Recipes

Lick mats and stuffable toys turn snack time and mealtime into a fun, brain-boosting activity. On this page you’ll find quick how-tos, photo recipes for lick mats and stuffable toys, a mix-and-match ingredient guide, and a list of foods to avoid.

Jump to: Why it works · Lick mats · Lick mat recipes · Stuffable toys · Stuffable toy recipes · Ingredient guide · Foods to avoid

Why enrichment is good for your dog

To be happy, healthy and well behaved, dogs need to exercise their brains as well as their bodies. Dogs have natural foraging and chewing instincts, but when we feed them from a bowl they no longer need to “work” for their food. That can lead to boredom, unwanted chewing, and eating too fast, which isn’t good for digestion.

SodaPup eMat lick mats, eTrays, eCoins and stuffable treat dispensers are designed to stimulate your dog’s brain and slow down eating. Licking is naturally calming, and working food out of a toy turns a meal that lasts seconds into an activity that lasts much longer. Enrichment can help with:

• Boredom and destructive chewing (on something other than the couch cushions or your favorite shoes)
• Crate training and alone time
• Separation anxiety, by keeping your dog busy when you leave the house
• Eating too fast, over-eating and unhealthy weight gain

Inspiration, not perspiration

We’re experts at making enrichment products, but we are not nutrition experts. Many of the recipes below were created by our amazing community, and some of them are pretty fancy. If you look at them and think “oh my goodness,” you’re not alone. Most of the time, the best we can do is spread a little peanut butter on our products — and our dogs love it. You don’t need to cook for your dog (unless you want to). Your dog’s brain benefits from enrichment and slow feeding no matter how simple or elaborate you make it.

The simple formula

Almost every recipe on this page follow the same simple formula: a spreadable base + toppings and add-ins. Here’s how to put it together, starting with lick mats.

Lick mats (eMats, eTrays and eCoins)

Licking is naturally calming, and spreading food across a textured mat slows even the fastest eaters down.

How to fill a lick mat

1. Spread the base. Smear a spreadable such as plain Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree or wet food across the mat, pushing it into the grooves.
2. Add toppings. Press berries, small pieces of fruit or veggies, or bits of protein into the pattern.
3. Serve or freeze. Serve right away, or freeze for a few hours for a longer-lasting challenge.

Lick mat recipes

Spread, sprinkle and serve. Each recipe is labeled as a snack or a meal and links to the eMat shown.

Shop all lick mats & lick sticks →

Stuffable toys and treat dispensers

Dogs, and especially puppies, explore by mouthing and chewing. A stuffed SodaPup toy lets them follow that instinct on something other than your furniture, and working the food out turns a meal that lasts seconds into real mental exercise.

How to stuff a toy for a meal

1. Mix enough of your dog’s food to fill the toy. If you feed dry kibble, add a moist ingredient (like yogurt, applesauce or wet dog food) to help hold it together.
2. Stuff it in with a spoon or butter knife. The harder you pack it, the greater the challenge. Watch for frustration — if it’s too hard, your dog will lose interest.
3. Serve or freeze. Give it right away, or freeze for a few hours for more of a challenge. Tip: keep several pre-stuffed toys in the freezer so meals are ready to go.

How to stuff a toy with treats

Drop treats into the toy — treats that are sized so they don’t fall out too easily work best. A little xylitol-free peanut butter helps treats stay inside, and it sticks to the walls of the toy to give your dog a bit more work.

How much does a Can Toy hold?

Can Toy size	Holds about
Small	2 tablespoons
Medium	1/3 cup
Large	2/3 cup
Extra Large	1 cup

Stuffable toy recipes

Easy everyday recipes

Mix, stuff and serve (or freeze). These work in any SodaPup treat dispenser.

Photo recipes

Shop all treat dispensers →

Mix-and-match ingredient guide

Create your own recipes by combining a spreadable base with snacks and superfood add-ins. Wet ingredients, veggies, fruits, proteins and grains can all be mixed and matched.

Spreadables (your base)

Spreadables are the base or “filler” for your lick mat or treat dispenser. When you use enrichment for a full meal, this is where your dog’s regular kibble or raw food comes in.

• Greek yogurt — plain and unsweetened only, no flavored yogurts
• Cottage cheese
• Wet or raw dog food — check with your vet before feeding raw, and follow safe handling and storage
• Eggs — chicken, quail and duck eggs are good choices
• Peanut butter — never use peanut butter that contains xylitol. If you’re unsure, buy a dog-specific peanut butter from your pet store
• Banana — mashed
• Cucumber — shredded and mixed with cottage cheese is a favorite
• Carrot — shredded and mixed with Greek yogurt is a favorite
• Pumpkin — cooked and pureed (plain, not pie filling)
• Sweet potato — cooked and pureed

Snacks & superfood add-ins

Meat

Mixing up proteins helps your dog get a variety of vitamins and nutrients. We do not recommend feeding dogs a vegan diet. Common choices:

• Beef
• Lamb
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Goat
• Venison

Seafood

Dogs can eat more seafood than you might think. Remove all shells and bones, and serve cooked unless noted.

• Squid
• Scallops (cooked only)
• Lobster (cooked)
• Shrimp / prawns (cooked)
• Salmon — cooked is best; ask your vet before feeding raw
• Crab (cooked)
• Oysters (cooked, shell removed)
• Sardines
• Flounder — grilled fillets

Avoid long-lived fish such as tuna and swordfish, which are more likely to contain heavy metals.

Vegetables

Dogs are omnivores and have eaten both meat and plants for thousands of years.

• Kale — mixed in or pureed
• Spinach — mixed in or pureed
• Beets — grated
• Carrots — grated or cut into small pieces
• Green beans — cut in half
• Celery — cut into small pieces
• Broccoli — cut into small pieces
• Brussels sprouts — boiled
• Sweet corn — small amounts, off the cob
• Cauliflower — grated or cut into small pieces

Fruit

• Pears — small pieces, no seeds or core
• Oranges — small pieces, peeled
• Apples — small pieces, no seeds or core
• Blueberries — on top or pressed into grooves
• Raspberries — on top or pressed into grooves
• Blackberries — on top or pressed into grooves
• Strawberries — on top or pressed into grooves
• Watermelon — all seeds and rind removed, cut into pieces
• Mango — no skin and no pit (the pit is a serious choking hazard), cut into pieces
• Papaya — absolutely no seeds, cut into pieces
• Cantaloupe — absolutely no seeds or rind, cut into pieces

Superfoods

• Dog-safe superfood jelly — set in fun molds
• Goji berries — a few, sprinkled over or mixed in
• Chia seeds — sprinkled over or mixed in
• Dragon fruit — cut into small pieces
• Blue or green spirulina — mix the powder into meals or spreadables
• Beetroot powder — mix into meals or spreadables
• Turmeric powder — a pinch mixed into spreadables
• Bee pollen — a light sprinkle

Foods you should NOT feed your dog

Keep the ideas coming

• DIY Recipe Maker — build a custom enrichment recipe for your dog
• Bowl & Lick Mat Finder — find the right lick mat, tray or bowl
• Toy Finder — match your dog with the right stuffable toy
• Enrichment Learning Center — more guides and tips