Silicone or Rubber Lick Mat: Choosing, Cleaning and Freezing

A lick mat is a strange little product to explain until a dog actually uses one, and then it explains itself. We make freeze-dried dog treats out of a garage in Malvern, Pennsylvania, so our Toys section is really an extension of the same question we ask about treats: what keeps a dog occupied without us having to invent a claim we cannot back up. Our lick mats come from two makers, one working in silicone and one in rubber, and the material difference is most of what you need to know before picking one.

Silicone versus rubber, the actual difference

The Modern Dog Company lists its mats as 100% food grade silicone, with suction cups on the back to hold a mat against a bowl, a tub wall, or the floor. Silicone is soft and a little stretchy, which is part of why it grips smooth surfaces well. The rubber eMat and eCoin mats in our Toys section, from a different maker, are a firmer, denser material by comparison, which some owners prefer for a dog that works a mat hard. Neither material wins across the board, it mostly comes down to how a particular dog interacts with a mat and what surface it usually sits on.

What comes in the box

Every Modern Dog Company lick mat we carry includes a spatula and a brush alongside the mat itself, per the product listing, which makes spreading a thin layer of something into the grooves, and then cleaning it back out, considerably less messy than doing either by hand. The seven designs in our lineup differ in surface pattern and print, not in what is included, so picking a favorite design does not mean giving up the spatula and brush that come with the others.

Cleaning and freezing a lick mat

Plain household cleaning covers most of it: rinse the mat under warm water right after use so nothing dries into the grooves, work in a little mild dish soap if needed, and air dry it before the next use. The maker describes some of its designs, though not all seven, as dishwasher and microwave safe on their own listings, and describes the line more broadly as combating boredom, soothing and calming dogs, and supporting mental stimulation and dental health, all of it maker marketing that we are simply relaying here, not claims of our own, so check the specific listing for the pattern in hand before relying on any of it.

Freezing a filled mat is common practice for stretching out how long a mat holds a dog's attention, and silicone generally holds up fine in a home freezer in our experience. Neither maker publishes an official cold-use rating for these mats, so a shorter freeze time and a thinner fill is the more cautious way to try it the first time before freezing a full mat solid.

In the Toys aisle

Browse the full range of lick mats for dogs, including the Modern Dog Company silicone designs, in our Toys section. The Modern Dog Company ships its mats directly from Nashville, Tennessee, and SodaPup ships its rubber eMat and eCoin mats directly from Longmont, Colorado, both through Shopify Collective with their own tracking, and Sniff and Shift never touches either box.

A filled lick mat and a handful of our freeze-dried dog treats crumbled into the grooves is about as easy as enrichment gets on a weeknight.

Questions

Is a silicone or a rubber lick mat better?

Neither wins across the board. Silicone is softer and grips smooth surfaces well with its suction cups, while the rubber mats in our lineup are firmer and denser, which some owners prefer for a dog that works a mat hard.

Can I put a lick mat in the freezer?

Freezing a filled mat is common practice and silicone generally holds up fine in a home freezer, though neither maker publishes an official cold-use rating, so a shorter freeze with a thinner fill is the more cautious first try.

What comes with a Modern Dog Company lick mat?

Each one includes a spatula and a brush along with the mat itself, per the maker's own product listing, across all seven designs in our lineup.