Go into any pet supply store
and you will get bombarded with literally hundreds
of toys for your puppy or dog. With so may
to choose from, what ones are best for your canine
companion?
First, look at your
puppy or dog. Puppies chew to explore, help
with teething, etc. Dogs chew because it is
fun and to alleviate boredom. How
aggressively your puppy or dog chews will help
determine what type of toys is best.
Second, look at the
toys. Is it designed for animal use?
How sturdy is it and how long will it last?
Chew toys that are gone fast are not good chews.
Toys that tear up easily, have small parts that
can become choking hazards, etc., are bad as well.
Toys that are too large or too small –
especially too small – are bad choices.
Rawhide
Rawhide is
basically cured animal hide. It can be
shaped into various objects and are a common chew
item. However, rawhide may not be as safe as
you think. Those chips and novelty items
such as slippers made from rawhide are not great
chews. Dogs and puppies can quickly gobble
them up. So much for a satisfying chewing
session! Small chunks of rawhide can pose a
choking threat. Though millions of these
rawhide treats are used each year and the threat
is low, you do not want your pet to be the tiny
minority that has a problem. Even the rolled
bones that are just sheets of rawhide rolled up
can be chewed apart.
Rawhide can be
pressed into bones and other shapes by using
pressure. Layers of rawhide are formed into
tougher bones and shapes that last far longer than
the flat and rolled rawhides. Pressed
rawhide gives a longer and better chew.
However, it can still be worked down into small,
chokable sized pieces relatively fast by an
aggressive chewer. Out of the two more
popular choices for rawhide, I prefer pressed.
They last longer than chips and give a better
chew.
Other
Animal Tissue Chews
There are a variety of ears, snouts, trachea,
etc., that are produced for chewing. Similar
to rawhide chips, they may not give a great
chew. They are meant more as an edible treat
than a solid chew. I find chew hooves too
small for many dogs to safely have and would avoid
them except with smaller breeds. Again, make
certain your dog does not wolf them down and
choke.
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