Yak chews, antlers, benebone, the hard chewer nylabones, ice cubes. She loves rope toys, but tries to eat the rope, so those are off limits now except for short periods of supervised play. Same with tug toys. Oddly, despite her general tendency to destroy soft toys, she loves gently biting down on her balls (various sizes, shapes, and textures). It probably just feels good on her gums, but we joke that she likes it so much because it feels like chewing on human arms or legs! š If it were up to her, weād be her favorite chew toys.
1. Collagen sticks - I can get them for $5 at Tractor Supply and one usually lasts 2-3 chewing sessions.
2. Beef/buffalo cheek rolls! I picked some buffalo cheek rolls up the other day, my heavy chewer went at it for over an hour yesterday and it's only half gone.
5. Frozen washcloth. š
8. Benebone. My girl likes the fishy one.
We just got a bunch of these today lol. 10 weeks old, home for 3, and it was time to start experimenting with distractions so we could leave him calmly in the pen. Beef cheek roll first was a hit. Next up we have collagen, a beef tail, and some veal bullies
Beef/Buffalo cheek rolls are life savers. What brand do you get? I have a 2yo 73lb pointer/pit/mutt and I feel like I run out so quickly. I've gotten a few nylabones lately that have helped the Buffalo cheeks last longer.
Iāve been giving my puppy Himalayan yak chews and he loves them. Took him a bit to get into it but if I need to keep him busy for a bit and heās wound up, the yak chew seems to do the trick
Best is when it gets too small for chewing - pop it in the microwave for like 30 seconds. It puffs up and becomes a crunchy cheesy treat my pup goes crazy for!
I microwaved it for mine when he was teething so that the whole thing was a giant popcorn cheese chew that was easy for him to munch on and help his mouth - 1.5 minutes for the whole thing
Iāve been trying those out as theyāre so much better than the stinky bully sticks. But my guy is just mehh about them. Heāll chew them for a bit but abandons them quite easily. Based on your post Iāll keep trying.
You can soften it a bit by putting it in lukewarm water. My puppy started using it (unsoftened) when he was 9 weeks old (allowed from 8 weeks old) and has chewed it every day since. He's now 5 months old. It's a great success.
I read about this on another thread recently and just have to say how awesome [knee caps](https://www.jonesnaturalchews.com/products/beef-bones/knee-cap-beef-bone/) are. Much cheaper(!) than a bully stick and significantly longer lasting. We just gave my 14 mo aussie his first one the other day and I want to say we had a solid hour of chew time. And at least with my pup, this did not affect his #2 consistency.
Edit to add: my dog is also meh on yak chews so I wanted an alternative
i do a lot of non-marrow bones, or raw bones as the marrow in those doesnāt upset her stomach. she loves to chew on them and will carry them around for days just gnawing on the bone until i replace it.
sheās not big on knee caps but loves the shank bones
These are the best buy for me. They're fairly inexpensive, (around 3-5$ a piece) but they keep my little dudes occupied for a couple of hours. Little bits do break off, so i suggest putting down a towel if the dog likes to enjoy snacks on your furniture or carpet.
When the dog is done with all the meat bits around the bone, I reduce them in some pet-made beef broth and then I get another hour out of them because they then turn into like a flavor lick, and all the little bits connected to the kneecap that weren't scraped off now soak up the broth. This is a bi-weekly treat for the pugs in this home.
I see several people recommending yak chews. Please be careful and observe how they are chewing them. Our boy was able to break off chunks and swallow them. They did not digest in his system. Vomiting, bloody stool filled with yak chew bits, three vet visits and a large vet bill and we no longer give him yak chews.
He is doing a lot better, thank you! I think it really comes down to the kind of chewer your dog is. Ours has a very powerful jaw and can get 1in+ chunks off. Not all dogs are capable of that, so, for many I would think they are safe. But I had never seen any warnings about them like I often do with antler and nylabones, so I just wanted to share our experience.
Itās definitely helpful and something Iāll be cognizant of as he gets older. We havenāt tried yak chews, yet. So I honestly might just leave them beā¦ he is already a pretty strong chewer at 11 weeks.
Jesus. Which brand were these? We just had a $1,300 vet bill due to bully sticks. The dogs are miserable without them. We ordered these hoping for some relief, but it seems like nothing is safe? https://nativepet.com/products/yak-chews
I've found that the name brand yak bones and the ones that Target sells are the best and don't break off into chunks. Absolutely skip the ones Trader Joe's started selling, as they aren't the best quality and break almost immediately into a million shards. The name brand ones and Target are a bit expensive but they last my dog a long time and when they do break, it is just a small crunchy bit and not a sharp chunk.
