Hi, Wuki has a thing for Rawhide bones. It's almost impossible to have him calm inside the house without one of these in his mouth: Anyway, i would like to know if you guys give this to your labs, and if so, if you reduce anything from your furry friend's diet. The Vet says these are alright for Labs, as long as we don't give it unattended, as they can brittle before getting soft, and can hurt a dog. I usually give 1 or 2 of these a week, and some snacks and kibble for training. I separate 1/3 of the kibble for training, and i'm thinking if i should cut kibble a bit the days he eats one of these bones. So, do you think rawhide has a lot of nutritive content that i should cut more kibble? Thank's in advance! MC
I don't give Cooper anything rawhide because it gives him an icky tummy! But that's him. Also, a lot of rawhide here comes from China and that is a big NO NO for me! NOTHING FROM CHINA!! Is it because Wuki wants/needs to chew? Or because he wants to eat? I have Nylabones for Cooper but also animal antlers. He really cannot destroy antlers even though he is an avid and relentless chewer. I know many on our Forum don't agree with antlers because of pup's teeth. So we all have our preferences and concerns.
Lilly is not in the least bit interested in Nylabones, antlers, Anco roots, or anything like that. She loves stuffed and frozen kongs, they don't last long (though I don't do Julie's thing of feeding whole meals in several kongs) She LOVES meaty bones, she LOVES rawhide bones. Neither upset her, she has cast iron guts mostly. The problem with these too is she won't eat them inside, needs to take them outside and can stay out for several hours, so they are very much summer/good weather treats. I must admit I was a bit wary of the rawhide, so many awful stories - both about choking and the production process. I guess for me its about weighing up the pros and cons. Not given unsupervised, don't buy from China or 99p stores. They are a good choice for us.
We go with rawhide rolls, or knotted bones, not the compressed rawhide. Not because we think it is bad, just that they only last a few minutes with our power chewers. The rawhide comes from South America, or North America. I don't know about the food value, but I don't think there is much.
Nope, I don't do rawhide, nylabones, antlers or any such thing. My dogs get plenty of physical exercise, training to tire out their brains, lots of affection, play and cuddles - and then settle down. They get Kongs, very useful to help them learn to settle and very safe. That's it. All of these chew things I think are a waste of time, empty calories, potentially upset tums are (sometimes) a risk to teeth, and just are not necessary.
My dog and pups get rawhide - but in small amounts. Tatze gets a cigar sized one most days, the pups get the same but only for a short time. The tiny pups get rice bones as they need to learn to settle on a blanket at my feet from week 1 and I find rice bones do the trick for that They also have nylabones. I buy a giant nylabone for each pup and they take it to Big School with them. They have filled Kongs and filled sterilised bones. None have been obsessive chewers. The only thing I ever leave them alone with are filled Kongs - supervision is needed with all other chews. ...
I occasionally give raw hide to Mabel she is a bit hit and miss with them though, and have tried Anco roots, antlers and nylabones but found them a complete waste of money. I use kongs all the time now. She has her evening portion of food frozen in them every night. I soak her kibble in water then top it up with a variety of different things. Pop it in the freezer first thing in the morning and it's nicely frozen by 5 o'clock. I also stuff other kongs with things like mashed banana and peanut butter or boiled mashed carrot if I happen to be going out. She also has a kong wobbler, and a couple of different activity balls which I put treats in, although the only thing she is left unattended with is her Kong. It's fair to say my girl has definitely developed a kong habit
Guys, thank you for the answers. We have Kongs, one smaller for frozen stuff and another big one that works as a kibble dispatcher... these ones i use during the day when he has to stay alone. I never give the rawhide when he is alone, as you can see in the initial post, we always give it when he is with us. I only give cookies and kibble when he is alone. Another thing i need to work with training is for him to stay calmer around us without the freaking bone! Oh well... As with most stuff till now time is an important factor too i guess...
I'd say you definitely need to do this - isn't he about 6 months now? He should be able to settle down at least for short periods now. I have a puppy in a puppy proof room (by that I mean nothing for her to pick up, and barriers in place to stop her chewing the TV cables etc) and I have a mat by my feet. The puppy runs round for a bit, and I ignore her. Eventually, she goes to the mat (I reinforce going to mats from 8 weeks). And then I drop treats on the mat trying to not let her see me do it. I gradually draw out the time between treats appearing. Eventually, in that room, the puppy just thinks going to the mat and settling down is a brilliant idea. If you can't make the room puppy proof, you can do this with the puppy on a long lead. Don't ask for too much while they are still young. Doing nothing is difficult for them.
Thank's JulieT, your words have been a real help! I've done that in our living room, and instead of the mat, we use a doggy bed (i really should get another because he is now too big for it). But he is more energic and a bit crasy... He eventually settles down with the bone. Ah, i must also say he lost a lot of teeth the last month, but i think they are all changed. I haven't neutered him yet, im still on the fence about it. I've heard it helps some dogs to calm down, but man... it feels so aggressive. I don't plan to breed with him, so neutering is a possibility. I'm afraid he might not be the same after it... :/
If you think neutering your dog is right for you and your dog, that's one thing. But if you are only doing it because you hope it will calm him down, that's probably a mistake. It is very unlikely to calm him down.
JulieT, that's my opinion too. That's why I'm on the fence about it. I feel it's for the wrong reason.
