13 Lick Mat Recipes With Real Quantities

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp plain canned pumpkin (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
• 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened

Method

1. Stir pumpkin and yogurt together until smooth.
2. Spread a thin layer across the Hooman side, filling the grooves but not piling it up.
3. Serve fresh the first few times. Once your dog gets it, freeze for 3 hours for a longer session.

Ingredients

• 1 small ripe banana, mashed (about 3 tbsp)
• 1 tsp peanut butter, xylitol-free (check the label every time)

Method

1. Mash the banana with a fork until there are no lumps.
2. Spread banana over the mat, then drag the peanut butter through it in a few streaks so the smell is everywhere but the fat stays small.
3. Serve, or freeze 2 hours for a slower lick.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp of your dog's usual wet food
• 1 tbsp warm water (if the food is thick)

Method

1. Loosen the food with a splash of warm water so it spreads.
2. Press it into the grooves with the back of a spoon.
3. Serve as part of the meal, not on top of it. Subtract it from the bowl.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of your dog's kibble
• 3 tbsp warm water

Method

1. Soak the kibble in warm water for 10 minutes until soft.
2. Mash to a paste. Add a splash more water if it's stiff.
3. Spread on the mat. This is the easiest 'recipe' there is and most dogs prefer it to anything fancy.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp blueberries, crushed with a fork

Method

1. Crush the blueberries so none can roll off whole.
2. Fold into the cottage cheese.
3. Spread and freeze 3 hours. The berries freeze into little slow spots.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cooked sweet potato, mashed, skin off
• 2 tbsp plain cooked chicken, shredded fine
• 1 tbsp warm water

Method

1. Mash the sweet potato with the water until spreadable.
2. Mix in the chicken so it's held in the mash rather than sitting loose.
3. Spread. This one is strong enough to hold attention through a nail trim.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp seedless watermelon flesh, mashed (no rind)
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt (optional, for a creamier freeze)

Method

1. Mash the watermelon. Pick out any seeds.
2. Stir in the yogurt if using.
3. Freeze 4 hours. Mostly water, so it melts slowly and barely counts.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp bone broth made for dogs, or homemade with no onion, garlic or salt

Method

1. Check the label twice: most human broths contain onion or garlic powder, which are not safe for dogs.
2. Pour into the mat on a flat tray.
3. Freeze overnight. Serve on a towel; it will drip.

Ingredients

• 1 egg, scrambled in a dry pan, no butter or salt
• 1 tbsp plain pumpkin

Method

1. Scramble the egg and let it cool.
2. Mash with the pumpkin so it sticks to the mat instead of falling off.
3. Serve warm-ish, not hot.

Ingredients

• 2 sardines canned in water, no salt added, mashed
• 2 tbsp cooked oatmeal, cooled (made with water)

Method

1. Mash the sardines bones and all; they're soft and good calcium.
2. Mix with the oatmeal.
3. Spread. Fair warning: it smells. Dogs consider this a feature.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp cooked oatmeal, cooled
• a small pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Stir applesauce into the oatmeal.
2. Add the cinnamon if using. A pinch, not a shake.
3. Spread and freeze 3 hours.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp plain kefir, unsweetened
• 1 tbsp mashed banana

Method

1. Mix kefir and banana.
2. Freeze 2 hours; a soft freeze lasts longer than a hard one for an anxious dog who needs to keep licking.
3. Bring it out 10 minutes before the storm, not during.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp plain pumpkin (the 'sauce')
• 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (the 'cheese')
• 1 tbsp shredded chicken (the 'topping')
• 2 blueberries, halved (the 'olives')

Method

1. Spread pumpkin over the Pizza side as the base layer.
2. Dot the yogurt on top and smear a little so it looks like melted cheese.
3. Scatter chicken and blueberries. Freeze 3 hours, photograph before serving, then let them destroy it.