Do Lick Mats Reduce Anxiety in Dogs? What the Science Says

• Lick mats may help some dogs settle by encouraging focused, repetitive licking and providing enjoyable mental enrichment.

• Direct scientific evidence is limited. There are few controlled studies examining whether lick mats themselves reduce canine anxiety.

• Licking doesn't automatically mean relaxation. Dogs also lick when they're stressed, frustrated, or uncomfortable.

• Food-based enrichment has broader scientific support for improving animal welfare and encouraging positive behaviors.

• Lick mats are best suited to mild stress, boredom, and predictable situations, rather than severe anxiety or panic.

• The dog's response matters more than the product. Relaxed body language and an ability to disengage are better signs of success than licking alone.

• Lick mats should complement behavioral training and veterinary care, not replace treatment for significant anxiety disorders.

Science of Products | Canine anxiety and enrichment

A lick mat is a flat, textured surface, usually made from silicone or rubber, designed to hold small amounts of soft food. The raised patterns create little pockets that encourage dogs to lick repeatedly to retrieve the food.

Unlike a regular food bowl, where a dog might finish a meal in seconds, a lick mat turns eating into a slower, more involved activity.

This matters because dogs are naturally motivated to investigate, forage, and work for food. Domestic dogs might not need to hunt for their dinner, but their behavioral needs haven't disappeared.

Lick mats give dogs an opportunity to engage in a natural, rewarding activity without requiring much space, physical effort, or specialist training.

They can be particularly useful for dogs recovering from surgery, older dogs with reduced mobility, or energetic dogs that need quiet indoor activities.

However, enjoying a lick mat and experiencing a measurable reduction in anxiety aren't necessarily the same thing.

Several mechanisms could explain why some dogs appear calmer while using lick mats. The important distinction is that these are plausible explanations, not proof that lick mats directly treat anxiety.

Licking is a normal part of canine behavior. Puppies lick during nursing and grooming, while adult dogs lick themselves, other animals, people, and objects for various reasons.

When a dog voluntarily engages in repetitive licking to obtain food, the activity may encourage sustained attention and a relatively stationary posture.

For a mildly restless dog, spending ten minutes concentrating on a lick mat may provide an opportunity to settle.

However, the popular claim that licking automatically releases calming endorphins is not well established in dogs.

Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals involved in pain regulation and other physiological processes. Although rewarding experiences can influence the brain's reward systems, we don't currently have convincing evidence that licking a mat produces a specific endorphin response responsible for reducing canine anxiety.

It's better to think of licking as a potentially soothing activity rather than a proven biochemical treatment.

When dogs eat something they enjoy, they're experiencing a rewarding event.

This creates opportunities for positive associations through a process called counterconditioning.

For example, imagine a dog who becomes mildly uncomfortable when visitors arrive. Providing a lick mat before a visitor enters might help the dog associate the situation with something pleasant, provided the exposure remains manageable.

Over repeated sessions, carefully controlled positive experiences can help change a dog's emotional response.

But there's an important limitation.

If a dog is already terrified, food may not be enough to change how they feel. Some frightened dogs won't eat at all, while others continue eating despite showing clear signs of distress.

The lick mat itself isn't doing the behavioral training. It's the carefully managed association between a pleasant experience and a low-intensity trigger that can make a difference.

Environmental enrichment involves providing opportunities for animals to express natural behaviors and interact meaningfully with their surroundings.

For dogs, enrichment can include sniffing, exploring, chewing, problem-solving, and food-seeking activities.

Lick mats fall into the category of food-based enrichment.

Research into canine enrichment suggests that giving dogs opportunities to engage in rewarding activities can improve aspects of their behavior and welfare.

That doesn't mean every enrichment product reduces anxiety, but it provides a reasonable scientific foundation for including lick mats in a dog's daily routine.

This is where we need to separate promising ideas from established evidence.

There is currently insufficient high-quality, direct research to conclude that lick mats reliably reduce clinical anxiety in dogs.

Most of the scientific support comes from studies examining environmental enrichment, food-based activities, and behavioral interventions more broadly.

A 2008 study by Schipper and colleagues, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, investigated environmental enrichment for dogs housed in a rehoming center.

The researchers examined how enrichment devices influenced canine behavior, finding that food-containing toys encouraged interaction and affected dogs' activity patterns.

You can read the study here: The effect of feeding enrichment toys on the behaviour of kennelled dogs.

The practical implication is that food-based activities can meaningfully influence how dogs spend their time.

However, the study didn't investigate modern lick mats or establish that these activities treated anxiety disorders.

A study by Duranton and Horowitz, published in 2019 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, investigated the effects of regular nosework activities on pet dogs.

The researchers reported that dogs participating in nosework showed changes in a behavioral measure interpreted as greater optimism.

Read the research on nosework and positive judgment bias in dogs.

This study is relevant because it supports the broader principle that allowing dogs to engage in species-appropriate activities may improve their emotional welfare.

But sniffing and licking are different behaviors, and we cannot assume they produce identical effects.

The research supports enrichment as a concept, not lick mats as a proven anxiety treatment.

