Good age for bones
 

My Maggie is 3 months old. She loves to chew and bite things including my fingers. What type of chew toys and treats can she have? Is she to young to have bones like the bully sticks I have read about on YT?

She is teething and should have chew toys. Bullies are good and so are Kongs. Hymelian chews are also a good choice. Rawhide and greenies are not good choices.

Welcome to YT. I'm in Hammond:)

:thumbup: Definitely get bullies!

Thanks! Where is a good place to get these for a good price? AllDogBoots any where local?

I don't think anywhere local. Contact YT member Baxtersmommy. She sells them and has very fast service. You should get them in about 2 days. You can try the Himalayan chews also which a lot of dogs love (but not mine)

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/member.php?u=19198257

Never give a cooked bone to your puppy. Cooked bones can splinter and cause a lot of damage.
But raw bones are perfectly fine! You can give her raw chicken wings, thighs, necks or beef bones, etc. I give these to my Yorkies regularly and they love them. I also use hooves for chew toys and they are great because they last forever.

Definitely agreeing with bully sticks and other chews! :) Kongs are fun because you can put cheese or peanut butter in them and that helps keep your little one busy too. Another bone I liked was a flexible, clear bone made by Nylabone. It was rubbery in texture and scented/flavored so it was soft but nice for my teething puppy. Avoid the hard ones until she gets older though! Nylabone also makes the "puppyfish" which is a rubbery fish toy that is good for teething puppies. These can all be found at regular stores like Petsmart or Petco.

Has anyone tried "knee" bones? They have them at Pet Smart and Petco and both places state that they are ok for Yorkies, but I wanted to hear from some of you. What do you think?

Joel doesnt touch his puppyfish or any rubbery toys, even his kong,lol but his favorite thing is when I braid shoelaces together, or any type of box.

Abby was introduced to Nylabones before I got her, they are clean and convenient ,I kept one in my pocket to re direct her when necessary. The clear puppy one and the blue nubby one are great.
Our other favorite is knotted, braided or woven fleece strips cut from an old blanket or jacket.(cut off a sleeve and put a small empty water bottle knotted inside, it is light and it krinkles!)

One of Joels most favprite toys is a piece of fleece I braided, lol he carries it everywhere.

I have an all natural dog store by me (IN Good Health & Animal Wellness). They have bully sticks, knee bones, etc. I did get Jack a knee and he loved it, but I think it is too big for his mouth. But bully sticks, he devours! Also, the kongs were great when he was younger to keep him busy and he loved peanut butter. We would put a few little treats in first (like the little ones used for training) and then stuff it with peanut butter.... yep, good stuff right there! And I know others are not fans of this, but he loves, loves, loves his braided rope toy. We got the smallest on they had (I think I got it at Petco) and he still has it, almost 3 years later! We play tug-o-war with it and he loves to "hang" from it. He bites one end and I hold the other end with his feet barely off the ground - he thinks he's a pit bull or something! LOL Good luck!

My two love bully sticks! I don't give them bones.

I avoid Greenies they can cause intestinal blockages. I don't like Kongs. If you aren't watching your little one could get chooked on the content ESP if they are fast eaters. I have one rubber none that can be frozen and that helps with teething but I only use it when supervised. I would never use chicken bones or other human food bones. These items may contain bacteria suck as samonila. I only give the girls lean turkey sandwich meat as a snack or treat. There has been to many health issues associated with treats. I only give my girls organic gluten free dog food due to sensitive tummies. The best bone I have found are the long thin whit raw hide strips. They can't chew chunks off easily which is good and they keep their teeth really clean

We love the bully sticks and Himalayan chews! Toki really enjoyed the blue nylabones before I introduced her to bully sticks... Kinda wished this wasn't the case! But bully sticks will keep her occupied/distracted for a long time like if you need to fold laundry or work on the computer without nibbly puppy teeth getting into trouble. Of course be sure to monitor your baby with edible chews!

I bought a small bully stick at Petsmart for Toki to see if she would chew on it. She was a huge fan so I bought a ton online from Best Bully Sticks ( much better deal and more variety of shapes). It seems like it can cost a small fortune at Petsmart/Petco!

This is not true. As long as it is covered in meat, raw bones are FINE for dogs of all sizes. The only bones we don't feed are weight bearing bones from big animals because they are too dense and hard. This includes marrow bones, soup bones or "dog bones".

Oh, and the salmonella thing is a stupid myth that people who are against raw perpetuate to scare you into buying commercial foods. Raw meat doesn't contain any more salmonella than a dog can handle naturally and if you wash your hands after you've fed them, you really shouldn't have a problem with excessive bacteria. Bacteria is natural and it's needed for strong immune systems & the natural order of things.

My 4lb Yorkie eats whole chickens without a problem. And she loves it!

Turkey sandwich meat is usually processed and seasoned with salt and spices - not good for dogs at all!

If you know that treats, especially gluten based treats, cause issues, why don't you do a little research into the digestive system of the dog to see what kind of foods would be better suited for their tummies? I personally prefer dehydrated liver for treats because dogs are carnivores.

I would urge anyone who gives thin strips of rawhide to their dogs to keep a very close eye on them if you don't want your puppy to choke to death. Rawhide swells with moisture and as soon as your dog's saliva touches it, it starts to swell. I nearly lost my little girl because of a rawhide, and I would never ever recommend it to anyone.

This same little girl is the one who eats whole chickens without a problem. Get back to basics, people. It's so simple and easy if you do it the natural way... dogs are carnivores and carnivores love to eat raw bones. Don't waste your money on inedible chew toys that pose risks to your pets and their teeth. YorkieMommy, I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm ripping apart your post, but it's important to be aware of the risks associated with rawhides.