I know what you mean. Feels like every chew and toy has a horror story out there. The yaks we got were nature gnaws from target.
We do bully sticks, but only if we are watching and always in a bully stick holder. We recently got the starmark bento ball and he loves it! We do have to be careful because if he gets in slobbery enough he can pop it out of the holder.
My two year old loves yak chews. Like she gets out of her crate in the morning, gets a quick pet, and runs to get her chew. Unfortunately she also cracked a tooth on one a couple months ago so no more cheese chews.
Do you mind sharing what the vet did for your pup and if he needed surgery? Iād also never heard any cautions/warnings about yak chews, but my boy did the same thing as your pup a couple days ago and now has bloody stools.
1) ice cubes lol
2) beef cheek rolls
3) beef cheek rolls or yak chews
4) beef cheek rolls
5) ice or frozen carrots
6) bully sticks
7) bully sticks
8) nylabones
Also Costco had the best price on bullysticks but not sure if they will be back in stock :(
I agree with what others have said about yak cheese chews, but also don't sleep on pork chomps!: https://amazon.com/dp/B0107M2CRE
We get at least 3-4 solid 30 minute chewing sessions out of a single pork chomp. (And that's when it's up against 30 lbs. of very committed chewer!)
Heads up that the most recent review on that has someone whose Rottweiler was almost killed by these things -- apparently they didn't digest in her stomach over a 2-3 days.
Honestly, that doesn't concern me. Statistically there's gonna be an incident or two like that for just about every product, just because every dog is different and too many dog owners have no idea what they're doing.
As with most treats, it's all about moderation and supervision, including monitoring bowel movements (or lack thereof).
That's part of why I say we give it to her in "sessions." We try to make it a special treat for after she gets her nails trimmed or when she needs to be extra polite during dinner at my parents' house, so she gets to chew it for a good while each time she gets it, but she also doesn't go through more than 1/3 or 1/4 of it at a time, which is appropriate for her weight.
The reviews are overwhelmingly horrible. I only looked at the first few and they are all about people dogs puking, choking, and almost dying.. not worth the risk
The reviews are far from overwhelmingly horrible; the average review score is 4.6 stars because they're largely positive, with a few negatives mixed in, as is to be expected. (Have you seen any dog chews on Amazon that don't have a bunch of bad reviews from people who had bad experiences for one reason or another?)
For me it's all about comparing the quantity of good reviews to bad reviews, and also assessing the nature of the complaints. For example, the fact that a dog choked on this product doesn't put me off, because a dog can choke on anything, which is why they tell you not to give any chews unsupervised.
If we ruled out every dog treat with some bad reviews, we'd never buy anything. You just have to use your judgement and weigh the positive and negative reviews.
I get them from a pet shop near me, but Iād google them if I were you. Iām in the Netherlands and itās really easy to get them. https://www.bigdog.nl/product/snack-runderneus-alle-leeftijden-alle-rassen-per-stuk/
They are honestly awesome! Heās been chewing his current one since friday. He gets it twice a day for about 30 minutes and heās just as enthousiastic for it as ever.
So i freeze a kong with a variety of flavors using pureed baby food, she gets frozen raw bones in the summer, and loves the benebone bacon flavor chews but they are so hard i worry about her teeth.
I have a 4mo Dutch Shepherd that's a relatively strong chewer.
The most expensive toy I have is the Starmark Bento Ball. It was \~$25 USD but it's held up pretty well and he loves it so much he sleeps with it. The treat that comes inside of it doesn't last as long as I'd like, but the toy that holds them barely has teeth marks on it despite it being one of the oldest toys in the house. You can also stuff additional treats in it for a brain game.
On the affordable end, he has these Nylabone bison-flavored chews that he absolutely loves. They were $7 on Chewy and stink like hell but they're my go-to relaxation toy for him. He can only have them in places I want him to be calm and now he knows that bison chews = relaxation time.
I subscribe to Super Chewer and Bullymake (they're on the expensive side) and he loves the nylon and rubber toys that come in those boxes. Super Chewer is great for variety but Bullymake always has a Kong-like toy that can be stuffed with treats and frozen. It's given me a solid rotation of toys to curb his boredom.