Food rewards are also widely used in evidence-based behavioral modification.

A 2020 study by Riemer, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, examined training methods used to help dogs cope with fireworks.

The findings supported the value of reward-based approaches, particularly when positive experiences were paired with frightening sounds under appropriate conditions.

Read the study on fireworks fears and training methods.

For dog owners, this helps explain why food can be useful during anxiety management.

However, a lick mat placed in front of a frightened dog isn't automatically equivalent to a structured desensitization and counterconditioning program.

You may have encountered claims that licking lowers cortisol, the hormone commonly associated with stress.

Cortisol is involved in the body's normal stress response, but it also varies with activity, excitement, time of day, and other physiological factors.

There isn't sufficient direct evidence demonstrating that lick mats consistently lower cortisol in dogs.

Even if a study found reduced cortisol after licking, researchers would still need to determine whether that change represented reduced anxiety rather than another physiological response.

The most scientifically defensible conclusion is that lick mats may support relaxation and enrichment, but their effects on canine stress hormones remain uncertain.

A particularly useful finding from Riemer's 2020 study, Effectiveness of Treatments for Firework Fears in Dogs, was that providing food or play during fireworks was associated with improvements in owners' reports of fear. The study surveyed 1,225 dog owners, so it offers practical insights, although it relied on owner-reported outcomes rather than a controlled clinical trial.

Read the original study. This is the correct publication link for the Riemer study discussed above.

More recently, a 2022 pilot study examining environmental enrichment and dog behavior added to the evidence that enrichment deserves a place in canine welfare management. However, the available research still doesn't establish a specific anti-anxiety effect for lick mats.

For context, the Schipper study involved 17 laboratory-housed dogs, eight receiving food-filled toys and nine serving as controls. This small sample is another reason to interpret its findings cautiously.

Lick mats can be useful in several everyday situations, particularly when anxiety is mild and the dog remains comfortable enough to engage with food.

Some dogs become restless during brushing, nail trimming, or other routine handling.

A lick mat attached to a suitable surface can provide an enjoyable activity while the dog experiences gentle handling.

For example, a dog who dislikes being brushed might initially receive a lick mat while their owner briefly touches their shoulder with the brush.

If the dog remains comfortable, the owner can gradually introduce short brushing sessions.

The goal isn't to distract the dog so thoroughly that they tolerate something frightening. It's to create positive associations while respecting their comfort level.

If the dog freezes, pulls away, or becomes distressed, the handling should stop.

Lick mats may help dogs settle during predictable, low-intensity disturbances, such as household activity or unfamiliar visitors.

They can also be useful when a dog needs a quiet activity while their owner works from home.

However, the timing matters.

Introducing the mat before the dog becomes highly aroused is generally more helpful than waiting until they're already barking, pacing, or panicking.

Food rewards are valuable tools in low-stress veterinary handling.

In clinical practice, I've often found that offering something particularly tasty can make a noticeable difference to a dog's willingness to participate in a routine examination.

A dog who is comfortable licking a treat while having their ears examined, for example, may be able to build a more positive association with handling.

But this approach has limits. If a dog is genuinely frightened, continuing an examination simply because they're still eating risks overlooking their distress.

A lick mat can support cooperative care, but it shouldn't be used to push a dog beyond their tolerance.

Not every dog who struggles to settle is experiencing clinical anxiety.

Some dogs are simply under-stimulated.

A dog who spends much of the day indoors without opportunities to explore, sniff, or interact with their environment may benefit from additional enrichment.

Lick mats can form part of a balanced routine alongside walks, scent games, training, and social interaction.

They are particularly convenient for dogs who need low-impact activities because of age, injury, or restricted exercise.

Separation anxiety is one of the situations where lick mats are frequently recommended, but it's also where expectations need to be realistic.

Dogs with separation-related distress may bark, howl, pace, destroy objects, or attempt to escape when left alone.

Some dogs refuse food entirely once their owner leaves.

Others enthusiastically lick a food mat for several minutes, then become distressed when the food runs out.

In these cases, the mat hasn't resolved the underlying emotional problem. It has simply occupied the dog temporarily.

For dogs with mild separation-related concerns, a lick mat may be useful during carefully structured training sessions involving very short absences.

However, dogs experiencing genuine panic generally need a comprehensive behavior modification plan, sometimes supported by prescription medication.

A dog who can finish a lick mat isn't necessarily a dog who feels safe being left alone.

Recording your dog while you're away is one of the most useful ways to assess whether enrichment is helping or merely delaying signs of distress.

One of the biggest mistakes owners make is assuming that a dog who is licking must be relaxed.

Licking can occur in many emotional states, including excitement, frustration, and stress.

Instead, look at your dog's overall behavior before, during, and after using the mat.

Signs that your dog may be comfortable include relaxed facial muscles, a loose body posture, normal breathing, and an ability to pause or move away from the mat voluntarily.

After finishing, a relaxed dog might lie down, rest, or return calmly to another activity.

In contrast, a dog who remains tense, repeatedly scans the environment, pants excessively, or immediately resumes pacing may not be experiencing meaningful relief.

