dog chews (things to keep doggy busy and chewing)

[ktgrok]

It's been a long time since I had a puppy....almost 12 years. Lots of difference chews on the market, etc. With my last puppy, she just wasn't that chewy/mouthy. The one before that was even longer ago, morel like twenty years or something, and she LOVED nylabones. Or anything else. 

 

This one doesn't like nylabones. They were my first choice, and after a day of ignoring them,

 

Rawhide - I broke down and bought some compressed rawhide. I prefer the compressed to the chips and rolls because they can't get a big piece off at once. But it's hard to find now! Used to be everywhere. We've done some of the regular rolls of rawhide, and he did puke up a piece but that was in the car..he also pooped and I think he was carsick. But still. Also tried the "easier to digest" rawhide but it doesn't last as long at all and isn't cheap when you have two dogs that want it. (third dog is brain damaged and doesn't know how to chew things....seriously)

 

 

Pig ears - Gross, they don't last long from what I remember are are very fatty and full of preservatives? 

 

Hooves - don't those splinter? And stink?

 

Bully sticks - ok aside from the weirdness of buying a bull penis, they seem expensive and don't look like they would last very long considering the price? Or am I wrong, and they last longer than they look? 

 

Antlers? These are new to me, but I've read they may be too hard, and hurt teeth? 

 

Sterilized bones - Had a dog fracture a tooth on one, so won't buy those. Too hard. 

 

Knuckle bones - maybe? From what I remember they aren't as hard as the white sterilized bones, and last pretty well, but are pretty gross. I'm also a bit worried about the dogs fighting over them, but could give only in the crate. 

 

Kong - using those a lot...will buy more today and get a few larger ones as well. I currently have two mediums. But the bigger dog keeps stealing them, lol. 

 

 

[lewber]

I have a very chewy lab:) We've had some success with the rawhide that's filled with something. He Siena's a good deal of time getting food out. Bully sticks do last a long time considering.

But kongs are our favorite. The best is to plug the hole with a piece of cheese or a carrot and half fill with food and then finish filling with water and freeze. These last a long time and our dog is definitely an aggressive chewer!

[MercyA]

Have you tried the FlexiChew Nylabones? They are much more appealing than the DuraChews, I think. 

Edited December 27, 2016 by MercyA

[Alice]

I'm not a dog expert. Our current dog is the only one I've had. She was very much a chewer as a puppy. Her favorite thing was the rope kind of toys. There were ones that were meant more for tugging games I think but she liked to chew them. She also didn't like the Nylabones at first but we rubbed it in bacon once or twice and then she got interested in it and it became her favorite thing. 

[ktgrok]

Have you tried the FlexiChew Nylabones? They are much more appealing than the DuraChews, I think. 

 

No! In fact, out of habit from my weim I went right to the hardest kind, since she was a chew fiend. Good point. I'll get a flexi one. ( I think those are what used to be called gumabones)

[Serenade]

I'm a big fan of antlers. They are about the only thing that my chewer can't destroy in an hour or two. They are expensive, though, and I've even had antlers that my dog has chewed through in less than a month. Supposedly if you get the right kind of antler for your dog, you shouldn't need more than 2 or so a year. We must finally have gotten the right kind, because she's been working on this one now for 5 or 6 months.

[Serenade]

A question about Nylabones -- when my dog was a puppy we got her some of those, but she gnawed them down, and I guess ate them -- aren't they plastic? Is that OK for the dog?

[MercyA]

No! In fact, out of habit from my weim I went right to the hardest kind, since she was a chew fiend. Good point. I'll get a flexi one. ( I think those are what used to be called gumabones)

 

Yep, they did used to be called Gumabones! You have a good memory for dog products.  :) My dog is very good about spitting out the little pieces she chews off, but you will want to watch for that. I like them because they are so "clean" compared to other products. 

 

My previous dog fractured a tooth on a DuraChew bone, so they scare me.  :(

[ktgrok]

A question about Nylabones -- when my dog was a puppy we got her some of those, but she gnawed them down, and I guess ate them -- aren't they plastic? Is that OK for the dog?

