PickPocket Foragers were the brainchild of dog guardian and canine behaviourist Kate Mallatratt. Inspired by her elderly Golden Retriever Mabel (pictured above) to provide at-home foraging enrichment to support Mabel's mental and physical wellbeing in her teens, Kate wanted to combine scent work with a fully washable forager. She also wanted to help her clients manage their dogs and had seen how foraging enrichment could lessen behaviour problems and boost the wellbeing of her four-legged clients. Kate saw a gap in the market for a durable and easily laundered product that provided gentle frustration-free enrichment and puzzle solving by engaging the dog's instinctive seeking circuit, and PickPocket Foragers was born in 2016. The business has continued to enjoy great success and has expanded to include crate hanging foragers, foraging blankets, foraging bags and small foraging pouches. PickPocket Foragers come in a range of sizes and are suitable for all breeds including those with brachycephalic (flat) faces.

Kate is passionate about the welfare benefits of foraging for less-able dogs who often become more reliant on their sense of smell. PickPocket Foragers bring foraging enrichment wellbeing and gentle mind-body exercise to dogs with sensory impairment like blindness and to senior dogs with mobility issues/cognitive impairment/visual and auditory decline as well as offering much-needed mental stimulation to those on restricted exercise or recovering from surgery. 

By placing the dogs’ needs at the core of the business, PickPocket Foragers continues to go from strength to strength and is delighted to receive the Association of IntoDogs Certificate of Recognition for their “valuable contribution within the field of enrichment products for the better welfare of animals.” Our products are also supported by Canine Arthritis Management, a UK-based charity that provides free, evidence-based information and support for owners of dogs with arthritis. We work with several charities to provide enrichment products for dogs in kennels and for fund raising events as we continue to share the wellfare benefits of foraging enrichment one dog at a time.

Returning to Mabel's story, she had two loves in life: giant teddy bears and foraging. She would spend forever searching for the last crumb and when satisfied there wasn't a morcel left, she would stretch out on the forger, sigh deeply and doze contentedly. Although sadly no longer with us, Mabel's legacy lives on through PickPocket Foragers.