Best options for rawhide chews

[labsareus]

Looking for your experience and what you have found to be good choices for rawhide type chews. We have tried everything that we can find so far and most rolled rawhide options don't last long with our young Lab. He doesn't like the kind with knots on the ends so the others are too easy to bite off and devour. Most last less than an hour.

With colder weather I am looking for something to keep my bud occupied. Wood isn't a good option when he is inside.

[rundrave]

rawhides are messy and leave stuff on my furniture thats hard to clean off

have you looked at the kong toys? I looked long and hard to find something for my 2 GSP's to chew on that would last and these kong toys have held up nice

[DrJ]

Labsareus, The kongs work well. I put canned dog food in them and freeze them and it takes my 2 labs about 45 minutes to lick the frozen food out. I also buy beef knuckle bones from Elk River meats. They last a long time and keep there teeth nice and clean.It takes my 1 1/2 year old lab a few hours to finish one. The raw hides are messy and they can choke on them or get a blockage(my vet told me that. Good luck with the pup. DrJ.

[SSSTaxidermy]

My lab will have a raw hide chewed up and gone in no time flat…I no more give it to her and BOOM…Gone…

So I discontinued doing that and now what I give her is…Go right to a butcher shop or meat store buy the shanks or knuckles they sell. Well worth it and they last much longer. My dog spends a lot of time outside with me, & during the winter time, she will be in the garage with me too…A big knuckle will keep her content for hours. I guess I wouldn’t suggest having the big knuckles in the house. I know my wife isn’t too fond of seeing a big cow knuckle in the living room…LOL.

I’ve heard those Kong things are pretty good. I think they claim to be indestructible. I personally haven’t used them

[Ralph Wiggum]

Kongs are good. My pup lost interest in it unless there's a treat inside. Have you tried a NylaBone? I've got a great dane and a NylaBone and the Kong are the only two toys that he hasn't been able to destroy, and he's a very powerful chewer (ripped apart three real tennis balls in half an hour last night).

I refuse to give him rawhides because they get so gooey--don't want that [PoorWordUsage] on my furniture or carpet.

[lenny7]

My vet told me to avoid rawhides made in China. I'm avoiding them all, however, as they give my lab the runs. What I give him instead are Bully Sticks, which, as the name implies, are stretched and dried bull peckers. He goes crazy for those, but he will chew and eat it all in a half hour if I let him. Instead I let him have it for 10 minutes at at time until it get so small he could choke on it.

What he also likes chewing on is the turkey flavored Nylabone and this tire chewtoy I got from Menards for only $5. It's called Puppy Treads. I finally had to retire it after 3 or 4 months of hard usage. He loves playing with it and chewing it. He worked on chewing off the small bumpy treads for a long time and now he's finally getting into the sidewall and started pulling off pieces about 3/4" long, so I tossed it in the garbage and will get a couple more.

[311Hemi]

What I give him instead are Bully Sticks, which, as the name implies, are stretched and dried bull peckers.

These things are great as the dogs love them.....just wish they were not so *#$& expensive.

[MinnesotaMongo]

I picked up a smoked bone from Schmidts meats in Nicolett last night and my dog went crazy over them. They still had bits of meat on it - and he was busy ALL night. The most peaceful night I've had with my 16 month old Springer.

[lenny7]

I picked up a smoked bone from Schmidts meats in Nicolett last night and my dog went crazy over them. They still had bits of meat on it - and he was busy ALL night. The most peaceful night I've had with my 16 month old Springer.

I'll have to stop by Von Hanson's and get one of those and see how Kody likes it. I'm sure he'll go nuts.

[SSSTaxidermy]

I picked up a smoked bone from Schmidts meats in Nicolett last night and my dog went crazy over them. They still had bits of meat on it - and he was busy ALL night. The most peaceful night I've had with my 16 month old Springer.

Yeah if the shanks or bones have some tissue on them...all the better for the pups liking...I gave her a big knuckel one time and had maybe too much tissue on it to were her system maybe didn't agree...and had case of the Hershys. All was good...its a treat. No different than me plowing through a bunch of wings and beers.

As MinnMongo stated...once they get to "working" on that bone...You sometime wonder what happened to your pup.

[labsareus]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have used the Kongs, my wife fills with peanut butter and pushes in a dog biscuit to keep him from getting it all right away. Not as cool when he shakes his head tho.

I like the idea of freezing the contents in the Kong as this should take longer. Also the idea of fresh knuckle bones--the wrapped ones in the stores smell up the kennel box.

Our pup does not have the run of the house so I like to keep him busy on something while in HIS area. Thanks again

[311Hemi]

Our pup does not have the run of the house so I like to keep him busy on something while in HIS area. Thanks again

IMO he should be supervised if anything he is chewing on can get small or have chunks break off.

I don't know if the knuckles you guys are talking about are those really big dark ones you see at pet stores that usually are fairly greasy, but I have seen my lab break decent sized chucks off those bones and luckily was watching so he did not swallow them.

[SSSTaxidermy]

I don't know if the knuckles you guys are talking about are those really big dark ones you see at pet stores that usually are fairly greasy, but I have seen my lab break decent sized chucks off those bones and luckily was watching so he did not swallow them.

I know the ones I'm referring to are not the dark ones. Like I said, I get mine right from a butcher shop or meat store...so they are fresh, NOT baked, or preservatives added. Unlike the bones you'd typically get from a pet or discount store...I believe they are baked with some preservatives, so they can be on the shelves at room temperature.

[Nordy]

Kong's work well for my dog. We stuff it with peanut butter and then freeze it. That keeps him entertained for quite a while. He tried tearing it apart the other day, no luck. These things are tuff. He has tennis balls destroyed in minutes.

[MNpurple]

The best thing I have found for my Lab is cow hooves. They really do last a long time and the do not splinter at all. I watched her a long time with them at first but am now comfortable to leave her alone in her kennel with them. After she gets going on them they do kinda stink though, so probably not an inside thing. Can find them at most pet stores.