FOFOS Doggy Sprinkler Splash Mat

The FOFOS Doggy Sprinkler Splash Mat connects to a garden hose. Water pressure fills the rim and sends a ring of spray up over the middle, so the dog gets a shallow pool and a sprinkler at the same time.

Key Features

• Connects to a standard garden hose - the water pressure does all the work
• Spray jets around the rim throw a ring of water over the centre
• Shallow enough for a puppy to stand in
• Empties and folds flat for storage

What You Need To Use It

• A garden hose and an outdoor tap. There is no pump and nothing to inflate by mouth - it is the water pressure that gives it shape
• Turn the tap down rather than up. Full pressure makes the spray too fierce for most dogs and they will not go near it
• Put it on grass or a soft surface. On tile it becomes a slip hazard the moment a dog runs at it

Introducing A Nervous Dog

• Start with the water off. Let the dog walk over a dry mat and get treats for it
• Then a trickle, then more. A dog frightened by a sprinkler on the first go will avoid it all summer
• Not every dog likes water, and that is fine. Forcing it does not work

Keeping Cool In UAE Summer

• In UAE summer heat, keep outdoor play short and early or late in the day, and check the ground with the back of your hand before you walk on it
• Water play is a good way to cool a dog, but a paddling mat is not a treatment for heatstroke. A dog that is panting hard, unsteady or bright red in the gums needs a vet, not a garden
• Empty it after use. Standing water in the sun grows bacteria and, left long enough, breeds mosquitoes

Good To Know

• Claws puncture vinyl. Trim nails, supervise, and expect a keen digger to eventually make a hole
• It is not a chew toy and not a bed. Take it up when the session ends
• Supervise every session. Even shallow water needs an eye on it, and this is a toy rather than a pool