To do or not to do - Bones & Bully sticks to keep dog busy!? And which brands work best?

[Sonal & Coco]

Just spent the past few hours going through the various forums on DK and the information here is amazing! I was looking to buy bully sticks and bones for my five month old Labradoodle puppy and came here for a quick check on brands and recommendations. 

There were some discussions about

-buying bones from a butcher

-one sad story about a dog who lost his life from a large rawhide bone/stick

-using pig ears

-about not giving  bones/pig ears at all as it's not required

So now I'm really not sure which band/option works best. 

Would love some recommendations on brands for pig ears, bully sticks if possible and whether or not it is a 'nice-to-have' or 'must-have' to give your dog bones/digestible chews? What works best?

When we're home in the evenings. I'd love to give our dog something to keep her occupied while we go about our chores/working from home. As she's a doodle, she loves being occupied with things so I usually give her ice cubes or stuffed kongs with green beans/peanut butter/frozen cottage cheese. As she has been growing up, she finishes these in 10 to 20 minutes and is ready for her next challenge. 

She has tug, rope toys, chew toys, balls and a frisbee.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is no one "right" option that works best for every dog and every owner. It depends the size of the dog, the dog's "chewing style", other health issues such as sensitive stomachs, and the owner's comfort level.

My dog can polish off a $20 bully stick in 5 minutes. For others, bully sticks last for days. Some dogs get diarrhea from them. Other dogs are fine. 

Antlers and marrow bones have worked well for many of our dogs, including mine, and they last forever. Other people are afraid to give them because some dogs have chipped or even broken a tooth on them. 

Other people have had good luck with pig ears, cow hooves, beef tracheas, and beef tendons. 

It's basically trial and error.

The main thing when you buy these is that you check the sourcing. "Made in USA" is not enough. They must be sourced in North America. We have resources on where to find the best quality chews in most of the discussions about them. If you are not sure about a product, ask the seller, or email the company. 

[Tina McNerthney]

Good advice, Karen. And, of course, don't forget to supervise your dog for a time as you try out a new type of chew item. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good advice as well. 

[Sonal & Coco]

Thanks Karen, this is super helpful. Last night Coco chewed down on a wooden wall panel so we really need something that can last her a while and something she really likes more than walls or paper. :)  

Will make sure we find something sourced in North America vs. just Made in USA. 

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

I found these Bionic toys that I stuff both ends with peanut butter, yogurt and banana and freeze it. It takes them a good 45 minutes to get it all out. http://www.bionicplay.com/products_bone.html

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My problem with the peanut butter stuffed kongs is that the dog is getting an awful lot of extra calories when all you really want is something to occupy them for awhile. There is almost no food in the world that is more calorie dense or higher in fact than peanut butter. You can cut back on their kibble to compensate for the extra calories, but nutritionally, that's not the best idea, especially for a puppy. Something that is strictly for chewing, like an antler or marrow bone, on the other hand, adds no calories at all. The stuffed kongs also don't help keep their teeth clean, which the chew objects like bones and antlers also do. 

[Cynthia Shoe]

Have you looked into any of the puzzle toys for feeding meals and giving treats? We have a Kong Wobbler that we can put his meals in and it takes him so much longer to eat dinner. If he gets too excited with it, we just pick it up for a minute and have him sit down and then we let him have it back. We also have the Nina Ottosson Tornado, which we can use for meals or treats and change the difficulty on. Our trainer brought over the brick game, but he was a pro at that in 2 days, so we didn't buy that one. 

[Sonal & Coco]

Thanks Cynthia, we do have some treat toys like the kong wobbler. She will work it quickly and only pick out the treats and leave the kibble on the floor, at least it keeper her occupied. Will definitely look into the other toys you've suggested here. 

We have two kongs, two other kinds of kibble dispenser toys and there's a 3-piece puzzle toy as well, she prefers to chew on most of these vs. actually playing.

At 6 months, I thought we were done with teething but, I'm thinking it's probably some combination of teething and boredom. 

[Nicole and Teddy]

I was actually going to start a thread about bones when I saw this one so thought I'd jump in. Teddy loves the Himalayan dog chews, but they make a mess and if he breaks off a piece and eats it, it will sit in his stomach for a little while until he throws it up- usually at 5am! Thinking about making a switch but have no idea where to start as, for the most part, they do agree with his tummy. Tried bully sticks but he goes right through them and then has a bout of diarrhea. Karen- you mentioned antlers and marrow bones. Where do you get them? I do most of my shopping either at Petsmart or Chewy.com. Are there any other recommendations as well for a 'basic' bone/chew toy? I too am not over the moon about the added calories with a stuffed toy like the Kong. Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A lot of people here order antlers from Antler Pantry and swear by them. I order mine from Best Elk Antlers. What you want with anything that's going to go into your dog's mouth is reassurance that not only is it made in North America, but also sourced in North America. Petsmart carries products that are made and/or sourced in China, so you have to be really careful about reading the labels and checking the sourcing. 

Most of us who have used marrow bones (beef femur bones) get them from the grocer or butcher. We have lots of discussions here about those, as well as antlers. I'll find you a couple.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here are the two best discussions on these topics:

Marrow Bones With Pictures & Instructions

Feedback on Antlers