Puzzle feeders for Dachshund puppies

A 3-month-old Miniature Dachshund just starting on kibble is exactly the kind of situation where you want to tread gently — puzzle feeders do two genuinely useful things at this age: they slow down eating (which matters a lot for Dachshunds, who can be prone to digestive issues) and they give a young brain something to work on. But get the difficulty wrong and a puppy either bulldozes through it in seconds or walks away confused. What I'd love to know: is your pup eating dry kibble, wet food, or a mix? And are you mainly trying to slow mealtimes down, or is enrichment and mental stimulation the bigger goal?

That's really helpful. Fast eating in a small Dachshund puppy is worth addressing early — gulping air with meals can cause discomfort and, longer term, contributes to bloat risk. Given she's only 3 months old and petite, you want something with very low physical resistance — no sliding discs or tight compartments she'd need to force with her nose or paws. How does she handle mild challenges in general — does she persist when something takes a few seconds to figure out, or does she tend to move on quickly?

That's exactly the right instinct — determined personality is great, but physical scale is the real constraint here. My recommendation is the LickiMat Splash. It's a flat, flexible silicone mat with a raised pattern of small wells and ridges. You scatter her kibble across it (a tiny splash of water or a smear of wet food helps the pieces sit in the grooves), and she has to use her tongue and nose to work each piece out individually. It slows eating dramatically without requiring any strength or complex problem-solving — the challenge is sensory and exploratory, which is perfect for a puppy brain. It's also completely flat on the floor, so no tipping or sliding around, which matters with a tiny dog. The Splash variant has slightly deeper grooves than the original, giving a bit more resistance without being frustrating. Easy to wash in the dishwasher too, which you'll appreciate.

Good question to ask. LickiMat is made from food-grade silicone — no BPA, no toxic plasticisers. The mat itself is one solid moulded piece with no detachable parts, so there's nothing to pull off. That said, like any chew-adjacent item, you'd want to supervise the first few uses just to see how she interacts with it — most dogs lick rather than chew it, which is the intended behaviour. If she starts really gnawing at the edges rather than licking, just redirect her. At 3 months with kibble, she'll almost certainly be too focused on getting the food out to bother chewing the mat itself.

Great choice — it's one of those products that does exactly what it promises without any faff. Start with just a small portion of her meal on it so she gets the idea, then build up to full meals once she's confident. You'll probably notice a real difference in how calm she is after eating too — the slower pace and the licking action are both naturally settling for puppies. Enjoy watching her figure it out!