The Truth About Rawhide Bones

Dogs are proficient chewers. This, of course, has allowed them to hunt, gather, and eat for the thousands of years in existence before human domestication. So chances are, your pup still maintains a strong primal desire to chew and gnaw. Luckily, today’s product manufacturers are catching on, and there are plenty of toys and games which can provide hours of beneficial chewing exercise for dogs.  The focus of this article is rawhide bones, which actually help keep your dog’s breath fresh and her teeth plaque free.

Chewing as a Negative Behavior

Of course, many dogs love nothing more than to chew up your shoes, books, and other household items (which have your unique scent all over them). If this is the case, then rawhide bones can help ease your pup’s urge to chew on the “wrong” things, and refocusing her energy into the “right” things, such as a bone. But please note that if your dog is chewing up your entire home, she’ll probably need more than just a bone to solve her behavior problem.  She probably needs more exercise—both mental and physical.

Rawhide Bones: The Real Deal

There are pros and cons to giving a dog rawhide bones.  Your typical rawhide bone (the one in the grocery store or at Wal-Mart) has a tendency to break easily and may cause choking. Similarly, these cheap bones expand very quickly inside your dog’s stomach and may cause severe constipation.  Also, if your dog is a very aggressive chewer, these regular rawhides don’t last long…as you’ve probably already discovered.

Compressed (top) vs. Regular (bottom)

Compressed for Better Health

On the other end of the spectrum, compressed rawhide bones will last much longer than the standard variety.  Even better, compressed rawhide bones are much less likely to fracture, thus reducing your dog’s chances of choking. Actually, the compressed rawhide bones are about the only thing we’ve found so far that will keep Riley occupied for more than 30 minutes.  It usually takes her at least an hour to chew through half of a 10.5 inch bone.  And sometimes, to peak her interest in the bone, we’ll even put some peanut butter on it.  We find that after she licks off the treat, she’ll continue chewing the bone for a while.

Like any other toy, compressed bones work best when you don’t leave it out for the dog to chew at her leisure. Instead, store it out of sight and then pull it out when you decide to give her a special treat.  This makes sure that your dog won’t get bored of the bone.  With this method, she’ll think it’s a special treat that only comes out once in a while.  And rawhides, like any other treat, should always be monitored.

Size it Up

Get a bone large enough for your dog.  And, I want to drill this into your head, any time your dog is chewing on a toy or bone, make sure to supervise them just in case.  Oh, and if you have a large dog, we found it best to throw the remaining bone out once it gets small enough for her to accidentally swallow.

Riley’s Review:

Sometimes when my parents are busy I chew on my ‘pressed bone.  And I get really into it!  Any dog can be a great chewer like me, but they’d have to be really focused and ready to go at it 100%.  If you get the ‘pressed bone on the side of your mouth and squish really hard, it’ll make the bestest satisfying sound.  It usually gets very gooey and chewy once I really work it, but I kinda like it that way.  Overall, I recommend the compressed (but not the regular supermarket) rawhide bone for any pooch who just loooooves to chew hard.  But if you don’t want to chew really hard, then you probably won’t like ‘pressed rawhide. Sorry for you!

Doglirious Rating (out of 5)