A practical way to assess effectiveness is to observe your dog over several sessions.

Note how long they take to settle, whether they show signs of distress, and what happens after the food is gone.

You could even record short videos and compare their behavior with similar situations where no lick mat is offered.

This won't provide the precision of a scientific experiment, but it can help you make a more informed decision about whether the mat benefits your individual dog.

Choosing the right food and introducing the mat appropriately can make a substantial difference.

Good options include plain, unsweetened yogurt if your dog tolerates dairy, xylitol-free peanut butter, mashed pumpkin, or a small portion of their regular wet food.

Check ingredient labels carefully. Xylitol, sometimes labeled birch sugar, is extremely toxic to dogs.

Avoid foods containing chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, or excessive salt.

If your dog has food allergies, pancreatitis, or another condition requiring dietary restrictions, choose ingredients approved by your veterinarian.

The first introduction shouldn't happen during a thunderstorm or another frightening event.

Instead, offer the mat in a quiet, familiar environment.

Allow your dog to investigate it voluntarily, without encouraging or forcing them to interact.

Once they're comfortable using it, you can gradually introduce the mat during mildly challenging situations.

There's no scientifically established ideal duration for lick mat sessions.

For many dogs, five to fifteen minutes provides a reasonable starting point, depending on the food, mat design, and individual dog.

The aim isn't to make licking last as long as possible. It's to provide a pleasant activity without frustration or excessive calorie intake.

Freezing a thin layer of suitable food can make a lick mat last longer.

This may be useful for dogs who finish their food quickly, although some dogs find frozen food frustrating or uncomfortable.

Start with unfrozen food and experiment based on your dog's preferences.

Lick mats aren't automatically safe to leave with unsupervised dogs.

Some dogs chew the silicone or rubber, potentially swallowing pieces that could cause gastrointestinal obstruction.

Inspect the mat regularly for damage and remove it if your dog starts chewing rather than licking.

Wash it thoroughly after each use, paying particular attention to food trapped between the textured sections.

Although lick mats are generally low-risk when used appropriately, there are several potential disadvantages.

The most obvious is excess calorie intake.

Peanut butter, for example, is calorie-dense. A generous coating can add substantial energy to a dog's daily diet, particularly for smaller breeds.

Using part of your dog's normal meal allowance is often a better option than adding extra treats.

Another concern is frustration.

Some dogs become increasingly agitated when food is difficult to retrieve. If your dog starts biting, scratching, or aggressively manipulating the mat, consider a simpler design or a different enrichment activity.

Lick mats can also become associated with unpleasant experiences if they're repeatedly used immediately before something frightening.

For example, giving a dog a lick mat only before you leave the house could eventually turn the mat into a predictor of separation.

This doesn't happen to every dog, but it's worth avoiding by offering lick mats during ordinary, pleasant activities too.

Finally, lick mats can delay appropriate treatment if owners assume they're sufficient for significant anxiety.

Persistent fear, panic, destructive behavior, or self-injury warrants professional assessment rather than simply trying more enrichment products.

Lick mats are just one option among several products marketed for canine anxiety.

Puzzle feeders and snuffle mats also provide food-based enrichment, but they encourage somewhat different behaviors.

Snuffle mats emphasize sniffing and searching, while puzzle feeders often involve manipulation and problem-solving.

Chew toys provide another natural outlet, although the suitability of chewing activities depends on the dog's preferences and the safety of the product.

Pheromone diffusers and anxiety wraps take different approaches. These products aim to influence a dog's emotional response through chemical signals or gentle body pressure, respectively, but their effectiveness varies and the supporting evidence has limitations.

Prescription anxiety medication is different again.

For dogs with diagnosed anxiety disorders, appropriate medication can reduce the intensity of fear and improve their ability to participate in behavioral treatment.

The best choice depends on the problem you're trying to solve.

If your dog needs more interesting indoor activities, a lick mat may be ideal.

If your dog is terrified of thunderstorms or panics whenever you leave, enrichment alone is unlikely to be enough.

Lick mats can be a useful addition to your dog's enrichment routine, and some dogs do appear calmer while using them.

They encourage natural food-seeking behavior, provide an enjoyable activity, and can help create positive associations during mildly stressful situations.

However, there isn't enough direct scientific evidence to claim that lick mats reliably reduce anxiety, lower cortisol, or trigger a specific calming endorphin response in dogs.

That doesn't make them ineffective. It simply means we should be realistic about what they can achieve.

For a bored or mildly restless dog, a lick mat might provide exactly the kind of quiet, rewarding activity they need.

For a dog experiencing severe fear or separation-related panic, it should be considered a supportive tool rather than a treatment.

My advice is to pay attention to the dog rather than the marketing claims. If your dog enjoys their lick mat, appears comfortable while using it, and settles afterward, it's probably a worthwhile part of their routine.

And if anxiety continues to interfere with their everyday life, speak with your veterinarian about identifying the underlying cause and developing a treatment plan.

Sometimes a little peanut butter and a textured mat can make a difficult moment easier. The important thing is knowing when your dog needs more than that.