Top 10 Best Dog Chews
So you’re at the store and there are 50 different brands of dog treats and it’s annoying. You don’t have time to read the labels and figure out what they actually are or whether they’ll be good for your dog. To better help you pick tasty and healthy treats for your canine companion, we’ve compiled a list* of the top 10 dog chews. In determining what to put on this list and how to rank these items, we considered the price, durability (how long it takes your dog to eat/destroy), how well dogs seem to like these items, and dental benefits (i.e. are these treats going to help clean your dogs teeth). Enjoy:
Kong Toy (Paid Link)
Yes, the first item on the list isn’t actually a dog chew. I put the Kong Toy first on this list because of its versatility as a chew toy/feeding toy. You can put wet dog food, treats, or peanut butter into these Kongs, freeze them and give to your dog to prolong their treat time/meals and they’re infinitely reusable so definitely something to have handy.
Greenies Dog Dental Chews (Paid Link)
The Greenies dog dental chews are a nice smelling (to us humans), fight tartar buildup and promote dental health. They are slightly pricey so I would limit to one a day if your dog’s breath is bad and maybe reduce to every other day if your dogs teeth are in good shape and they have decent breath.
No Hide Dog Chews (Paid Link)
There have been a lot of controversies over the raw hide dog treats so the “No Hide” dog chews have increased in popularity and are widely viewed as a healthier alternative to rawhide chews. Reviews of this product and personal experience indicate this is a safer alternative for your dog’s teeth and healthier since the ingredients do not include rawhide chews.
Dog Calming Chews (Paid Link)
Full disclosure: I have tried hemp products on my 100lb Doberman and he needs a lot to have any noticeable change in behavior. Anecdotally, a lot of dogs respond better than him to hemp/CBD calming chews. These are worth trying if your dog is both a chewer and also anxious. Maybe a good item to leave with the dog sitter if you have an anxious pup.
Dentley’s Dog Chews (Paid Link)
Dentley’s dog chews are a tasty, nutritious and budget conscious option to treat your dogs. They do tend to get eaten more quickly since they are not nearly as tough to chew as many other treats. Dogs like them though and in my experience these do not cause digestive issues which is a major consideration especially if you have a lot of dogs and need a one treat fits all option for dental chews.
Long Lasting Dog Chews (Yak Cheese) (Paid Link)
Yak cheese is an interesting option that I’ve tried for my dog a few times. These last a long time….like hours and he eventually gives up and puts it under the couch for later. So my main recommendation is probably size down when buying these. If you have a large dog, get the medium size treats, etc. Your dog is not likely to finish the whole thing if you give them their size appropriate version. There are also some instructions on the bag that involve microwaving and feeding to your dog but I’ll leave that to you if that’s something you want to do.
Beef Esophagus (Paid Link)
Beef Esophagus is a tasty, natural option for a dog treat. There’s something about the smell that draws dogs in. My dog has picked this treat on his own at Petco several times and of course I had to then buy it. If you want to prolong the treat, freeze before providing to your dog.
Bully Sticks (Paid Link)
Bully sticks are pricey but great if you have an aggressive chewer. These particular bully sticks are a healthy, long lasting option.
Milk Bone Dental Chews (Paid Link)
Milk Bone brush chews are a tastier option for dental chews that you dog both wants to eat and will help their oral hygiene. I do think Greenies, listed above is a better option for dental hygiene, but if you dog won’t eat those (and they aren’t the tastiest), try these brushing chews.
Raw Marrow Bones (Paid Link)
I’ve saved the most controversial for last. I am not a vet and I am sure your vet would not recommend raw marrow bones so I will only comment on my experience with these. I have an intact male dog and there’s something very primal/feral about how he is when he gets these marrow bones. He is fine eating treats or his food near other dogs with no food aggression – not so with these marrow bones. He will keep his marrow bone and no dog will come near him. Fortunately, he understands I am the boss and I can give and take the marrow bone from him with no issues. These are gross since they still have raw cow tissue on them and should be thrown away as soon as your dog is done with them to prevent rotting and so that your dog doesn’t over chew the bones themselves which I believe are femurs or similar.
Conclusion
You dog needs more than just kibble to satisfy their chewing and dental needs. The list above is a great start for finding something that meets your dog’s specific needs but getting your down pretty much anything that’s not kibble, won’t present a health risk to them, is going to be a lot better then letting them decide what is a chew toy in your house.
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