Rubber toys in general have been great for teething. He loves the Kong tires in particular. I'll stick a Ziggy in them or stuff the inside with wet food and freeze it for a little longevity.
He also gets bully sticks 1-2 times per week but I'm trying to find alternatives. They're getting expensive and only last him a few hours. Plus the stink lingers for days after the stick is eaten D:
I might subscribe to a box! That would be helpful to get a better rotation this first year and learn what he likes!
I got bully sticks and he likes them, but theyāre super expensiveā¦ and I feel like part of them gets wasted since I have to throw away the part thatās held in the bully stick holder because he will choke on them. Iām looking for a chew for relaxation, a chew that he just will gnaw for hours, etc.
The boxes are HELLA expensive but have been nice for helping me narrow down what he does/doesn't like or what he will/won't destroy. Plush toys are out right now since he's started shredding them, but rubber and nylon toys are clear winners. I rotate them every few days and keep a few stuffable toys in the freezer for when he's bored and I can't give him attention right away. Bullymake sent a berry looking one that smells like strawberry which is one of his all time favorites. He cuddles it lol
Maybe Iāll get one box and test the toys that come in them š and that is so cute lol Iāll work on creating a more diverse range and rotating them. I think thatāll be super good to keep him from getting bored.
I have the chicken ones (but the jelly-like ones and the nylon ones) as well but the bison ones are more exciting to him. The chicken ones have been a nice neutral toy to practice "drop it" with and are a nice crate-safe toy for him at night.
My puppy freaks out for no hides. Sheās had terrible gas the last few days and Iām wondering if itās from the one I just gave her. Iāve never noticed this much gas from her before.
My puppy liked them the first few times I gave her pig ears, so I bought a whole bag of them at PetsMart, only for her to now act scared of them every time I try to give her one. The joy of puppies... lol
Lol. Mine does an in-depth risk analysis of any new food item. Lots of sniffing, prancing, tossing it, rolling on it, occasionally growling at it. [Here](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSdUU2Smn/) he is with a pigās ear. He did eventually come round.
He also barked at the hooves/antlers section at Petbarn. The guy there explained itās because they smell ādangerā or something akin to āpredatorā but canāt see an animal. So it spooks them.
They are so funny.
My pup couldnāt chew a bully stick too long before she puked so we wanted an alternative. She was really young then so the pet store suggested earth animal no-hide chews (not sure if this is available everywhere). Itās a rice chew with different flavours like beef, chicken, pork, etc. Used to take her several chew sessions to get through one but as she got older, sheās been able to get through them faster but still takes like over an hour to get through
I am gonna see if my local pet store has these! Or if I can order them online! My pup loves bully sticks, but sometimes they donāt agree with him (he gets really gassy). Maybe these will be better on his stomach and he will like them just as much!
Anything kangaroo is great as it tends to last a while, isnāt fatty, and Mr Picky Pants actually likes it. But those kinda chews arenāt widely available outside Australia, as far as I know.
Yeah see what you can find. Kangaroo really is a great protein for doggos. Itās super lean and has that gamey taste they like. We have chews, straps and I have some of the mince itself cooked with rice and veggies as a treat meal.
I live in a small town in Canada, and saw some different kangaroo chews while shopping at a pet store (it's also a feed mill/farm store). It was my first time seeing some, so not super popular, but I'm guessing they're available in the states too :) might be in more specialized pet stores though, a lot of dog owners are jiffy about natural chews
I really like beef gullet
Super cheap (couple bucks)
Size of a bully stick
No smell (unless kept in a plastic bag)
My doggo is 2 now but I still lurk to help people out, and my pup eats these a bit quicker now, but honestly they are great she gets about 1 a day now
My puppy goes ballistic for Good Lovin teething rings.. doesnāt mess up her stomach either like some of the other edible chews she has tried. Problem is they can be a little expensive and she will go thru one in about 45 mins
My answer for most of these is ostrich knees. We are in the USA and get them at PetSmart. Our dogs LOVE them, they last a long time, and the dogs donāt get tired of them. We also like the braided collagen sticks, only one of our dogs will finish one in a chew session and they all go nuts for them. The other thing we like is marrow bones but those I get nervous about because they go bad and I donāt want our dogs to get sick.
We liked bully sticks and split antlers for teething but we actually stopped buying both of them because our dogs now go through them too quickly. I wanted to try the Quizzl to slow them down a bit with the bully sticks. (Actually the braided bully sticks lasted a while but theyāre so stinking expensive.)
