Dogs the REALLY like to chew
 

My previous Spaniel broke both her canines working on bones. Now my current Spaniel is destroying toys ( 1 year old pup ) like no tomorrow and I am nervous giving her a bone. Now I’m at a loss as to what to do? I don’t like the raw hide type chews as they actually scare me for a chocking hazard. The nylon chews just get chewed up and come the other end in rainbow colours and rope toys become tug a-war at the exit end.

Suggestions?

Thanks, Dodger

KONG for the win
 

We have found that the size/weight appropriate KONG chew toys and balls stand up well to vigorous chewers. Hard rubber compounds are safe on the teeth. Red is tough, black is tougher.
Dexter's over in Ogden had a good selection.

Just accept the fact that toys are going to get destroyed. Better the toy than the furniture!

If you dig around there are some toys that claim to be indestructible, but they all meet their end eventually.

That said my wife ordered up some toys for our dogs from a website. Bullymake I believe. Those things seem to be holding up.

I gave my Shepherds and Springers moose antler to chew on. It's softer than bone and doesn't come off in sharp pieces. It gets soft and seems to flake off. Never had any digestive issues. Tried elk as well, but dogs seem to prefer moose as they got older. Only caution is that you cut the tip off the tines, back to where they can't be bitten off whole and become a plug in the dogs throat. Lots of hours of chewing on a good size moose or elk antler.

I’ll second the antlers.. I have a 6 month old DD and she chewed all Kong toys

Mine get cow knuckle bones. They are raw of course and very substantial. I've never had an issue yet, I tried the kongs and antlers etc, but he dogs ignore them after a few minutes.

I took the dogs for a run to a slough at the back of the farm One of them found a dinosaur bone :) that has been there for years. It might as well have been a dino bone the way she treasured it.

Had a lab that was a rock hound. He literally bought hundreds of stones to the house over the years. By the time he passed he had broken or worn down a few teeth.:angry3:

My 20lb goldendoodle couldn't handle elk antlers so she would just ignore them. We've been giving her a steady supply of bully-sticks since she was a pup. They are expensive, but better that than chewing everything in the house. You can usually get a better price (like 1/2 price) if you buy directly from the maker. We've tried a few places but Aron Pet Food is by far the best... they have the most consistent sizes and have never made my dog's sensitive stomache upset. My vet also says my dogs teeth are in great shape for her age too, which I think is the bully-sticks. They moved to High Prairie within the last year from BC.

We have a subscription box for our 2 coons. Every month we get a "BULLYBOX". Its shoebox sized and has 2 kong type chews, 2 hard nylon chews a rope or something else and 2 bags of training treats. With new toys coming in we can cull the 6-8 month old toys for new. They carry a 1 month warranty and so far we have replaced 3 toys in 2 years without issue. just send them a picture and they mailed out replacements.

A black Kong seemed to be the best for both of my dogs. My lab mix lost his and consequently started chewing on anything wood that he could. The coffee table, the bed frame, end tables, dressers, pressure treated lumber on the deck, shovels and rakes, etc. Believe me, it's cheaper to just replace the Kong.

Don't know how it would hold up to aggressive chewers adult dogs, but the Chilly Bone we got the pup got her through baby teeth..
Canvas and sponge-soak in water-freeze
Our Kongs hold up better, but she is not interested in rubber.

A company in Finland makes rawhide dog chews out of moose hide. This fall get a hunter to keep you the thick part of a moose hide and make a few dozen at home. There are websites that tell how to make the rawhide chews with no preservatives.

I've just been buying soup bones at the Co-Op. One on 68th st NE and 16th ave
has a selection of different sizes most of the time. My lab has been munching those since he was a pup, he's 7 now, no teeth issues. They're 6.00 or so for a pack that usually has 5-6 2" long pcs of leg bones in it. It's heavy enough bone that he seldom breaks them. Rope toys are bad news for a dog's stomach, Kongs are ok, they are reasonably indestructible. I think the bones work out a whole bunch cheaper than the rawhide stuff, which mine doesn't like anyway, and they may not be great for their guts , either..
Just have to watch when you cut the lawn with those bones around, they can do a number on the lawnmower, you sure know it when you hit one. But the dog also gets the added benefit of teasing magpies with them. He catches the odd one .

I had a German Wirehair that destroyed anything and everything by chewing. I thought he had the jaw strength of a hyena. After going through all the Kong and similar chew toys, and seeing him break off pointy shards from deer antlers, I thought I'd give a lacrosse ball a try. Bingo. He loved it and couldn't do a dang thing to it.

Have a GSP that destroys every toy.

This is the only bone I have found that will last more that a day:

https://www.nylabone.com/products/pr...chew-beef-bone

+1 on a lacrosse ball as well.

our 6 month old golden retriever loves the rawhide bones. takes him about 2 days to go through one. he eventually rips the stuffing out of his stuffies but we aren't too worried about that. he has yet to destroy any of the kids stuffies or anything else for that matter. He loves his rope toys as well. often times just chews on those as well.

It is a nervous habit that should be broken as soon as the teething stage is over.

First off - damn you auto-correct ! The title of this thread looks like a two year old did it.

Thanks for the comments. Still nervous about the bones as my Springer cost me 2 X $1500.00 smackaroo’s for emergency removal of the broken canines from working over the bones.

I am going to look up some of the suggested chew toys mentioned as there are a couple I have never heard of.

Lastly, MK2750 you mentioned it’s a nervous habit. This could be spot on as she is a VERY submissive pup. So how does one break a nervous habit? I will see what I find online.

Thanks all.
Kind Regards, Dodger

The habit is formed by giving them chew toys to begin with. All pack animals are going to suffer from separation anxiety to some extent. They go from their litter mates to your family which obviously is stressful. They were not programmed to be alone but we need to leave them for hours on end. If they learn to cope with out the aide of chewing they will have no interest at a later date or on other items.

Wild dogs chew bones for nutrition and to strengthen jaw muscles and teeth. I feed all the nutrients they need and dry kibble keeps teeth and jaws healthy. The only thing they are allowed to carry in their mouth is bumpers and birds. They are not to be chewed or even handled roughly. They think of them as mine not theirs.

Splinters from bones, sticks or plastic can obviously be toxic to a dog but there is other reasons to keep them out of the habit of picking up anything they find. Deadly tape worms and other nasties are becoming more common. I have also heard of idiots leaving chocolate and ex-lax out for dogs.

Just my opinion of course but I think all toys are simply confusing and distracting when raising a dog. "You can chew this, this, this and this but not that!" Even though it is made from the same plastic or leather and smells the same????

Many times I have heard that a person's dog will retrieve Frisbee and tennis balls all day but wont hunt or retrieve birds. If he had never been exposed to toys, the only thing he would know is bird scented bumpers and birds. He would live to hunt because that is all he has ever known.

Again, this is just the way I raise dogs. More people than not love chew toys for their dog and they do keep them occupied.