You are supposed to take it away once they gnaw the knobs off the ends :)

[Pawz4me]

I think there are risks with every chew product. You (generic) just have to decide on which risks you're willing to take.

 

Rawhide is about the only thing that I absolutely will not buy.

 

My little guy likes venison jerky treats (but they might be prohibitively expensive for a bigger dog) and bully sticks. I buy the American made versions of both from Best Bully Sticks.

 

Antlers have been hit or miss here. Few have been chewed on long term. Some are appealing for the first few days, some have only gotten a sniff or two and then been totally ignored. FWIW, Petsmart allows you to return them if your dog ignores them. It seems to me that some of them are every bit as hard as sterilized bones.

Edited December 27, 2016 by Pawz4me

[Gentlemommy]

Best chews we've found are antlers and yaks milk chews. Yes, I'm serious, it's yak milk lol. Neither of those stink, and they last a very long time. Both are quite pricey, but well worth it.

[ktgrok]

Best chews we've found are antlers and yaks milk chews. Yes, I'm serious, it's yak milk lol. Neither of those stink, and they last a very long time. Both are quite pricey, but well worth it.

 

Good to know about the yak milk chews..I wasn't sure if those lasted or were a treat type thing. 

[Pawz4me]

I've found that yak/Himalayan chews vary a lot. Some last a very long time and some are rather easily broken off and chewed up very quickly. That variation has seemed to be true both within the same brand and from brand to brand. When our bigger dog was alive even though he was elderly and his teeth weren't the best anymore he could often chew one up so quickly there's no way I could've provided them to him regularly. 

[RoughCollie]

I buy Aidan bully sticks (odor free, USA) from www.bestbullysticks.com . For a puppy, I'd try the thin or standard thickness, 12" bully sticks. When the sticks get small enough to worry about the dog swallowing the remainder and possibly choking on it, I take it away.

 

I store bully sticks in the freezer, and I buy them in bulk because they are the only thing my dog will chew. It is okay to give the frozen ones to a dog.

 

I buy odor-free because the last batch I bought on sale at Amazon smelled so strongly that it was awful to be in the same room with the dog while he chewed one. During previous years, the regular bully sticks were not smelly.

 

I've bought all sorts of chewables for my dog (except for rawhide), but he doesn't like them. There is another one called Benebone (Amazon has them) that is popular with dogs, but mine didn't like his Benebone either. The dog is not supposed to ingest Nylabones or Benebones -- when they start looking raggedy or pieces can come off, you are supposed to replace them.

[gingersmom]

I buy chunky chews beef braided rawhide ring on Amazon. It doesn't break off in large chunks and takes her awhile to eat through one.

 

I have a Chesapeake bay retriever that is a toy destroyer.

 

I also buy pressed rawhide at Petsmart that last awhile.

 

She almost cracked a tooth on an antler so no more.

 

Petsmart also has bones filled with cheese/bacon. Pricey at $8 but keep them occupied for awhile and then I just refill with peanut butter.

Edited December 27, 2016 by gingersmom

[wintermom]

We board service dogs and puppies, and are only allowed to use "safe" chew toys. While anything could potentially be dangerous, and the puppy should be supervised, these toys usually have a longer life. Since the service association pays for vet fees for their hundreds of puppies, they do whatever they can to reduce/prevent injuries.

 

We use Kong and Tizzy. The Tizzy dog chew toys are especially popular with the labs. Sometimes we'll put kibble in the toy (sometimes with water and freeze them).  https://www.westpawdesign.com/dogs/dog-toys/zogoflex-dog-toys/tizzi-dog-toy

[Tree Frog]

I'm following. We have 2-60 lb mutts who love to chew. We've not had good luck with the ropes. They love to chew them, but sometimes we have to pull them out of their back ends. The longest we pulled out was about 18 inches. With that length, I'm concerned it could cause problems as it travels through their intestines. We've also used Kongs, which I filled with peanut butter and froze. They like those, but I don't like the potential mess or the PB that doesn't get cleaned out of the middle.

