Quality canine products are few and far between. I say this coming from a long history of training with working dogs. Toys that advertise, “Indestructible” usually are not. I’m always searching for dog products for strong chewers but my dogs usually destroy them in 20 minutes, if not sooner. You don’t have to have a working dog to have a strong chewer. Here are the products I use, that have lasted longer than 3 months.
Kong makes a very good product that lasts. Dogs can chew and chew the Kong and its great exercise for their teeth and muscles. Kong is an American Company out of Colorado and started by Joe Markham. It all began when Joe’s police dog kept chewing inappropriate things like rocks and sticks. While working on his Volkswagen Bus, Joe’s dog picked to a rubber suspension and started playing with it. Kong was then born. Kong makes a variety of products including; rubbers toys, squeaker toys, Frisbees, and water toys. We have several Kong’s in our home for the dogs to chew and they also have treats to keep your dog interested and psychologically stimulated. They also make a solid rubber ball with a hole in it. I thread a rope through the ball and the dog loves to chase and play tug with it. Unlike many other ball toys on the market it lasts a long time.
Starmark also has some nice products that have lasted for months! We have the Starmark Treat Dispensing Chew Ball, Everlasting Fire Plug and the Swing ‘n Fling Chew Ball. We play fetch, tug, and hide treats inside to keep our dogs stimulated. They help foster natural hunting and foraging behaviors, and help prevent destructive boredom behaviors. Starmark gets an A+ for their products.
We also endorse the Nylabone Company, which offers chew products made right here in the USA! Nylabone has a variety of products for dental care from puppy to adult. We lean towards the Nylabone for the powerful chewer. They also offer softer chews for the not so violent chewer as well. You should be able to find something that fits your pet’s needs.
If you really want to treat your dog with something a little more natural, on occasion, I will purchase DogNip Bones which are all natural, preservative free, hickory smoked, beef bones. These bones are not cooked like many you will find in the pet stores. These bones contain marrow which provide hours of entertainment and mental stimulation. DogNip is a Michigan made product from farm, to butcher, to smoker, to you. They are located in Allendale Michigan and you can order your smoked beef bones at www.dognipbones.com.
These are some of the products that we use in our home with our dogs. They provide ours of safe entertainment and stimulation for our tough chewers. If you have a favorite product that you would like to pass on to our readers please add to the comment section.
Until next time, Happy Chewing!
