I haven't heard of giving hooves, I'll have a look. That tub idea sounds good! Right now everything is everywhere
Really useful making a toy box for your pup. That way they learn what is theirs to chew. Snowie definitely knows the difference between what is ours that he is not allowed to take (for example, the scarf in my handbag that he sometimes try to sneak out -- yes, definitely knows this is NOT his stuff!) and what is his that he can do with what he likes (the shelf in the utility room that has all his stuff on it -- sometimes you can hear everything clattering off as he digs around trying to find that specific something he wants). If he does take my stuff (like the scarf or a shoe), it's just to take to his bed so that he can rest his head on it. But his stuff, well, that gets taken to his bed to chew. He really does know the difference.
Yes - all Guide Dogs and pups have a toy box. When a new older pup comes to stay they head straight for the toy box! But I also keep 'special' toys back to save their novelty value for training/ etc.
I got a couple of split antlers and a couple whole ones for my dogs, and I brought a split one in for her to gnaw while we waited at the vet - and the vet said not to give them, too great a chance of broken teeth. The puppy (3mo) loves them but my older dog (7yo) was interested for about a week, and now doesn't seem to care.
Nice, I set one up just now. Both dogs love it. And both dogs actually put back a toy when they were done and wanted another Probably just a fluke, I'm sure I'll have to put in actual work to get that to be consistent
So what would they be chewing on in the wild? Wolves gnaw on bones and sticks, yet neither are advised to give to dogs. Antlers, Nylabones, and hooves are all said to be too hard. That leaves Kongs and the like, except that it doesn't seem to meet that "just gotta gnaw" urge in my dogs. They finish the filling and then they're bored with them. Not sure what to do
Oh, I agree...um, my dogs still have their antler chews even after our vet visit. I also let them chew on sticks and wood when properly supervised (to make sure it's not too splintery). I heat with wood only so I have some nice chunks of hardwood that Bessie likes a lot. Even better, she feels like she's "found" them herself when she pulls them out of the woodpile. Those are quite good for gnawing. They're shaped kind of like a big knuckle bone, if that makes sense.
When I take Snowie walking on the mountain trails, there are tons of fallen sticks from the trees or dried out from the shrubs. If I stop to chat to someone, he now takes himself off to find a stick and starts gnawing on it, I suppose his way of entertaining himself while I chat (it beats barking at me, which he used to do just not long ago, so I am very thankful that he has learned to self-entertain). I have read of horror stories when dogs pierce their throats when retrieving a stick, but I guess that's when the stick was thrown and they raced full tilt to pick it up. As for bones, Snowie gets those as part of his raw fed diet. I don't feed weight-bearing bones (leg bones, for example), but the neck bones seem pretty hard but he crunches through them no problem. Thankfully he has not cracked a tooth, and I guess his teeth have got stronger due to his being fed bones all his life. I'd imagine that a dog not used to biting into a bone might not have the strength in the tooth yet, and would need to build up (I am presuming logic, just in the same way that human bones build up density when they do weight-bearing activities).
Just because a wolf does it, it doesn't mean we should encourage (or allow) our dogs to do it. Wolves can break their teeth, too - probably with more severe consequences than for our pampered pooches, who would be rushed to the nearest vet for dental surgery. It's true that biting objects that are too hard can crack a dog's teeth, causing them much pain, unnecessary surgery and leaving the owners heavily out of pocket. We have the facility to prevent that from happening, so I don't understand why we wouldn't? There are plenty of other ways to feed and amuse our dogs. My two do eat bones, but nothing that they can't crack through with ease.
Putting a couple of bits of kibble in the bottom keeps them busy for ages emptying it and snuffling about for them ...
Our Guide Dogs and pups are not allowed antlers. They are allowed smoked and sterilised bones, rawhide and nylabones. I haven't found any of them overdo it with the sterilised bones or nylabones, but they'd chew the smoked bones all day, so I limit the time they have them to five minutes or so. ...
We gave Homer antlers and he also had a hard lump of a nylabone. In the evenings chewing on an antler or the nylabone would keep the crazy pup calm. Unfortunately we realised too late that his canine teach had already been worn down.
I agree, I have found finding something for her to chew more than a few minutes that isn't too hard impossible. Kongs are great, but we use those for when she goes in her crate and they don't last long, plus she licks not chews on them. I kept one nylabone and I found this fake stick at Pet Valu as well as Pet Smart (not sure where you live)...it is fairly hard but i can dig my nail into it and it's not as hard as a nylabone. It's supposed to taste like a stick...she's on her second one and now that she is older, she is chewing little chunks off it, but not swallowing so I only let her have it when I can watch. Quinn gets these out to chew in her bed (a lot of the time early AM or middle of the night when I assume she cant' sleep and we aren't up) so I know she enjoys them, I just try to limit it. When I'm up to the clean up job, I save big cardboard boxes for her to tear up and once in a blue moon allow her to bring home a stick to chew inside.
If she's inclined to chew for that long then I'd cut out the shin bones once she starts to get her adult teeth. That amount of chewing will definitely wear down her teeth and will eventually expose the inner pulp.
Oh bum, I definitely don't want to wear down her teeth. Chew roots seem fabulous, but I can't get them here and there doesn't seem to be any alternative. She still gets good mileage out of pizzle sticks but that's not something I thought you should give daily? She gets one maybe once a week.
Yes I agree, I was moreso saying dogs and wolves seem to have the same gnawing needs, yet nothing seems safe. Cracked and worn down teeth are not worth the risk.
Still gets good mileage out of a pizzle sticks??!! When she's older I guess she'll chomp through them. I think it takes Snowie all of two or three minutes and the pizzle stick is gone. He does love them! But now only as special treats; they're no good anymore for keeping him occupied.
