Dogs have a natural desire to chew...especially younger dogs.  They love to chew and as long as they are chewing on the right things, then it's good for them too!  You'll see that giving them natural bones will truly bring out your dog's wild instincts.  They are usually more protective of bones than other treats and they really seem to enjoy a natural bone more than a processed treat.  Not only will a natural bone satisfy your dogs natural urge to chew but it will also provide him with hours of entertainment, relaxation and relief from anxiety.  Dogs really seem to escape into their own world when they are chewing on natural bones and if you and your dog haven't experienced the contentment that they receive from chewing on natural bones, then you are both missing some enjoyment. 

Natural bones are also a great way to help keep their teeth and gums clean.  By chewing and gnawing on the bone, it keeps their teeth clean from plaque and tartar and also keeps debris from getting lodged in their gums. 

As with everything else in the entire world, there are always going to be different opinions about every situation; including natural bones and how to feed them...or whether to give them to your dog at all.  Dogs do require some supervision while chewing and enjoying their bones.  As with any natural bones though, we encourage you to occasionally inspect the bone for any splintering.  Even though dogs are efficient at digesting small amounts of bone material, if there are any many larger chunks being bitten off rapidly, we recommend removing and replacing the bone with a larger one.  It is also good practice to allow your dog a set amount of time to chew on their bone and then remove it for the day.  Using this suggestion will give the chance to inspect the bone and also keep from devouring too much at one time.  Of course, all of these variables depend entirely on the size and type of dog that you have and how aggressive of a chewer they are. 

We make a wide variety of bone sizes to accommodate all sizes of dogs. The biggest consideration is to make sure that your dog has the right sized bone to match their size. 

Here is the advice from our veterinarian:
"As long as you provide the right sized bone for your dog, there should not be any problems giving your dogs natural bones.  When dogs have problems with natural bones, it is usually because they were given the wrong size of bone and were allowed to swallow a bunch of pieces that they broke off all at the same time. If problems occur from natural bones, it's usually when a dog gets into the trash and swallows that sharp t-bone or other cooked bones from dinner last night that were not intended for them." 

Following these guidelines should decrease any potential problems and give your dog a safe and great bone chewing experience.

If you need any help selecting the right sized bone for your dog, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.