Juniper if needed

3. Prep a frozen Kong or lick mat

4. Give it to Juniper before the storm arrives, while she's still calm enough to care about food

During storms:

• The frozen Kong or lick mat can help maintain a baseline of calm
• Combined with her medication, safe space and white noise, this is usually enough to keep her calm

The key is timing. These work much better as preventive calm-maintainers than as panic interruptors.

Toys/Distractions Worth Checking Out

What to put on lick mats (dog-safe options)

• Peanut butter (check for xylitol, it's toxic to dogs)
• Plain yogurt (no artificial sweeteners)
• Pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• Mashed banana
• Wet dog food
• Spray cheese

For calming bonus points, some owners use treats that contain calming ingredients (like the supplements we covered elsewhere).

The bottom line

Distraction toys work because they redirect your dog's attention and trigger natural calming behaviors. They're not a cure for anxiety, but they're a valuable tool in the toolkit, especially when used proactively before anxiety peaks.

For mild storm anxiety, a frozen Kong might be enough. For severe cases like Juniper's, distraction toys are one piece of a larger approach that includes medication, safe spaces, and advance warning from storm alerts.

Related: How to Help Your Dog During Storms Without Prescription covers the full toolkit of non-medication approaches.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and not a substitute for veterinary advice.