Our story

PickPockets Foragers are fully washable/tumble dryable fleece feeders in which dogs hunt for treats inside pockets. They are simple to use, easy to launder and bring all the benefits of foraging into your dog’s home.

PickPocket Foragers were the brainchild of dog owner and canine behaviourist Kate Mallatratt. Kate wanted to combine scent work with a fully washable feeding mat to help her clients manage their dogs. As a behaviourist, Kate saw first-hand the benefits of canine enrichment and in particular how foraging 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 enrichment and puzzle solving through foraging and PickPocket Foragers was born in 2016.

The business has continued to enjoy great success and has expanded to include crate hanging foragers, floor mat foragers and small foraging pouches. PickPocket Foragers come in a range of sizes and are suitable for all breeds including those with brachycephalic (flat) faces, and PickPocket Foragers are especially valuable to dogs with ‘special’ needs. 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 can bring enrichment pleasure 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. 

Kate manages the day-to-day PickPocket Foragers business alongside her force-free training and behaviour business, Contemplating Canines, in East Devon, UK. She holds an advanced diploma in Canine Behaviour Management (with distinction) from Compass Education Ltd, she is the author of the book Home Alone & Happy and writes regular columns on canine behaviour for Animal Therapy Magazine.

By placing the dogs’ needs at the core of the business, PickPocket Foragers continues to go from strength to strength and is delighted to have its products recommended by canine professionals and vets. PickPockets is very proud to have won the Association of INTODogs recognition award for valuable contribution to the field of canine enrichment.