It's football season, and there's no better time to talk about choosing the perfect chew for your dog to enjoy during the game!           

Size of Chew   
While every chew we stock at TGS is a worry-free treat when it comes to ingredients, we still recommend that all pets are given a chew that is appropriately sized for their mouth and weight (not too big, not too small). We recommend choosing a chew that is larger than their mouth. Not sure what that means for your pet? Our team would be happy to help guide you to the right size and type of chews for your pet!       

Your Dog's Chewing Style  
What is your dog's chewing style? This is just as important to consider as size of chew is. Is your dog a methodical, careful chewer? Great! They can likely handle almost any chew! Are they a "goes all in" chewer? Awesome! You may need to watch your dog at the end of a chew (to be sure they don't swallow it) or with very very hard chews. Have a soft chewer? Wonderful! Check out our hardness guide below, and the puppy and senior sections too! If you have a dog that is a super tough chewer who lacks restraint, watch them closely with super hard chews like antlers - it's possible for some dogs (depending on their tooth structure and genetics) to harm their teeth when they chew really hard on a super hard chew like antlers. Every dog is an individual and we recommend closely monitoring your dog while they chew.        

Types and Hardness of Chews   
Here's a handy chart that shows the hardness and chew style of many of our favorite chews!       

       

Chews for Puppies  
Puppies benefit greatly from chewing. Not only is it good mental exercise, it can be naturally calming, and fulfills your pup's need to chew. Is puppy chewing on your shoes?! Swap that shoe out for something you want your puppy to chew! It's our job as humans to teach them what what we WANT them to chew on. Here are some of our favorite chews for puppies that still have their baby teeth or are teething (loosing baby teeth)...        

  • Raw chicken, duck, and turkey necks (feed frozen for teething relief!)
  • Fish skin chews
  • Gullet and trenenda sticks
  • Freeze-dried chews (pig ear and beef snouts are perfect for puppy)
  • Bully sticks
  • Cow ears
  • Ox tails and beef tails
  • Sweet potato chews

Chews for Seniors  
Older dogs want and need chews too! Senior dogs' preferences will change as they get older, it's a normal part of life. Older dogs benefit from the mental exercise of chewing and teeth cleaning. They're not into bones or bully sticks anymore? Try a freeze-dried chew instead! Here are some of our favorite easy to nom, and benefical chews for our seniors...        

  • Raw chicken, duck, and turkey necks. Feed thawed or frozen depending on preference. These are absolutely amazing at cleaning teeth and a softer chew that is easy to eat.
  • Fish skin chews
  • Gullet sticks
  • Himalayan yogurt sticks (softer than the regular Himalayan Yak cheese chews)
  • Tripe twists and sticks
  • Freeze-dried chews (necks, ears, bully sticks, and more!)

When to Toss That Chew
Every dog has their own chewing style and every chew has it's limits! So when do you toss that chew? For dogs that chew carefully and methodically, they may be able to safely chew a bully stick or cheese chew all the way without swallowing a big chunk at the end. For enthusiastic chewers, you may need to throw away the very end of a chew before they swallow a chunk of it. For bones (raw and slow roasted), we recommend throwing the bone away once it begins chipping. These bone chips are safe to consume, but chipping is a good sign that the bone has lived out it's usefulness for your dog's chewing needs.   

 

Chews Tip: Whenever you need to take a chew away from your dog, always trade them from something VERY tasty - like a big chunk of chicken or cheese, or a freeze-dried duck heart! When possible practice "trading" your puppy for their chew and then giving the chew right back, to help prevent resource guarding later in their life. For dogs that tend to resource guard, we recommend giving them chews that they will consume all the way like a freeze-dried chew or frozen raw neck. The chew may not last as long (as a bone would), but this way there will be nothing left to guard when they are done chewing, keeping you and your pup happy!        

Don't Forget Stuff-able Food Toys
Are chews not your dog's thing? Not to worry! Grab a food-stuffable toy like West Paw's Toppl, fill with your dog's favorite foods and freeze for a long lasting lickable treat! Here are some of our favorite toy-filler ingredients...       

  • Canned dog food
  • Doggie peanut butter or Calming peanut butter for dogs (for a chill bonus!)
  • Bone broth
  • Raw goat milk
  • A spoonful of canned pumpkin (don't feed too much of this)
  • Raw frozen dog food
  • Applesauce or mashed banana for a fruit-loving dog
  • Add a freeze-dried meat topper to bone broth, water, or goats milk and freeze
  • Dry food plus water or bone broth and freeze
  • Freeze-dried raw food - rehydrate and freeze
  • Dehydrated food - rehydrate and freeze
  • Fill with some of your dog's favorite treats, add water, and freeze!
  • What other ingredients can you think up?

Thanks for joining us for another blog topic, Green Spotters. We hope you now feel confident choosing chews for your dog or pup! As always, talk to one of our experienced team members for help with choosing chews.