WHATS A FORAGER MAT?
NOSEWORK FOR HAPPY PALS
Tuft NZ Forager Mats are a fun way to encourage and stimulate your pets natural foraging and findng skills using nosework to search for treats within the fleecey tufts of the mat.
Nosework is a natural way for pets to seek out food using their incredibly powerful noses .
Get those noses working with Tuft
NOSEWORK FOR MENTAL STIMULATION
15 minutes of nosework provides the same mental stimulation as 1 hour of physical activity
In our day,we have complex problem solving + visual entertainment constantly to tap into. We also use ways to serve our food that makes life easy.
Your dog is a keen problem solver. Seek and find games are fun and challenging for them. Dogs truly view their world through their noses . A forager mat is a great game to enrich your dog and embrace their puzzle solving, snuffly foraging instincts.
FEED THE BRAIN AND THE BELLY
the dog bowl is an invention made by hoomans
For starters, let’s take the food out of the bowl!
Our pal's great grandparents would starve if not for using their exquisite primal snuffling ability.
Feeding our pets meals from a bowl is convenient, but encourages them to focus solely on eating and not the search. This can lead to over eating or gulping too fast, leading to both behavioural and health issues.
A forager mat or other enrichment feeding games aim to help your pup take time to eat, avoiding risk of bloat, while gaining mental stimulation and also some physical activity.
The action of foraging and seeking food aids in stimulating digestive enzymes promoting good digestion.
You can treat train with your Tuft mat for enrichment and nosework , or slow down meal times by making it a puzzle.
Vets ,animal experts , shelters and zoos have long recognised that meal time enrichment has lots of benefits for animals. Especially when it comes to their behaviour.
Feeding a healthy balanced diet + engaging foraging activity = happy healthy pal !
ENRICHMENT
Dogs minds need jobs!
Like us, being on holiday all the time gets boring fast.
Dogs need jobs and things to do with their days too.
It keeps life interesting.
Foraging time gives your dog a job, it breaks up the day and sparks their minds to solve a challenge.
Cognitive stimulation keeps his mind sharp. Foraging also stimulates the pleasure centre in their brains.
With a healthy mind, the length and quality of life are increased.
Energy zapper ...
Thinking and problem-solving are exhausting, it helps to zap up pent up energy.
helps your dog relax. The science gets technical fast, but sniffing is soothing for dogs. Blood flow to certain areas of the brain increases when your dog is sniffing really hard, and this can help calm your dog down.
Pair the puzzle solving with the soothing effects of sniffing, and nosework is one of the most powerful tools out there for soothing a hyperactive dog.
ALL DOGS ARE NOSEY CHAMPS
for all ages, sizes and breeds of snoots
All dogs are snuffling champs !
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a great scenter and truffle seeker. There are loads of breeds well known for being snuffling champs like the beagle, laborador and of course the bloodhound But, all dogs can be a snuffling champ, regardless of breed.
Blind, deaf and recovering dogs all know how to use their super nose power too and they love it!
for seniors too
When our pals start to age and slow down, games of fetch can be a bit much, but our seniors still crave and require mental and physical stimulation. As cognitive function declines it can change their behaviour such as increasing anxiety, grumpyness, aggression and confusion.
We can help our dog stay sharp by keeping his brain busy and working. Nose work is a great way to mentally and physically stimulate a senior dog. Snuffling for a reward helps to keep their mind active, exercising their brain and also providing movement for their bodies too.
CONTACT TUFT NZ
drop us an email, give us a whistle!