Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hi all.

So as some of you know I have a new 12 week old DS, Tygo. Wow what a pup. But wow what a chewer. Everything in the mouth and if he can destroy it, so much the better. I pick my battles and really only stop things if it is mine, a rock or metal. He can chew boxes I give him, stuffed animals, his bedding, and toys and a host of other chew thingys I buy at the dog store. But WHOA it gets expensive for left over beef parts.

Questions are these:

ANTLERS: Is it true that in hardness it goes deer, elk and moose with moose being softest. I saw on another post that antlersusa.com has best prices. True? Other places? What have you found to be the best? And I too, like someone else, have an old deer antler. Would that be okay... probably 20 + years old.

BULLYSTICKS and SIMILAR: Any preferences? Anything to avoid? Places on line to get them in bulk?

KONGS: Other than frozen peanut butter, other insertion food?

Anything else? And any great places to get the stuff on line?

Thanks to all who contribute. I know it might be a repeat but all the new folks might benefit from your experience... might... no definitely will benefit.

Karin

By far the best toy I got for Radar is the GoughNut Stick Green.

A virtually Indestructible (and guaranteed) chew toy! GoughNuts toys have been designed by mechanical and polymer engineers. If your pet can chew through the outer layer to expose the inner red layer, GoughNuts will replace your toy.

This was recommended in another post here on the forum, and it's his favorite.

http://www.amazon.com/Goughnuts-GoughNu ... ts+dog+toy

I used to be a rockclimber way back when. I took one of my old 9mm ropes and cut it up years ago and still have a doubled up piece with knots that is pretty indestructible as a tug toy. After Tygo chewed through his first leash I made one out of climbers haul rope, probably 6mm (you can get at outdoor stores) and he can't easily chew through that.

I don't have any answers, but I'm glad you asked the question. Hilde loves to chew like most here. Dog toys don't last long around here, even the "tough" ones. She has some of the indestructible type, but they don't hold her interest for long. I guess the destruction process is exciting for her. We do give her rawhides often, which she loves. We asked the vet about antlers, but he warned that they present a danger of broken teeth. Is that true? She does tend to go after the rawhides pretty hard, unlike our previous pooch (not DS) who would soak them down with slobber before starting in with the teeth. I know rawhide isn't the best stuff for them, so I'd love to have some alternatives.

Just a quick followup on the GoughNuts toys...

They have proven to be indestructible for 8+ months, and yet "chewy" enough to hold Radar's interest.

I have the stick, a ring (donut), and a ball. The ring is firm like the Kongs and is his least favorite. The ball is hollow, and I can put small bite treats in it to distract him temporarily. The stick is moderately flexible.

We were at a pet expo a couple of years back looking at some victims for Roo. The sales barker said they were made of some sort of fire hose material and guaranteed indestructible. We just laughed and walked away.....

We get bones from the butcher.

I do not give rawhides at all, they can swallow parts of them. If mine cant destroy it, they are not interested. But they do love the antlers ! I have not had any teeth problems though, and they will chew sometimes for hours.
I have yet to try the Goughnuts, but from what everyone reports about them, they seem to be great. Sadies favorite chew toy, though is Thalies rear leg, yummy and very indestructible.

I agree, mine have never liked anything that is really indestructible, whether kongs or new-fangled inventions. I thought it was stated here that moose antlers are the hardest, then elk with deer being soft. I would think a 20 y.o. antler may be brittle and the all-important enticement in its center no longer so enticing. and I think antlerusa is luggage; elkusa.com is the one talked about here [ I made the same mistake ].

I stay away from rawhide... It is not easily digestible, especially for puppies and, like Lisa said, they can swallow too big of pieces.
Bully sticks are good. I have to get the thick braided ones for Tyson. But even those only last about 15-20 min max.
I swear by antlers. I have 4 or 5 of differing sizes and types laying around my house at any given time. Dogs' chewing needs change and so I let my crew have options. I have several friends who also provide antlers for chewing....so far not one of our dogs has experienced tooth breakage. I, too, think it goes softest to hardest deer, elk, moose....someone posted on that a while back.
I also give RAW meaty soup bones. I stay away from weight bearing bones and the smoked ones you can buy at most stores. Weight bearing bones can cause breakage and the smoked ones aren't really digestible if your dog can actually break pieces off (Tyson can, no sweat). If you give any type of bone for chewing, make sure that it is RAW and NOT COOKED.
I use Kongs mostly for mental stimulation and problem solving. You can pretty much shove any kind of treat (or even their kibble if you feed kibble) into a kong and let them figure out how to get it out. Just make sure you run it through the dishwasher occasionally.
I also like the Himalayan Dog Chews. These will actually keep Tyson focused and busy as long as an antler will. They are made out of Yak's milk and come in several sizes.

You can go to doggyloot.com and sign up for their emails. They have great deals on some stuff.

THANK YOU for all the information, especially websites.... hahahah John maybe I was going to get him some nice leather luggage to chew on.

Has anyone tried the non-stink bully sticks. I did not look closely at them but plan too. Just wondering how they make them non-stink.

If not weight-bearling raw bones then which ones? Aren't soup bones often the weight bearing leg bones?

Thanks again.

