Chewing

All dogs need to chew.  It is part of the genetic make-up of a dog to sharpen and strengthen his jowls.  It is important that we always provide our dogs with proper chew items, especially puppies.  There are as many different chew toys as there are dogs who chew them, and each dog will choose which ones he prefers.  Before we talk about the different chew toys, it is really important that we keep “illegal” chew objects out of the reach of our dogs. Prevention is key here, prevent unwanted behavior while reinforcing wanted behavior.  In general, if a certain “illegal” item is kept out of the dog’s reach for 6 weeks, they generally will not go back to that item.

Legal chew items:

Kong, an industrial rubber toy that is indestructible for most dogs.  Find the correct size for your dog and learn how to stuff it with yummy treats.  Always making it successful and easy in the beginning.  There are Kong stuffing recipes on the internet at the Kong website.

Bully Sticks, also called Beef Chews, are a beef product that most dogs love.  I always have a bully stick laying around my house, it is the first thing my dogs go for when they are wanting to chew.  They come in different lengths from 6” to 18”.

Shin Bone,  The shin bone also comes in different sizes from 6” to 12”.  This is a beef bone that dogs chew and get the thin layer of meat off.  You can also stuff the center of the bone with yummy treats, peanut butter, etc.  Dogs continue to chew on the bone long after the meat has been stripped.

Goodie Ship/Biscuit Ball:  These are two other industrial rubber chews that get stuffed with food or biscuits.  The goodie ship is a little easier for dogs to get the food out of then the Kong, but it still gives your dog the mental stimulation that they need.  The biscuit ball is also made by the Kong company, it is a new shape that you can stuff with food or biscuits and the dog works to get the cookies out.  2 sizes available.  

Other chews: Pigs ears, cow hoofs, lamb trotters, knuckle bones.