What kind of chews?

[wolfsoul]

What kind of things do you find it safe to leave with your dog when you aren't around? I'm looking for something like that; hard and large so that it can't be chewed up into pieces or swallowed.

What kind of things do you think are safe?

[lovemyshiba]

My dogs always have their kongs when we aren't home.
It keeps them occupied, and I don't worry about it, because I just put some cream cheese or peanut butter in them, and maybe a carrot or two--they love it!!!

[Kfamr]

I don't think anything is safe unoccupied, and I wouldn't leave either of them alone with anything.
When I think they've had enough chewing on the bones, i put them up for another day.

I don't want to take the risk.

[Shelteez2]

It depends on the dog. I feel safe leaving my dogs with kongs and kong like items, but I've heard of some dogs that can destroy them. I would never ever leave my dogs with any type of rawhide, but then I don't really give them rawhide anymore. I also feel safe leaving them with those big knotted ropes. But then I've heard of dogs who dissect them and eat the strings.
So I guess I'm not a big help at all. Sorry.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Shelteez2
I would never ever leave my dogs with any type of rawhide, but then I don't really give them rawhide anymore.

A friend of mine had a teacher who's GSD died from eating rawhide. He had a large rawhide bone, and swallowed the big knot at the end. You know how when you put a rawhide bone in water, and it will absorb the water and get bigger? That's what happened to the dog inside it's intestines.

I don't think anything is safe unoccupied

I think that's a bit of an overstatement...Not EVERYTHING is dangerous to a dog. That's like saying, "I can't leave the table or the couch or the computer or TV around while I'm gone because it could hurt my dog." I guess that's what crates are for, but than even crates can hurt a dog.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by wolfsoul


I think that's a bit of an overstatement...Not EVERYTHING is dangerous to a dog. That's like saying, "I can't leave the table or the couch or the computer or TV around while I'm gone because it could hurt my dog." I guess that's what crates are for, but than even crates can hurt a dog.

You just read it wrong.


I don't mean things in your home like that.
I mean things your dogs eat, rawhides, bones, chews -- Things you buy for your dog.

Not normal household things like chairs and tables.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

My aunt had a German Shepherd whom she left alone for the day in the living room...she came back and found the whole couch literally gone.

I'll leave my dogs with Kongs, and stuffies. I will not leave rawhide out for them, when I'm not there. Too many risks to take.

[Moose]

I'm with Kay on this one.....I never leave Moose alone with any type of chew toy. It's not that I don't trust him, but rather that I don't trust the toy. Even the safest-seeming chew toy could spell out some sort of danger if your dog is left unsupervised with it. Anytime Moose has any sort of chew, [whether it's a stuffed-animal, stuffed-fleece bone, kong, etc] I have at least some sort of control over what he does with it and for how long. Again, it's not that I don't trust him.....but odd things do happen, no matter how bizarre or unheard of.

Call me crazy, but I don't care what toy it is......I wouldn't leave my dog alone with it, especially if I was going to be gone for a long period of time.

[Twisterdog]

I think that's a bit of an overstatement...

I agree. Yes, you will always hear someone say, "Well, let me tell you .... my grandma's cousin's friend's brother's pomeranian chewed the leg off the couch and died!" No matter what you mention, someone knows someone who knows someone who had a dog that died from eating it, drinking it, chewing on it, sniffing it or thinking about it.

The fact of the matter is, that freak accidents DO happen. But you can't remove everything that is dangerous from your dogs, your kids, or yourself. You will be a paranoid basketcase thinking about it all. And even if you tried, there is still no guarantee. One of my customers dogs ate a hole in the side of his crate, just big enough to get his head through, and then starting thrashing around, couldn't pull his head back out, cut his neck on the sharp edges and bled to death. Seriously. In a crate. So should we all stop using crates? Of course not! It was a freak accident.

I think basic common sense must prevail. If you dog devours rawhide and swallows it, obviously they shouldn't have rawhide period, let alone unsupervised. If your dog chews on it for a few minutes and loses interest, and you keep the same rawhide for a year before finally throwing it away, then sure, give them rawhide. Kongs are pretty much indestructable for the vast, vast majority of dogs. You know your own dog best, his habits and quirks. What one dog does, another will not.

[Kfamr]

AGAIN, you read it wrongly. I didn't mean normal household things -- I meant what this thread was about -- CHEWS.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by Kfamr
AGAIN, you read it wrongly. I didn't mean normal household things -- I meant what this thread was about -- CHEWS.

Well actually it is relevant seeing as how many people use chew toys as substitutes for their couches and other household items. So if you remove the chews from the house the dog will turn on the items it's not supposed to chew, which IMO may ultimately be worse.

[Twisterdog]

AGAIN, you read it wrongly. I didn't mean normal household things -- I meant what this thread was about -- CHEWS.

I didn't read it wrong. I replied about chews. I was just elaborating a bit, to make a point.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by Shelteez2
Well actually it is relevant seeing as how many people use chew toys as substitutes for their couches and other household items. So if you remove the chews from the house the dog will turn on the items it's not supposed to chew, which IMO may ultimately be worse.

Not if the dog knows better.
I've had Simba for years, ever since he was 8 months old. He'll be turning 6 this Christmas.

He's never had chews unsupervised, and he's never torn up any of our furniture.

Even so, if the dog has seperation anxiety or anything of the sort, then they shouldn't be unsupervised so long so they get the chance to tear up furniture or anything else.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Twisterdog


The fact of the matter is, that freak accidents DO happen. But you can't remove everything that is dangerous from your dogs, your kids, or yourself. You will be a paranoid basketcase thinking about it all. And even if you tried, there is still no guarantee. One of my customers dogs ate a hole in the side of his crate, just big enough to get his head through, and then starting thrashing around, couldn't pull his head back out, cut his neck on the sharp edges and bled to death. Seriously. In a crate. So should we all stop using crates? Of course not! It was a freak accident.

I hear that. I've heard of so many accidents happening that were just so terrible. My mom had a whippet mix when she was young that, when tied on it's leash, would run back and forth back and forth back and forth (odd for a whippet..). One day, their chihuahua walked out there while the whippet was running, and the chain got him in the neck and broke it. She also had a dalmatian that jumped the fence, kinda decided in mid air that it wasn't a good idea, so tried to get back and got it's collar stuck on the fence and broke his neck.

The only problem we have with Timber is that there are so many children here and toys lieing around everyhwere. I pick them up when I can, but while I'm at school, what can I do? The only toy of HER'S that I've left with her unnattended is this large hard plastic bone. she can barely get a dent in it lol.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by Twisterdog
I didn't read it wrong. I replied about chews. I was just elaborating a bit, to make a point.

Well since you quoted the post wolfsoul posted, which quoted mine, saying you agreed that it was an overstatment -- which is not what I mean how she read it.