Karin wrote:If not weight-bearling raw bones then which ones? Aren't soup bones often the weight bearing leg bones? Thanks again.

Yes, they can be. Sorry, I guess I should have elaborated...

I give the meaty soup bones because they are usually cut, exposing marrow that they can dig at and if a leg bone or knuckle bone, they are not the whole leg or knuckle bone. I like giving soup bones with meat on them so that they have to actually tear some of the meat off to get to the bone. Great mental exercise.

Spare ribs would also be good for little Mr. Tygo. Pork tends to be softer than beef and has less of a chance of splintering.

Just make sure whatever bones you give are not cooked or smoked and are big enough that he has to gnaw on them, not just swallow them. Part of the reason that dogs can digest raw bones is due to the fact that they contain moisture, keeping them from being too brittle. I will usually take whatever bone is uneaten after about 30 minutes and put it back in the fridge or freezer for another time. If I put it in the fridge, I will usually put it in a container with some ice to keep it extra cool and moist.

If you are looking for something non-stink that can be left lying around the house, I cannot recommend antlers enough. Just make sure you look down while you are walking around the house barefoot.

Something to keep in mind if you are giving raw bones: too much bone can cause a bit of constipation and chalky, rock-hard poo. Also, if you are feeding kibble, the digestion process for kibble vs raw meat and bone is a bit different, so until you see how his system reacts with mixing raw meaty bones vs kibble, err on the side of caution and don't overdo.

Supposedly the non-stink bully sticks are from grass fed free range beef. I guess it's the corn/grain diet that makes them stink.

For body part chews, I like..
antlers, deer and elk, never tried moose
hooves, they stink to high heaven and Odin likes to hide them under my pillow, but they last a long time
bully sticks occasionally, I'll stick one through a kong or freeze it with ground meet, or peanut butter inside it, but they usually disappear so fast it isn't worth the money. I only buy from Jones National Chews out of Rockford, IL. I've visited the plant and met quite a few workers and I'm very happy with their company.
Raw pig legs hooves. These usually are completely edible for a large dogs. They are fatty though, and if you feed a kibble fed dog, the fat may be an issue, since I feed raw, they're fine in moderation. Stay away from any that are split or quartered though, since they could be a choking hazard.

For toys,
Black Kong extremes in Large and XL. The Large are used more for throwing, but both sizes are around. They aren't indestructible here. We go through one every 3 months with Odin. Elli just likes to carry them around and not chew though.

Busy Buddy bouncy toys-Make sure you get the right size and maybe even the size up. Odin and Elli LOVE these. It's almost like a nylabone and kong in one. They come with these rawhide discs, but you can change them out and put in sweet potato chews or pig ears if you have a way to put a hole in them (drill and clean drill bit worked fine for us)

Pet Safe (used to be premier) Busy Buddy biscuit bouncer, football, and squirrel, are also great. You can stuff them with things too.

Katie's Bumper. Ok, these aren't chew toys, but this is the only tug that has lasted with us. I've bought jute tugs from expensive working dog places, and firehouse toys from everywhere and well as a few canvas bird dummy ones. This is the only brand that has stitching that will hold up for us. The canvas from cabelas has held up too, but the insides crumbled and nobody will bite those.

Stacy_R wrote: Just make sure you look down while you are walking around the house barefoot.

Im glad im not the only one stubbing toes or tripping over antlers !

Ditto everything Stephanie said - and will add to it.

We also love the Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude. Its similar to a Kong, but has "fingers" across the big opening allowing you to put smaller, hard things inside like kibble. Your dog could eat its entire meal out of one. Speaking of meal, plug the small end of your kong with peanut butter or cheese and then fill with kibble. Add water to the brim and freeze - breakfast in a Kongsicle, good for atleast an hour of entertainment.

For outside, put treats or toys in a large bowl and fill with water and freeze. They have to dig it out before they can interact with it (can you tell I love ice??).

Lastly, we are big nyla bone fans here. All of the dogs have at least one - and all want what the other one has.

Dutchringgirl wrote:Im glad im not the only one stubbing toes or tripping over antlers !

You are definitely NOT alone!!!!

Christie M wrote:For outside, put treats or toys in a large bowl and fill with water and freeze. They have to dig it out before they can interact with it (can you tell I love ice??).

I am sooo doing this on the next hot day.... Tyson and Baby Ruth both LOVE ice anyway.

Oh I forgot one! The Varsity Ball or any other very hard plastic ball is amazing. I currently have the Clix Boomer Ball and Odin can't get enough of it. It tires him out better than any dog, human, or toy can do.

LyonsFamily wrote:Oh I forgot one! The Varsity Ball or any other very hard plastic ball is amazing. I currently have the Clix Boomer Ball and Odin can't get enough of it. It tires him out better than any dog, human, or toy can do.

For a drivey dog they are awesome. However, when I got Willow one (lots of years ago) her obsession was unmatched. One winter day I put her out with it and a few minutes later she had no skin left on her nose and browridge and the ball was covered in red snow. She had literally rubbed her skin off on it. From that point on, she could only have it in the water (cause she could never catch it) or play with a basket muzzle on (although that still resulted in a rub spot on the end of her nose where it touched the end of her muzzle).

WOW!!

This is great! I just printed this discussion to keep on file. THANK YOU EVERYONE!