WEEK OF ENRICHMENT DAY FIVE: LONG LASTING CHEWING PROJECTS

 
Long Lasting Chew Projects:
 
Chewing is a very natural, hard-wired behavior in canines. While it is true that chewing activity often peaks with young dogs and puppies - especially when they are teething - long lasting chew projects can and should be offered as enrichment to dogs throughout their lives. Every dog is an individual, and some adult dogs have a stronger desire than others to work on chewing projects, but if you find the items your dog enjoys for chewing, it is a satisfying enrichment opportunity that helps meet their behavioral needs throughout their lives. Remember, consistently finding ways to meet your dog's behavioral needs and give them opportunities to "act like a dog" makes for a calmer, more relaxed, and more fulfilled dog who is much less likely to exhibit undesirable behaviors.
 
PLEASE NOTE: The chew item suggestions listed below are all personal recommendations based on what I have used for my own dogs and other clients' dogs with great success, and at the recommendation and approval of my own veterinarian.

You should never feed cooked bones to your dog. I have had great experiences with giving weight-bearing, large, raw bones as recreational chews. I have also had great experiences using the harder, more durable chews listed below to allow my dogs to exhibit natural dog behavior and hard chewing. I personally feel they can be a good form of enrichment for many dogs, and they allow dogs to exhibit species appropriate behavior on the appropriate item (i.e. satisfying their urge to chew with the bone, not by chewing your belongings).

You will, however, hear differing opinions on providing hard chewing items, and there is always an inherent risk of a dog injuring or chipping a tooth. For me, the behavioral benefits of providing long-lasting chew projects for dogs outweighs the risk, and as such I choose chewing items carefully and supervise closely when appropriate.

That being said, I am not a veterinarian, and I have encountered differing opinions from veterinarians on the merits and safety of giving raw marrow and knuckle bones and other hard recreational chews. Please speak to your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.

Long Lasting Inedible Chewing Options:

In addition to the feeder toys we discussed in other Week of Enrichment posts, and in addition to the edible chew options provided below, I encourage you to also provide your dog with plenty of his own durable and inedible chew toys. Pay attention to the types of toys that keep him chewing for long periods of time (ideally really getting into the chew using his back teeth) and continue to offer those on a regular basis - around the house, in crates, in the yard, etc.
 
"But my dog has SO many chew toys and he ignores them!"
I hear so often from people who tell me they have countless chew toys for their dog, but the dog "ignores them all."  Here are a few tips and tricks:
 
It’s ideal to introduce something new or rotate your dog’s chew toys every couple of days so that he doesn’t get bored with the same old toys. So for example, in my house we probably have a dozen various durable/ non-edible chew toy items. I typically only have four or so of them out and available to the dogs at any given time; the others are put away in a closet of out of reach of the dogs, and I bring them out and rotate the toys every few days.
 
If you are using Nylabone chew toys, you can soak the Nylabone in beef or chicken broth for twenty minutes and then give it to your dog. Soaking it in the broth adds extra smell, flavor, and interest, and will usually peak the dog's interest enough to get them chewing. Often times they will continue chewing even after the smell and flavor fades because they become invested in the chew project.
 
You can also foster some interest in chew toy that has gone unchewed for some time by doing a toy swap and allowing a friend or family member's dog to borrow the chew toy for a few days, then give it back to your dog. The toy will be "pre-chewed" by the other dog, which means new grooves, ridges, and smells which can then actually make the toy a lot more appealing to your own dog.
 
Here are some of my favorite durable non-edible chew toy options for dogs who love to chew:

• Benebones:
  https://www.benebone.com/products/
  ​Available online or at most pet stores.
  Durable, long lasting chew, similar to Nylabones. Stick with the wishbone-shaped or stick-shaped Benebone in the correct size for your dog. I recommend avoiding the figure-eight-shaped Benebone, as the openings in that shape pose a risk of the toy getting stuck on a dog's lower jaw. Replace when worn down.
  
  
•  Antlers
  Available online or at most pet stores.
  Deer, elk, and moose antlers are all popular. For strong chewers, I recommend whole (not split ) antlers. For softer chewers, many dogs enjoy chewing at the exposed marrow inside the split antlers. Replace  when worn down.
  
  

• Coffee Wood Dog Chews: 
  https://www.betos.org/products/coffee-wood-dog-chews
  Available online or at some pet stores.
  In my experience, these chews are fairly durable, wear down slowly, and don't splinter   or break off into small pieces. Replace when worn down.
  
  
• Nylabone DuraChews/PowerChews: 
  https://www.nylabone.com/products/brand/powerchew 
  Available online or at most pet stores.
  Durable, long lasting chew toys. There are actually a TON of different types, textures, strengths, and shapes of Nylabone toys available. As a general rule, for large dogs and strong chewers, I recommend using only the Nylabone products labeled "DuraChew" or "PowerChew." 
  
