Chew toys can be controversial. We had a terrible problem with Gracie when she was a puppy. She was trying to chew everything and as every puppy does, would try to bite fingers, too. She would get into closets, waste baskets, purses, etc., looking for things to chew. I was terrified she would find something small and choke on it. I knew how dangerous the rawhide that seems to be everywhere is. We decided to buy the 12" long bully sticks because they are digestible. Those sticks changed everything. Gracie sat there and chewed for an hour when she first got one (the longest she ever sat still as a puppy when not asleep). She stopped trying to get into things and was so much more content.
I am very aware of how easily dogs can choke on things but chewing is a natural instinct to a dog. It is much better to give them something safe to chew so they can satisfy this instinct than to leave that desire to their own imaginations. We had tried the Nylabone and other items and she would not even put them in her mouth. As I said we buy the 12" long regular thickness bully sticks from a company that bakes them to the right consistency. (There are others on the market that are too soft) We remove them when they are chewed down to 4" or 5". That can take weeks now that she is no longer a puppy. |