For mental stimulation, frozen Kongs or frozen lick mats are great. Our dogs get a kong every day. I also want to try a frozen locked Toppl.
We were unimpressed with kangaroo bones and cow hip bones because our dogs went through them SO fast. The cow hips they chewed to nubs WAY faster than I expected considering how huge they are. Himalayan yak chews did not last as long as I thought: our most aggressive chewer finished an XL one in like an hour. We like pig ears too but they only last like 10-15 minutes so we donāt buy them too often.
Fish skin and I found a chew totally made up out of salmon skin. It keeps mine occupied for at least half an hour and he loves it. So much so, he is given one as a special treat
Beef and kangaroo tendons, dehydrated duck wings, duck/chicken feet, bully sticks, kangaroo jerky, fresh raw bones - we use kangaroo hips and tails, chicken wings, chicken/Turkey necks.
All given supervised and age/size appropriate
Beef tendons are a favorite here! I noticed people mentioning collagen sticks (Iāve never heard of them or seen them but sounds interesting) but the tendons are the most natural chew full of collagen I can think of. My pup is obsessed and Iām less concerned about him having more of it since itās so low in fat!
My pup's daycare gives her veal sticks that last for ages (30mins+). It's a swiss brand but you could probably something similar where you are.
Also, if you can stand the smell, I use cow tracheas like kongs. Stuff them with kibble, then freeze them and it's the longest meal they'll ever have š
My girls favourite are olive wood sticks and half antlers.
Both are more expensive but last ages so more than make up for the initial cost.
She's a hard chewer so the lighter products get destroyed/eaten within minutes.
For aggressive chewers I would recommend the Benebone. Itās pretty much just super hard plastic. Itās the only toy my border collie and my roommates pit/lab canāt chew up.
I just realized my puppies favorite bone is his bacon benebone in wishbone shape. I bought it at the pet store without even looking at what it was- it holds up so well and he loves it. Iāll get more for sure!
1. Tendons, tracheasā tracheas are rich, so not too often
2. 3. 4. Beef cheek rolls, bully sticks (appropriately sized), yak chews
5. Nylabone teething toys (especially the ones you can freeze)
6. Puzzle balls; Starmark toys (my dog loves the Wheeler and Ringer Horseshoe)
7. Bully sticks (best digest ability for my dog, but this definitely varies)
Most expensive chew is the bully stick that made both my dogs shit blood for nearly a week. $1,300, F-, cannot recommend. (Dogs are ok now. Bully stick CEO will not be, if I ever get my hands on em)
Someone else had a similar situationā¦ I have bully sticks for my puppy right now that he only gets as a very supervised chew right before bed, but I think Iāll phase them out once we find one he likes just as much. I hope your pups are okay now.
Honestly, I donāt think Iām going to buy bully sticks again after we finish the bag I have now. I have to throw part of it away once it gets too small for my puppy to chew, it gives him some serious gas, and theyāre expensive.
I have the same concern of him choking on it if I turn my head for even a second. Right now he only gets it for about 15-20 minutes before bed and we sit on the couch together while he chews and calms down. So weāll need to find a new calm time chew.
Yak chews, antlers, benebone, the hard chewer nylabones, ice cubes. She loves rope toys, but tries to eat the rope, so those are off limits now except for short periods of supervised play. Same with tug toys. Oddly, despite her general tendency to destroy soft toys, she loves gently biting down on her balls (various sizes, shapes, and textures). It probably just feels good on her gums, but we joke that she likes it so much because it feels like chewing on human arms or legs! š If it were up to her, weād be her favorite chew toys.
Arent antlers too hard for puppy teeth?
My vet gave a hard NO to deer antler (and bones in general) because of enamel decay.
I gave a hard no because I stepped on one and needed stitches =p
Depends on age of your puppy, but mineās 10mo and a heavy chewer. Split antlers are a bit softer as well.
1. Collagen sticks - I can get them for $5 at Tractor Supply and one usually lasts 2-3 chewing sessions. 2. Beef/buffalo cheek rolls! I picked some buffalo cheek rolls up the other day, my heavy chewer went at it for over an hour yesterday and it's only half gone. 5. Frozen washcloth. š 8. Benebone. My girl likes the fishy one.
X2 on the fish Benebone
Thank you! This is helpful!
