To Chew, Or Not To Chew..

[Guest cwholsin]

Hey all!

 

Toy related question. Hermes, like all greyhounds, ADORES stuffies and squeakies but he always busts them after 1 or 2 days and loses interest.

 

I think I had an epiphany today. Since he just destroys every toy we get him, does he really need a chewy toy instead? Maybe he's not really 'playing' with his stuffies, but trying to use them as a chew toy. We give him rawhides for treats every few days, but we don't have a chew toy that he likes that isn't edible.

 

So I guess I have a couple questions:

 

Will he stop chewing to death his stuffies when we get him something to chew that lasts longer than a rawhide?

 

How can we make a rope chewy more attractive to him while keeping it sanitary?

 

Nylabones... good or bad? Experiences with the flavors?

 

Other durable non-edible chew toy options?

 

We can't so much as leave him alone with a stuffy for 10 minutes, because he rips them apart and tries to eat them. I can't imagine leaving my hound alone with toys for fear he'll eat them up and need to go to the e-vet.

 

We haven't left Hermes alone very much, and crate him when we do. He's taken the 'leave it' command to heart and doesn't try and chew on things that aren't his.

Edited October 17, 2010 by cwholsin

[TheFullHouse]

You've just joined the ranks of a lot of us greyhound owners who have stuffy destroyers! Some hounds just love to chew them up. I have some that will tear them apart in minutes to get to the squeeky inside, or just pull out the stuffing. You can try and get some chew toys but don't be surprised if you find out that the joy of your pups life is destroying stuffies!

[OwnedBySummer]

Those "tartar buster" bones last longer than rawhide "cigarettes". But I doubt they last longer than pressed rawhide bones. They are kneecaps from something, pigs I think. I don't give rawhide anything to my dogs. I've twice had to rescue a choking dog (non-grey) and I count myself lucky that I was able to stick my fingers down her throat and fish out the rawhide before she choked to death. And with Summer's propensity for disaster... nope, no rawhide here.

[FountainLady]

Try Bully Bones - long chew time, fully digestable, and they clean their teeth, too.<BR>I don't know of any dogs that haven't enjoyed chewing on the bully sticks / bones. Most dogs really love them.

Edited October 17, 2010 by FountainLady

[greytpups]

I never give my greys "rawhide". Have you tried toys that are virtually non-destructible?

[OwnedBySummer]

Oh, yes, bully sticks are fabulous! For longer chewing pleasure, get the braided one. Salmon skin rolls are nice, too, but they don't last very long at all.

[Guest KennelMom]

Will he stop chewing to death his stuffies when we get him something to chew that lasts longer than a rawhide?

 

Maybe. Probably not.

 

How can we make a rope chewy more attractive to him while keeping it sanitary?

 

Our dogs seem to love their rope toys. Of course, that's pretty much all they have because Tater not only destroys stuffies, she eats them. She gnawed this off a brand new toy and swallowed it in, literally, seconds. In fact, the squeaker was still in the foot part. That's the day all the soft toys got picked up and replaced with various rope toys.

Nylabones... good or bad? Experiences with the flavors?

 

I've never had dogs interested in nylabones. Plus, I prefer them to chew on natural things like bones if they're going to chew.

 

Other durable non-edible chew toy options?

Tractor Supply had some "tough chew toys" that I bought a few weeks ago - not really sure if they'd hold up. The two I bought are still around and squeaking. Here they are. They're a really thick canvas material. Now, if a dog wanted to lay down and go to town chewing they're not going to hold up (dogs can eat animal bones after all). But I monitor they're playing with them and make sure no one is really gnawing on them.

 

I don't like giving rawhides, esp those square-ish ones that are designed to be chewed/eaten in one sitting. They're not really digestable. I have had some really long rolled up ones in the kennel and I dipped the end in peanut butter and froze them. The dogs seemed to be interested until the peanut butter was gone. But then, they get real bones to chew on so rawhide is pretty boring in comparison. Except Tater. She'll chew and eat anything. I think she's part shark.

Edited October 17, 2010 by KennelMom

[Guest isntitgreyt]

Mine have no interest in chew toys unless there is a treat to be had in them. I give them beef trachea's a few times a week and they love them. Stuffies don't even last 5 minutes around here . I buy them when they are on sale for really cheap or at a yard sale. They do like the "no stuffing" toys and I also found a stuffy filled with a water bottle that they like but these don't last too long either

[RobinM]

Try raw duck necks that are frozen or raw turkey necks, also frozen. Greyt for their teeth. Make sure you never leave them with anything unsupervised though.

[Guest greyt_learner]

One of my girls loves to destroy stuffies, so I started buying the "unstuffed" toys that look like just the skins - they love them.

 

As for bully sticks, Bonnie can demolish one in a few hours while Ariel has barely got the end of hers soggy.

 

I just bought them antlers from the pet supply store - so far they seem popular and even Bonnie hasn't managed to make a dent yet.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

If your hound actually eats the stuffing of toys, then dont get the "unstuffed" toys. I had a foster that was a toy eater, he ate a stuffless toy through a muzzle and got blocked up. As far as your question will your hound stop the destruction, some do, some dont. Sometimes the novelty wears off, and some just love to destroy toys. I also do not give rawhide as there is a definite choking hazzard, as well as it doesnt really do anything other than give the hound something to chew. I much prefer raw bones so that while they are getting their yahoos out chewing, its cleaning their teeth at the same time. As far as a rope toy and being sanitary, I am not sure I understand your question. What is the difference between a toy that they chew on, and a rope? If you think the rope is getting dirty, then just throw it in the washing machine with a load of laundry.

[Guest Olivia0208]

I heard that frozen raw bones can break their teeth, but unfrozen raw bones (chicken, turkey) are okay.

