Strong Chewer

[beagleamy]

We have a dog who is a really strong chewer. We only buy the strong chewer bones and even have gotten her the Nylabone Galileo stuff that is supposed to be super strong. She is already taking bits and pieces off of it even after 5 minutes!

I worry that this will mess up her teeth. I also stupidly stuck my hand in her mouth one day to get a chicken bone out that someone had left in their yard and she bit down on me too (it was completely my fault for being an idiopt and just sticking my hand in while she was chewing!) I am afraid that her strong chewing tendencies might cause a child to get bit if the kid is not being careful while she is chewing? I've tried taking the bone away from her and seems ok but I am not sticking my hand in there again--I already have scars from the one time I stupidly did.

Is there a way to get your dog to not chew so strongly?

[beeniesmom]

What kind of dog is he?
The reason I ask is that some kinds of dogs (the ones with locking jaws).... bulldog, boston terrier, pit bulls... tend to chew stronger.
I don't know if there is a way to let him be more gentle....

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by beeniesmom
(the ones with locking jaws)

NO dog has locking jaws!! Maybe strong jaws but it is impossible for a jaw, any jaw to actually lock.

[beeniesmom]

oh, Goshhhh.

Sorry.
I was misinformed.
I just did a little search and you are correct.
No dog has locking jaws.
I wonder where that myth came from.
I don't remember who told me....
I'm very sorry to have misinformed you beagleamy.
thx lv4dogs

[Pit Chick]

Originally posted by beeniesmom
oh, Goshhhh.

Sorry.
I was misinformed.
I just did a little search and you are correct.
No dog has locking jaws.
I wonder where that myth came from.
I don't remember who told me....
I'm very sorry to have misinformed you beagleamy.
thx lv4dogs

All is forgiven. I don't know where I heard the whole "locking jaw" myth originally either, but when I rescued my first Pit pup, that's about the only thing I thought I knew about the breed. Live and learn.

Anyhooo. If you are concerned about your dogs chewing and the safety of children, here's the solution for that. Don't ever allow a child to mess with your dog while she is chewing on anything and never leave a child alone with your dog. Or, don't allow your dog to chew on anything while there is a child around. As for her strong chewing tendencies, I doubt there is a way to break her of that, it's just how she chews. You could invest in a black Kong, stuff it with treats and peanut butter, this will keep her busy trying to get the stuff inside and Kongs are very durable and can withstand tremendous chewing. You could also get her knuckle bones either cooked from a petstore or Wal-mart or raw from a butcher. They love them and they keep them busy.

[pnance]

I agree I don't know of a way to break this habit and it's best to either supervise or remove the chew toy when kids are around. You might try the nylabone knot large for strong chewers also. All of my dogs are powerful chewers, but I have one that can chew through anything I give him, but where he can get through the nylabone galileo in a couple of days the knot actually lasts a couple of months. No idea why.

[bckrazy]

How old is your dog and what breed is she?

I would not recommend Knuckle Bones, for very voracious chewers that haven't been exposed to them. There is a risk that she'll crack a tooth, especially back molars.... try Pork Necks or Turkey necks, or long marrow bones. If you do choose to try Knuckle Bones with her, make sure they're raw/frozen, boil them for a few seconds in hot water before feeding, and supervise her while she's chewing.

[deegayle]

That is one big problem. I have a Jack Russell who is a strong chewer too. We gave him a rubber kong!!! That is pretty indestructable. They have several different types. Also, we gave Sparky a cloth bone. It is made entirely of cloth. He cas shred it but there is nothing there that will get lodged in his intestines. The nyla bones usually work pretty well too (for us, anyway) Those usually shredd is very small bits so you don't have to worry about those either.
Sparky is a really strong jawed dog. He can hold on to something and not let go, not even if you pick him up off the floor with it. We do not give him stuffed toys or things like that. They don't last 1o minutes with him.
You can try one of those kongs...they have them at pet stores. As an added bonus, you can put peanut butter in some of them so they will lick it. Helps relieve cage anxiety when you have to work. Sparky knows he is getting peanut butter when we leave and he loves it.

[beagleamy]

Thansk for the ideas. Emma is a 5 year old beagle and I can't get her to do anything with her kong or peanut butter. She's a weirdo

Anyway, we also have the added problem of a second dog with food allergies so I will look into other options but he can't handle anything like real bones or rawhides.

[deegayle]

that is a toughy then. try old socks tied up into a ball. he will tear it up and you really haven't lost anything. Yours doesn't like peanut butter???? wow. mine loves it. i like beagles by the way. first dog i had was a beagle. He was running wild in the neighborhood and noone could catch him. He was pretty smart. he could steal food off a grill and take off for the hills. Everyone wanted him but he only liked me. Daddy caught him in a box trap and we tamed him with hotdogs. i sure loved that dog. I was only about 5 or so

[IRescue452]

I wouldn't worry about her biting anbody unless she as agressive tendencies. Just because her teeth work doesnt mean she will bite people. I worry about piece of toy getting lodged in her stomach or intestines and having to have surgery to get it out. My Autumn is a strong chewer like yours. I only give her toys to chew when I am in the room with her. Then I can take away small pieces right away. I put toys away when I can't watch her. This will also remedy any fear of biting if somebody tries to take a toy from her mouth because I am right there to tell them not to.