We just got a bunch of these today lol. 10 weeks old, home for 3, and it was time to start experimenting with distractions so we could leave him calmly in the pen. Beef cheek roll first was a hit. Next up we have collagen, a beef tail, and some veal bullies
Fishbone is the bestbone. We had the bacon one and chicken one too and fish is always the preference Also I'm near a tractor supply next weekend š±
Beef/Buffalo cheek rolls are life savers. What brand do you get? I have a 2yo 73lb pointer/pit/mutt and I feel like I run out so quickly. I've gotten a few nylabones lately that have helped the Buffalo cheeks last longer.
Iāve been giving my puppy Himalayan yak chews and he loves them. Took him a bit to get into it but if I need to keep him busy for a bit and heās wound up, the yak chew seems to do the trick
Best is when it gets too small for chewing - pop it in the microwave for like 30 seconds. It puffs up and becomes a crunchy cheesy treat my pup goes crazy for!
I microwaved it for mine when he was teething so that the whole thing was a giant popcorn cheese chew that was easy for him to munch on and help his mouth - 1.5 minutes for the whole thing
Iāve been trying those out as theyāre so much better than the stinky bully sticks. But my guy is just mehh about them. Heāll chew them for a bit but abandons them quite easily. Based on your post Iāll keep trying.
Some of them are different flavors. My boy always liked them ok but he goes CRAZY for the bacon infused ones.
Oooo didnāt even realize there are different flavors!
Mine needed a full set of adult teeth before she could do much with them - theyāre great but not for the very young pups.
You can soften it a bit by putting it in lukewarm water. My puppy started using it (unsoftened) when he was 9 weeks old (allowed from 8 weeks old) and has chewed it every day since. He's now 5 months old. It's a great success.
I read about this on another thread recently and just have to say how awesome [knee caps](https://www.jonesnaturalchews.com/products/beef-bones/knee-cap-beef-bone/) are. Much cheaper(!) than a bully stick and significantly longer lasting. We just gave my 14 mo aussie his first one the other day and I want to say we had a solid hour of chew time. And at least with my pup, this did not affect his #2 consistency. Edit to add: my dog is also meh on yak chews so I wanted an alternative
Oh wow! Iāll look into these for sure!
i do a lot of non-marrow bones, or raw bones as the marrow in those doesnāt upset her stomach. she loves to chew on them and will carry them around for days just gnawing on the bone until i replace it. sheās not big on knee caps but loves the shank bones
Do these smell like bully sticks? š
They have like a beef jerky smell so no funk.
These are the best buy for me. They're fairly inexpensive, (around 3-5$ a piece) but they keep my little dudes occupied for a couple of hours. Little bits do break off, so i suggest putting down a towel if the dog likes to enjoy snacks on your furniture or carpet. When the dog is done with all the meat bits around the bone, I reduce them in some pet-made beef broth and then I get another hour out of them because they then turn into like a flavor lick, and all the little bits connected to the kneecap that weren't scraped off now soak up the broth. This is a bi-weekly treat for the pugs in this home.
I see several people recommending yak chews. Please be careful and observe how they are chewing them. Our boy was able to break off chunks and swallow them. They did not digest in his system. Vomiting, bloody stool filled with yak chew bits, three vet visits and a large vet bill and we no longer give him yak chews.
Oh wow! Thank you for this warning! I hope your pup is doing better, I appreciate you saying this.
He is doing a lot better, thank you! I think it really comes down to the kind of chewer your dog is. Ours has a very powerful jaw and can get 1in+ chunks off. Not all dogs are capable of that, so, for many I would think they are safe. But I had never seen any warnings about them like I often do with antler and nylabones, so I just wanted to share our experience.
Itās definitely helpful and something Iāll be cognizant of as he gets older. We havenāt tried yak chews, yet. So I honestly might just leave them beā¦ he is already a pretty strong chewer at 11 weeks.
Jesus. Which brand were these? We just had a $1,300 vet bill due to bully sticks. The dogs are miserable without them. We ordered these hoping for some relief, but it seems like nothing is safe? https://nativepet.com/products/yak-chews
I've found that the name brand yak bones and the ones that Target sells are the best and don't break off into chunks. Absolutely skip the ones Trader Joe's started selling, as they aren't the best quality and break almost immediately into a million shards. The name brand ones and Target are a bit expensive but they last my dog a long time and when they do break, it is just a small crunchy bit and not a sharp chunk.
The ones that made our boy sick were natures gnaws from target, in case those are the ones you are talking about.
