When a dog is wound up — pacing before a walk, unsettled after visitors, jumpy on a stormy afternoon — our instinct is usually to do something big: a longer walk, more play, more stimulation. But two of the most reliably calming things a dog can do are quiet, ordinary and easy to give them: sniffing and licking. Both tap into the parasympathetic nervous system — the "rest and digest" side that lowers arousal — which is why trainers and behaviourists often call sniffing, licking and chewing the "trifecta of calm."
Here's why these two behaviours settle an anxious dog, and how to build them into everyday life so your dog has a healthy way to self-soothe.
Why sniffing calms a dog down
A dog's nose is their primary sense — hundreds of times more sensitive than ours — and using it is genuinely hard mental work. When a dog is given the chance to sniff and search at their own pace, a few things happen at once:
- It lowers arousal. Slow, focused scent work shifts a dog out of a reactive, "up" state and into a calmer, thinking one. Ten minutes of sniffing can tire a dog more than a brisk walk.
- It's a job with a satisfying end. Searching for hidden food gives a dog a clear task and the small, repeated reward of finding it — which is deeply settling.
- It drains restless energy. Much of what we label "bad behaviour" — chewed skirting boards, dug-up gardens, relentless pacing — is really an under-stimulated mind looking for a job. Scent work gives that mind somewhere to go.
A Snuffle Search Mat turns this into a daily habit. You scatter your dog's kibble or treats deep into the fabric fronds and let them nose it out. It slows fast eaters down, replaces a boring bowl with five to ten minutes of focused work, and sends most dogs into a noticeably calmer state afterwards. It's one of the simplest ways to answer the boredom behind a lot of restless behaviour — a theme we cover in Is your dog bored? 7 signs and simple ways to fix it.
Why licking is self-soothing
Licking is one of the ways dogs regulate their own emotions. Repetitive licking is thought to release calming, feel-good chemistry and lower the stress response — the canine equivalent of a person taking slow, deliberate breaths. It's why an anxious dog will often lick a blanket, the sofa, their own paws, or you.
The trouble is that anxious licking can drift into compulsive habits — over-grooming, sore paws, licking furniture — none of which are good for the dog. The fix isn't to stop the licking; it's to give it a productive outlet.
That's the whole idea behind a Sniff & Lick Mat. You spread a thin layer of something tasty across the textured surface — wet food, plain yoghurt, a little peanut butter (xylitol-free) or mashed banana — and your dog works at it with their tongue. The repetitive licking does the soothing, and the effort of getting food out of the grooves keeps them absorbed. It's a brilliant tool for the moments dogs find hardest.
The best moments to use them
Sniffing and licking aren't just boredom-busters — they're tools you can deploy at specific pressure points in your dog's day:
- Before a stressful event. A lick mat while you get ready to leave can take the sting out of departures. (Pair it with the steps in Separation anxiety in dogs: what actually helps.)
- During storms or fireworks. A frozen lick mat gives a frightened dog something to focus on and a calming behaviour to fall into. It sits nicely alongside the advice in how to calm a dog during thunderstorms.
- To wind down after excitement. Visitors, a big play session, a car trip — a snuffle mat helps bring an over-aroused dog back to baseline.
- During grooming, baths and nail trims. A lick mat stuck to the wall gives your dog a calming job to focus on while you brush, wipe paws or trim a nail — see our guide to grooming an anxious dog.
- At mealtimes, every day. Swapping the bowl for a snuffle or lick mat turns eating into enrichment and slows down dogs who inhale their food. If gulping is your issue specifically, see is your dog eating too fast?
- In the crate or bed. A calm licking session is a lovely way to build good associations with a dog's own quiet space.
Snuffle mat or lick mat — which one?
They do slightly different jobs, and most homes benefit from having both:
- Snuffle mat — best for mental tiredness and burning off restless energy through searching and sniffing. Uses dry food or treats. Great as a daily meal replacement.
- Lick mat — best for emotional soothing in a specific tense moment. Uses soft, spreadable food. Freeze it to make it last longer. Perfect for departures, storms and grooming.
A simple rhythm: use the snuffle mat for everyday enrichment and meals, and keep a lick mat in the freezer, ready to go the moment you spot a trigger coming.
A few practical tips
- Count it as food. Whatever goes on the mats comes out of your dog's daily food allowance so you're not overfeeding.
- Supervise at first, especially with enthusiastic chewers, and choose good-quality mats that hold up.
- Keep toppings dog-safe. No xylitol (found in some peanut butters), no onion, no grapes, no chocolate. Plain yoghurt, wet food, mashed banana and pumpkin are safe favourites.
- Clean them regularly — most lick and snuffle mats are easy to rinse or machine-wash.
- Start easy. Make the first few sessions simple so your dog wins quickly and builds confidence.
When a dog has to stay still
These same tools are a lifesaver when movement has to be limited — during crate rest after an operation, for instance. Low-effort licking and floor-level snuffling let a recovering dog stay mentally busy without getting up and about. See helping your dog recover calmly after desexing or surgery for how to keep a healing dog settled through enforced rest.
The bigger picture
Sniffing and licking won't replace training, exercise or, where needed, help from your vet or a behaviourist. But they're two of the gentlest, most natural tools you have — they meet a real biological need, they give anxious energy somewhere healthy to go, and they take five minutes to set up. If your dog is showing broader signs of tension, it's worth reading signs your dog is stressed (and what to do about it) so you can pair these calming habits with the bigger picture.
Give your dog's nose and tongue a job, and you'll often find the rest of them settles all on its own.