Tough Toys for Hard Chewers
Toy Ideas for Dogs who seem to Destroy Everything!
It is difficult to find appropriate things that you can leave
with an aggressive chewer. There is the concern that they will chew off a piece of a toy and choke. So, never leave your dog alone with a toy or food that you think can break apart. Allow your dog to chew an item in your presence first before you leave him with the item for long periods.
**** BE VIGILANT-IF YOUR DOG SWALLOWS PIECES OF A TOY OR BONE HE CAN DEVELOP AN INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE—signs of this are lack of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting and lethargy****
Kongs and Squirrel Dudes
Kongs come in different strengths. The black Kongs are stronger but a very aggressive chewer can still chew pieces off of it. Once they have taken the treats out, they may then start to chew the Kong itself and break off pieces. For dogs that do not go to those lengths, you can start by stuffing them and giving them to your dog. Once they know that food can be gotten out of the Kong, you can progress to freezing the Kong and it will be harder for them to get the food out.
You can use canned dog food, fat-free cream cheese, peanut butter, cottage cheese, etc. You can mix dry kibble in also. The Kong company also makes a toy called a “Wubba” that is a Kong covered in strong cloth with “tails” that the dog can chew and play “tug’ with. www.kongcompany.com
Galileo and Nylabones:
We use Nylabones at the Sanctuary. Every dog gets either a nylabone or Galileo bone in their crate or room to occupy them when they need to chew on something. Chewing is anxiety and stress relieving for a dog. Always have your dog’s favorite version of them handy so that you can redirect them to something when they are chewing on unacceptable items. https://www.nylabone.com/products/product-type/chew-toys
Bones
Bones that have not been cured or treated in any way are also a good choice. You can buy raw marrowbones at the grocery store. They usually have a small amount of meat left on them and dogs love them. Confine your dog to his crate for these or keep him on a sheet that you can wash easily. You can also freeze the bones to make them last longer. Once they have removed all the marrow, you can stuff them in a similar way to stuffing a Kong toy. You can use sterilized bones but be aware that very strong chewers can chip their teeth on them, as they are much harder.
Antlers
These are naturally shed antlers that have been cut up into appropriate sizes. Your dog chews on these, they will slowly wear them down so be sure that they are not so small that they can choke on them. They do not splinter so they are safe and dogs love the taste!
https://www.petexpertise.com/dog-toys/antler-chews.html
Bully sticks and tendons:
These can be purchased in some pet food stores or on the Internet. They will last longer than most treats and are a favorite of many dogs.
https://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/smartlist_21/bully_sticks.html
Pet Safe Toys and Bristle Bones
Petsafe makes a lot of toys that are appropriate for our aggressive chewers.
and Kibble Nibbles can be used with dry kibble. Your dog has to manipulate the toy to find out how to get to the food inside. You can feed your dog’s entire meal from these. Bristle Bones are also made by Petsafe It is a nylabone dog chew that can be unscrewed and rawhide rings can be placed on each end for your dog to chew on. You can also cut slices of Natural Choice Dog Food roll and use them in place of the rawhide.
https://store.petsafe.net/toys
Planet Dog
We’ve used the Snoop interactive toy at the Sanctuary with great success. The dogs love getting kibble out of it and have found it nearly impossible to destroy, even our hardest chewers.
https://planetdog.com/Shop/Orbee-Tuff
GoughNuts
GoughNuts pet toys are a relatively new toy line designed to address the simple but serious issue of SAFETY. The GoughNuts chew toys are designed knowing that safety and fun go hand in hand. Each GoughNuts Ring and or Stick has included in its design the GoughNuts patent pending visual safety indicator where Green/Black/Orange/Yellow means “Go” and Red means “Stop”(meaning it’s ready to be returned to the manufacturer for replacement). They also offer many interactive products (Ball, TuG, Kups).
Tuffies are very strong cloth toys that come in various shapes. They do have squeakers inside
but virtually impossible to get out!
Both Tug-A-Jugs
Along the same lines is a “fire hose” toy-this is made out of ballistic nylon material and is tough.
https://outwardhound.com/dog-toys/fire-hose.html
West Paw Dog Toys
West Paw makes their Zogoflex toys, some of which are treat dispensing, and all that are made for tough chewers. The toys are made in the USA and are latex free in case you have a dog sensitive to the latex in kong toys.
https://www.westpaw.com/toys
Note that the websites featured are only some of the vendors that sell these items. Feel free to order them from your favorite dog store, and let us know if you find another toy or chew item that your dog can’t live without!
Marie Joyner
Canine Operations Director
Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary PO Box 956
Manchester, CT 06045 [email protected]
860-372-8809
www.ourcompanions.org