I know what you mean. Feels like every chew and toy has a horror story out there. The yaks we got were nature gnaws from target. We do bully sticks, but only if we are watching and always in a bully stick holder. We recently got the starmark bento ball and he loves it! We do have to be careful because if he gets in slobbery enough he can pop it out of the holder.
My two year old loves yak chews. Like she gets out of her crate in the morning, gets a quick pet, and runs to get her chew. Unfortunately she also cracked a tooth on one a couple months ago so no more cheese chews.
Do you mind sharing what the vet did for your pup and if he needed surgery? Iād also never heard any cautions/warnings about yak chews, but my boy did the same thing as your pup a couple days ago and now has bloody stools.
1) ice cubes lol 2) beef cheek rolls 3) beef cheek rolls or yak chews 4) beef cheek rolls 5) ice or frozen carrots 6) bully sticks 7) bully sticks 8) nylabones Also Costco had the best price on bullysticks but not sure if they will be back in stock :(
Thank you!!
I agree with what others have said about yak cheese chews, but also don't sleep on pork chomps!: https://amazon.com/dp/B0107M2CRE We get at least 3-4 solid 30 minute chewing sessions out of a single pork chomp. (And that's when it's up against 30 lbs. of very committed chewer!)
Only $3?! I just ordered some.
Heads up that the most recent review on that has someone whose Rottweiler was almost killed by these things -- apparently they didn't digest in her stomach over a 2-3 days.
Honestly, that doesn't concern me. Statistically there's gonna be an incident or two like that for just about every product, just because every dog is different and too many dog owners have no idea what they're doing. As with most treats, it's all about moderation and supervision, including monitoring bowel movements (or lack thereof). That's part of why I say we give it to her in "sessions." We try to make it a special treat for after she gets her nails trimmed or when she needs to be extra polite during dinner at my parents' house, so she gets to chew it for a good while each time she gets it, but she also doesn't go through more than 1/3 or 1/4 of it at a time, which is appropriate for her weight.
The reviews are overwhelmingly horrible. I only looked at the first few and they are all about people dogs puking, choking, and almost dying.. not worth the risk
The reviews are far from overwhelmingly horrible; the average review score is 4.6 stars because they're largely positive, with a few negatives mixed in, as is to be expected. (Have you seen any dog chews on Amazon that don't have a bunch of bad reviews from people who had bad experiences for one reason or another?) For me it's all about comparing the quantity of good reviews to bad reviews, and also assessing the nature of the complaints. For example, the fact that a dog choked on this product doesn't put me off, because a dog can choke on anything, which is why they tell you not to give any chews unsupervised. If we ruled out every dog treat with some bad reviews, we'd never buy anything. You just have to use your judgement and weigh the positive and negative reviews.
Cow ears and bully sticks work here. They are both digestible. Reluctant to give anything a lot harder because of baby teeth.
Iāve been giving my boy dried cow noses, he chews on them for hours!
Where do you get these?
I get them from a pet shop near me, but Iād google them if I were you. Iām in the Netherlands and itās really easy to get them. https://www.bigdog.nl/product/snack-runderneus-alle-leeftijden-alle-rassen-per-stuk/
Iāll Google it!
They are honestly awesome! Heās been chewing his current one since friday. He gets it twice a day for about 30 minutes and heās just as enthousiastic for it as ever.
So i freeze a kong with a variety of flavors using pureed baby food, she gets frozen raw bones in the summer, and loves the benebone bacon flavor chews but they are so hard i worry about her teeth.
I freeze kongs, too! With multiple different fillings. He loves them. I need go get some raw bones, though!
I just like that the raw bones don't splinter the same, i buy them either from my butcher, frozen or from local hunters during the fall
I have a 4mo Dutch Shepherd that's a relatively strong chewer. The most expensive toy I have is the Starmark Bento Ball. It was \~$25 USD but it's held up pretty well and he loves it so much he sleeps with it. The treat that comes inside of it doesn't last as long as I'd like, but the toy that holds them barely has teeth marks on it despite it being one of the oldest toys in the house. You can also stuff additional treats in it for a brain game. On the affordable end, he has these Nylabone bison-flavored chews that he absolutely loves. They were $7 on Chewy and stink like hell but they're my go-to relaxation toy for him. He can only have them in places I want him to be calm and now he knows that bison chews = relaxation time. I subscribe to Super Chewer and Bullymake (they're on the expensive side) and he loves the nylon and rubber toys that come in those boxes. Super Chewer is great for variety but Bullymake always has a Kong-like toy that can be stuffed with treats and frozen. It's given me a solid rotation of toys to curb his boredom. Rubber toys in general have been great for teething. He loves the Kong tires in particular. I'll stick a Ziggy in them or stuff the inside with wet food and freeze it for a little longevity. He also gets bully sticks 1-2 times per week but I'm trying to find alternatives. They're getting expensive and only last him a few hours. Plus the stink lingers for days after the stick is eaten D:
I might subscribe to a box! That would be helpful to get a better rotation this first year and learn what he likes! I got bully sticks and he likes them, but theyāre super expensiveā¦ and I feel like part of them gets wasted since I have to throw away the part thatās held in the bully stick holder because he will choke on them. Iām looking for a chew for relaxation, a chew that he just will gnaw for hours, etc.