  That being said, again every dog is an individual. Smaller dogs - or even large dogs with a gentle chewing style - might be hesitant to engage in chewing with a really tough/ hard toy, and might do better with a chew toy with slightly more "give" and a different texture. As with all new toys, supervise your dog closely when trying something new so you can remove the item or make adjusts if needed (i.e. if they are breaking off pieces or trying to ingest).
  
  While the DuraChew/ PowerChew styles are a safe bet for many dogs, my late Doberman Maggie was a large 70 pound dog who gently and meticulously enjoyed chewing on the gummy textured Nylabones despite her size and potential strength. She never preferred the extremely hard chew toys, but instead chewed gently enough that a gummy textured Nylabone lasted her for months to a year at a time. A perfect example of how every dog is an individual, and it sometimes takes some trial and error to  find what works for you and your dog!

Long(ish) Lasting Edible Chewing Options:

• Raw Marrow or Knuckle Bones
  A great option for healthy and long-lasting recreational chews are raw marrow bones or raw knuckle bones from a local butcher. Dogs should never be given cooked bones, but large, raw weight-bearing bones such as marrow bones or knuckle bones can be great for keeping teeth clean and teeth occupied!). Because these bones are longer lasting and the dogs really work and chew on them for extended periods, I have found they are wonderful for mental enrichment. All that chewing is a great way to fulfill a dog's natural desires to "do dog stuff and really tires a dog out! 
  
  Locally in the Pinellas County area, I have had success finding raw marrow bones to use for my dogs at the butcher counter at Publix grocery stores. They often have some marrow bones pre-packaged, and have always been very accommodating if I need the bones cut down to a smaller size to accommodate my smaller dogs. In my experience, most butcher shops/ grocery stores with a butcher counter will be able to help you with this.
  
  You can store the frozen bones in the freezer. When I want to give one to my dogs I let it thaw in the fridge for an hour or so first. This is raw meat, which some people are not accustomed to feeding, but I just follow normal common sense rules when it comes to handling raw meat (wash my hands and counter with soap and water after handling). These can get messy, so for my dogs, we wither put an old sheet down for them to chew on top of, we give raw bones in the yard, we give raw bones in crates, or we gate the dogs in the kitchen and clean the tile floor afterwards. 
  
  This website talks a bit more about feeding raw meaty bones as recreational chews in general: https://primalpetfoods.com/collections/recreational-bones
  As you can see from the website, this company sells pre-packaged raw bones specifically as dog chews. These pre-packaged raw marrow bones marketed for dogs can often be found at pet stores, but tend to be much more expensive than going the butcher counter route described above.

 

• Beef Trachea
  Available online or in most pet stores.
  I like to stuff them with wet dog food and freeze them for a long lasting chew project.

 

• Bully Sticks
  Available online or at most pet stores
  Bully sticks are long lasting (depending on the dog) digestible dog chews made of dried steer or bull penis (you read that correctly). What can I say? Dogs like gross things - they are dogs after all! They are hard in consistency, which allows for dogs to chew on them.
  
  Bully sticks are sold in variety of dimensions, sizes, shapes (including braided which last slightly longer for stronger chewers) They are best given as an occasional treat -  a nice enrichment item to help satisfy your dog on a day you have more work to do in your home office than usual, for example.
  
  There is a bit of a concern that some dogs might gulp/ choke on the tail-end of the bully stick when it is worn down to a small piece. To avoid this concern, there are now a variety of products such as the "Bully Buddy" which act as a plastic or rubber holder for the bully stick, preventing your dog from accessing the small piece at the end after the chew has been worn down: https://bowwowlabs.com/pages/bully-stick-holder-lp

 

• Himalayan Chews
  https://www.amazon.com/Himalayan-Dog-Chew-Large-3-3/dp/B001J9SUHG
  Available online or at some pet stores.
  Himalayan dog chews are made by yak and cow milk that is boiled and then dried for several weeks to create a hard chew. They come in a wide variety of sizes, and most dogs chew and work on the chews for a while, softening it with their mouths before small parts of it can be slowly scraped off and ingested.
  
  You can often use the same products mentioned above that act as a plastic or rubber holder for the Himalayan chew, preventing your dog from accessing the small piece at the end after the chew has been worn down.

In summary, in my behavior work with clients and with my own dogs, routinely giving dogs long lasting chewing toys and projects has a tremendous effect on their overall behavioral health. With proper outlets for natural behaviors like hard chewing, I see a significant reduction in destructive and anxiety-related behaviors.

Happy chewing! Stop back tomorrow for Day Six of our Week of Enrichment!