 

These balls we've had great luck with, especially the glow in the dark ones. (There are 2 different links there.) Our blue one is solid rubber and a little smaller; the glow in the dark ball is hollow. The dogs like to chew on them and they pop out of their mouths as they're chewing so they have to chase them down. The only problem we've had is the dogs tend to put them under furniture and try to get them out. Some places they can't reach with their paws, so we frequently have 3 or 4 balls under the desk drawers or the dresser. I don't know what size the ones we have are; they weren't sized when I purchased them. (We also like to throw them because we can put one finger in the hole and lob it, so we don't have to touch the entire slobbery ball.)

[SebastianCat]

My dog's favorite chew is the Petstages deer horn.   Same type material as a nylabone, but for some reason it tastes different to her.

 

Braided bully sticks last longer for us than straight ones.   If you find your dog goes through bully sticks quickly, try the braided ones.   I usually buy a long one, then use a big knife to cut it in half, and only give half at a time.   

[dirty ethel rackham]

I think there are risks with every chew product. You (generic) just have to decide on which risks you're willing to take.

 

Rawhide is about the only thing that I absolutely will not buy.

 

My little guy likes venison jerky treats (but they might be prohibitively expensive for a bigger dog) and bully sticks. I buy the American made versions of both from Best Bully Sticks.

 

Antlers have been hit or miss here. Few have been chewed on long term. Some are appealing for the first few days, some have only gotten a sniff or two and then been totally ignored. FWIW, Petsmart allows you to return them if your dog ignores them. It seems to me that some of them are every bit as hard as sterilized bones.

:iagree: I was going to recommend BestbullySticks.com.  When our dog was a huge chewer, these were a life saver.  The prices are so much better than pet store prices. 

 

Best chews we've found are antlers and yaks milk chews. Yes, I'm serious, it's yak milk lol. Neither of those stink, and they last a very long time. Both are quite pricey, but well worth it.

Yak chew toys were a problem for us.  My dog, Bear the Wonderchewer, would break of chunks from these and I just didn't feel like they were safe. 

 

Here is one toy that Bear has not been able to destroy.  You can put small treats inside and in the holes (Zukes are the perfect size.)

 

I also recommend Kong brand.  Another one that Bear likes is this one.  I stick treats in the ends.  Bear especially loves carrots. 

 

We also use the Classic Kong to make him work harder for meals.  We will mix the dry food with a little bit of wet food to make it sticky.  Then we stuff it in the Kong to make meal-time last a little longer. 

[ktgrok]

Thanks all! Ordered another kong (amazon has much better prices than local stores), got a flexible nylabone (which he seems to have at least some interest in ) and one yak bone to try under supervision. May look at ordering a bully stick. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

Oh, and something we do that I learned from the shelter ... if you use peanut butter, save the jars.  We give Bear a mostly empty peanut butter jar for him to work on licking it all out.  You do need to supervise, though.  We end up cutting through the other end so that he can get all of it out without chewing the jar.  (our jars are plastic.)  It keeps him busy and entertained. 

[Lizzie in Ma]

Kong with peanut butter frozen overnight.  Might last half an hour.

Bully sticks are great but don't last that long and are too darn expensive.  The braided ones last longer.

He doesn't like antlers and I do not give my dogs rawhide, ever.

Our go to's

Himalayan Chews, expensive but last fora week or two.  make sure you get the original ones, other's are not so long lasting

Beef marrow bones from the grocery store, which we also put in the freezer.

We now get the Super Chewer Bark Box too and he now has at least one toy he can't destroy. ;)

Edited March 7, 2018 by Lizzie in Ma

[Osprey]

I can’t use bully sticks because one dog has a very sensitive stomach. That same dog won’t chew on anything plastic. After much trial and error, I only buy deer antlers and elk antlers. They last a long time and both dogs enjoy them. The unfussy dog is a Chihuahua, and the antlers don’t mess up her teeth, so I can’t imagine it would be a problem for anyone except maybe a senior dog.

[ktgrok]

This is an old thread, he's much better now. Except for blocks...he loves the kids' wooden blocks. 

 

and now he will chew nylabones, which he NEVER would before!

[ktgrok]

He probably would eat crayons but the toddler gets them first! She is constantly trying to eat them, LOL. I think she has taken up where he left off.