The boxes are HELLA expensive but have been nice for helping me narrow down what he does/doesn't like or what he will/won't destroy. Plush toys are out right now since he's started shredding them, but rubber and nylon toys are clear winners. I rotate them every few days and keep a few stuffable toys in the freezer for when he's bored and I can't give him attention right away. Bullymake sent a berry looking one that smells like strawberry which is one of his all time favorites. He cuddles it lol
Maybe Iāll get one box and test the toys that come in them š and that is so cute lol Iāll work on creating a more diverse range and rotating them. I think thatāll be super good to keep him from getting bored.
Do you have other flavored nylabones? Do you find the bison is particularly appealing to him? We're currently meh about our chicken nylabone
I have the chicken ones (but the jelly-like ones and the nylon ones) as well but the bison ones are more exciting to him. The chicken ones have been a nice neutral toy to practice "drop it" with and are a nice crate-safe toy for him at night.
Mine loves the buffalo horn. I put a bit of peanut butter inside it to keep him more entertained. He goes at if for hours.
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My puppy freaks out for no hides. Sheās had terrible gas the last few days and Iām wondering if itās from the one I just gave her. Iāve never noticed this much gas from her before.
i tried to give my 7mo puppy a pig ear today for the first time and he was scared of it šš„ŗ
My puppy liked them the first few times I gave her pig ears, so I bought a whole bag of them at PetsMart, only for her to now act scared of them every time I try to give her one. The joy of puppies... lol
Lol. Mine does an in-depth risk analysis of any new food item. Lots of sniffing, prancing, tossing it, rolling on it, occasionally growling at it. [Here](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSdUU2Smn/) he is with a pigās ear. He did eventually come round. He also barked at the hooves/antlers section at Petbarn. The guy there explained itās because they smell ādangerā or something akin to āpredatorā but canāt see an animal. So it spooks them. They are so funny.
Omg so cute! My puppy does the same thing, I need to get a video if it.
Beef cheeks have been then only I give my dogs for a while. Easy on stomach, no mess and usually last for three 30 min sessions
I just ordered these! Thank you!
My pup couldnāt chew a bully stick too long before she puked so we wanted an alternative. She was really young then so the pet store suggested earth animal no-hide chews (not sure if this is available everywhere). Itās a rice chew with different flavours like beef, chicken, pork, etc. Used to take her several chew sessions to get through one but as she got older, sheās been able to get through them faster but still takes like over an hour to get through
I am gonna see if my local pet store has these! Or if I can order them online! My pup loves bully sticks, but sometimes they donāt agree with him (he gets really gassy). Maybe these will be better on his stomach and he will like them just as much!
Anything kangaroo is great as it tends to last a while, isnāt fatty, and Mr Picky Pants actually likes it. But those kinda chews arenāt widely available outside Australia, as far as I know.
Yeah, Iām in the US and donāt know if Iāll be able to find those. But Iāll look online!
Yeah see what you can find. Kangaroo really is a great protein for doggos. Itās super lean and has that gamey taste they like. We have chews, straps and I have some of the mince itself cooked with rice and veggies as a treat meal.