[GeorgeofNE]

I've known one dog that had any interest in Nylabones.

 

If you elect to get Bully Sticks or other things, although I believe you specifically asked about non-edible chew toys, do not leave them with the dog if you're not supervising. Rope toys are generally great for tug of war, but I don't think most dogs would lay around and chew on rope--other than dogs that will chew most anything!

 

My boy won't chew or play with anything except raw marrow bones. Well, I expect he'd chew any kind of raw bone, but marrow bones is what I get him.

[Guest avadogner]

Both my greys are/were chewers. Ava is too old for it now but chewed like crazy has a teen. Augie our new boy eats hardback books, coffee tables, rocking chairs, firewood and any wooden surface he can get to. He has 4 Nylabones that he occasionally works on. They look like prison shanks at the this point. I had only 1 kong for him until the coffee table and rocking chair fiasco. Now I have two of the XL that I stuff with treats, dog toothpaste and peanut butter. I then freeze them and give give him 2 of them during times when I am out or asleep. One of the Kongs is a cube looking one with slits on the side that I fill with doggie toothpaste so it helps brush his teeth. Our vet noticed he has 2 long since broken canines so he's been a chewer for a while. Nylabone makes a red Kong like toy that you insert smaller edible nylabones sticks in each end but I am disappointed with the toy. Once they eat the stick that is exposed, there is no way to get the bits inside out. It was as pricey as a regular Kong and I wish I would have skipped buying it. I hope this helps!

-ava and augie's mum

[Guest cwholsin]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

We got a pack of braided bully sticks for him last time we went to the store. We may not worry about getting him something to chew on that he can't consume. The rawhides that we give him are the rolled pressed rawhides so it's as long as a 'regular bone' and we never give them as unsupervised entertainment. Actually, we don't trust him with anything other than his kong unsupervised .

 

 

Yesterday we decided to put all his toys in a box by his bed so he could pick them out whenever he wanted, and he has been in dog heaven since. The first thing he did was pull his three favorite toys out and alternate chewing on them. He seems to be a little less destructive to them now that they're out all the time... which I was not expecting. His favorite favorite toy is a medium sized stuffie jackalope that we bought for him at the beach. He's kept his three favs out since we made him his box, and every time he wakes up he chews on them for a good minute or two before going to sleep on top of them--he's LOVING having unlimited access!!

 

 

[Guest avadogner]

We keep Augie's toys in basket by his bed but had to spray the basket with chew deterent whe he started to chew on the basket (It's thick wicker and Augie loves anything made of wood). By the way, I have perfected my Kong stuffing formula. In a gallon zip lock bag I mix a bag of tiny dog bones (the toy breed size) broken in half, a bag of tiny meaty training treats and a bag of torn apart bacon treats (the one's that look like bacon). i fill the Kong with the treats and add a tablesoon PB as a plug. I freeze the Kong in a zip lock bag and that way it takes him longer to work through the PB. The treats are small enough that one rolls out about 1 in 3 times he rolls it around. Augie has a small attention span so putting bigger treats in was too fustrating for him. I wash and then stuff 4 or 5 Kongs at once and just pull one out at a time to keep him busy in the morning while I sleep late. My DH gets up at 5 am and I'm a night owl so i sleep till 8 or 9. My DH sends our babies out to play while he gets ready and then sets them up with Kongs to keep them busy til I get up. It's really cut down on the furniture and book eating.

-ava and augie's mum

[Guest Ohiogreymom]

We keep Augie's toys in basket by his bed but had to spray the basket with chew deterent whe he started to chew on the basket (It's thick wicker and Augie loves anything made of wood). By the way, I have perfected my Kong stuffing formula. In a gallon zip lock bag I mix a bag of tiny dog bones (the toy breed size) broken in half, a bag of tiny meaty training treats and a bag of torn apart bacon treats (the one's that look like bacon). i fill the Kong with the treats and add a tablesoon PB as a plug. I freeze the Kong in a zip lock bag and that way it takes him longer to work through the PB. The treats are small enough that one rolls out about 1 in 3 times he rolls it around. Augie has a small attention span so putting bigger treats in was too fustrating for him. I wash and then stuff 4 or 5 Kongs at once and just pull one out at a time to keep him busy in the morning while I sleep late. My DH gets up at 5 am and I'm a night owl so i sleep till 8 or 9. My DH sends our babies out to play while he gets ready and then sets them up with Kongs to keep them busy til I get up. It's really cut down on the furniture and book eating.

-ava and augie's mum

Please be VERY careful if you're giving kongs to 2 unmuzzled and unsupervised dogs as you may one day have a very serious fight on your hands. Darlene

[Guest cwholsin]

We keep Augie's toys in basket by his bed but had to spray the basket with chew deterent whe he started to chew on the basket (It's thick wicker and Augie loves anything made of wood). By the way, I have perfected my Kong stuffing formula. In a gallon zip lock bag I mix a bag of tiny dog bones (the toy breed size) broken in half, a bag of tiny meaty training treats and a bag of torn apart bacon treats (the one's that look like bacon). i fill the Kong with the treats and add a tablesoon PB as a plug. I freeze the Kong in a zip lock bag and that way it takes him longer to work through the PB. The treats are small enough that one rolls out about 1 in 3 times he rolls it around. Augie has a small attention span so putting bigger treats in was too fustrating for him. I wash and then stuff 4 or 5 Kongs at once and just pull one out at a time to keep him busy in the morning while I sleep late. My DH gets up at 5 am and I'm a night owl so i sleep till 8 or 9. My DH sends our babies out to play while he gets ready and then sets them up with Kongs to keep them busy til I get up. It's really cut down on the furniture and book eating.

-ava and augie's mum

 

 

I'm glad you're having a little easier time of it with Augie