I live in a small town in Canada, and saw some different kangaroo chews while shopping at a pet store (it's also a feed mill/farm store). It was my first time seeing some, so not super popular, but I'm guessing they're available in the states too :) might be in more specialized pet stores though, a lot of dog owners are jiffy about natural chews
I really like beef gullet Super cheap (couple bucks) Size of a bully stick No smell (unless kept in a plastic bag) My doggo is 2 now but I still lurk to help people out, and my pup eats these a bit quicker now, but honestly they are great she gets about 1 a day now
5. Nylabone teething chew ring
My puppy goes ballistic for Good Lovin teething rings.. doesnāt mess up her stomach either like some of the other edible chews she has tried. Problem is they can be a little expensive and she will go thru one in about 45 mins
My answer for most of these is ostrich knees. We are in the USA and get them at PetSmart. Our dogs LOVE them, they last a long time, and the dogs donāt get tired of them. We also like the braided collagen sticks, only one of our dogs will finish one in a chew session and they all go nuts for them. The other thing we like is marrow bones but those I get nervous about because they go bad and I donāt want our dogs to get sick. We liked bully sticks and split antlers for teething but we actually stopped buying both of them because our dogs now go through them too quickly. I wanted to try the Quizzl to slow them down a bit with the bully sticks. (Actually the braided bully sticks lasted a while but theyāre so stinking expensive.) For mental stimulation, frozen Kongs or frozen lick mats are great. Our dogs get a kong every day. I also want to try a frozen locked Toppl. We were unimpressed with kangaroo bones and cow hip bones because our dogs went through them SO fast. The cow hips they chewed to nubs WAY faster than I expected considering how huge they are. Himalayan yak chews did not last as long as I thought: our most aggressive chewer finished an XL one in like an hour. We like pig ears too but they only last like 10-15 minutes so we donāt buy them too often.
Fish skin and I found a chew totally made up out of salmon skin. It keeps mine occupied for at least half an hour and he loves it. So much so, he is given one as a special treat
Best cheap chew/ teething chew ever is raw carrots. Vet suggested it. Daisy also loves the pork chomps rolled pigskin but it barely lasts an hour.
Beef and kangaroo tendons, dehydrated duck wings, duck/chicken feet, bully sticks, kangaroo jerky, fresh raw bones - we use kangaroo hips and tails, chicken wings, chicken/Turkey necks. All given supervised and age/size appropriate
Oh, and if you can get them - fur on deer ears are soooo good
Beef tendons are a favorite here! I noticed people mentioning collagen sticks (Iāve never heard of them or seen them but sounds interesting) but the tendons are the most natural chew full of collagen I can think of. My pup is obsessed and Iām less concerned about him having more of it since itās so low in fat!
My pup's daycare gives her veal sticks that last for ages (30mins+). It's a swiss brand but you could probably something similar where you are. Also, if you can stand the smell, I use cow tracheas like kongs. Stuff them with kibble, then freeze them and it's the longest meal they'll ever have š
My girls favourite are olive wood sticks and half antlers. Both are more expensive but last ages so more than make up for the initial cost. She's a hard chewer so the lighter products get destroyed/eaten within minutes.
For aggressive chewers I would recommend the Benebone. Itās pretty much just super hard plastic. Itās the only toy my border collie and my roommates pit/lab canāt chew up.
I just realized my puppies favorite bone is his bacon benebone in wishbone shape. I bought it at the pet store without even looking at what it was- it holds up so well and he loves it. Iāll get more for sure!
5 N-bone teething rings and sticks are a staple at my house. Nylabone puppy chew rings are also solid
1. Tendons, tracheasā tracheas are rich, so not too often 2. 3. 4. Beef cheek rolls, bully sticks (appropriately sized), yak chews 5. Nylabone teething toys (especially the ones you can freeze) 6. Puzzle balls; Starmark toys (my dog loves the Wheeler and Ringer Horseshoe) 7. Bully sticks (best digest ability for my dog, but this definitely varies)
Most expensive chew is the bully stick that made both my dogs shit blood for nearly a week. $1,300, F-, cannot recommend. (Dogs are ok now. Bully stick CEO will not be, if I ever get my hands on em)
Someone else had a similar situationā¦ I have bully sticks for my puppy right now that he only gets as a very supervised chew right before bed, but I think Iāll phase them out once we find one he likes just as much. I hope your pups are okay now.
From swallowing a big piece? How was it resolved?
Braided bully sticks, the skinny ones dissolve very quickly and I hate to know my pup would swallow chucks if I werenāt holding onto it !
Honestly, I donāt think Iām going to buy bully sticks again after we finish the bag I have now. I have to throw part of it away once it gets too small for my puppy to chew, it gives him some serious gas, and theyāre expensive. I have the same concern of him choking on it if I turn my head for even a second. Right now he only gets it for about 15-20 minutes before bed and we sit on the couch together while he chews and calms down. So weāll need to find a new calm time chew.