Finding safe and appropriate things for a puppy to chew on can entertain your puppy for hours and make your life much easier! But what is safe? I have raised my share of puppies, and I am currently raising another German Shepherd puppy named Yana. Fortunately for us, there are many many more great chew options today than there were 10 years ago. I have tested many again this time around with my current pup. Every puppy is different, so try a few different options and see what is their favorite! As they grow, their chew of choice may change too.
Important Factors to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Puppy Chew:
- Find the right balance between entertainment factor and longevity. You want the puppy to like the chew enough to want to chew on it, but not be able to ingest it in a short amount of time.
- If it is an edible chew, keep in mind how fast the puppy will ingest it and in what quantity. You don’t want to cause tummy issues in their critical potty training period!
- Observe your puppy and get to know how likely he/she is to ingest large quantities of non-digestible or unchewed things. A bully stick, for example, is perfectly safe when chewed, but if your puppy tries to gulp large portions at a time that can be very dangerous. Always be sure to remove chews like bully sticks and yak cheese when it gets down to a gulpable size. Yak cheese can be microwaved into an easily edible puff so your puppy can safely consume the whole thing.
- Pre and post teething. Remember that after your puppy’s adult teeth come in around 5 months of age, they will be able to chew through thing considerably faster than before.
Not Recommended Options:
- Stay away from rawhides. They are both full of toxins and can easily cause intestinal blockages. There are so many much safer alternatives now there is no reason to take the risk.
- Baked bones. These can splinter and with all the much safer options out there, why take the risk.
- These can be ok before the puppy starts teething as the puppy teeth will fall out anyway. Once your puppy starts getting adult teeth, be careful with these extremely hard chew options as they can cause tooth fractures.
- Don’t leave your puppy with fabric toys and stuffed toys. Toys are intended for interactive play with you, not to be left to chew on and destuff. Let your puppy play with toys and run around. When it is time to relax, put away the toys and get out the chews.
Trachea, Coffee Wood Stick Large, Collagen Braid, Bully Stick, NoHide Collagen Stick, Collagen stick, Beef Tendon, Coffee Wood Stick Small, Yak Cheese Large, Yak Cheese Small, Chicken Foot, Benebone Small, Kong Classic Small
Inedible Dog Chew Options:
Coffee Wood Sticks: This is a new one for me! I had not tried this one with prior puppies, but Yana was constantly picking up sticks and trying to eat them. If she was going to eat sticks, I decided it best that at least I select which stick she is chewing on. It was a big hit for her to get her very own stick that she was allowed to keep. (no there is no caffeine in the coffee wood)
Kongs: Great option to stuff with puppy food and freeze! Stuffing Kongs with a mix of peanut butter and canned pumpkin, canned food, or a dehydrated option like Honest Kitchen is always a good choice. The Kongs are reuseable and will make feeding time more fun for your pup!
Nylabones and Benebones: I go with Benebones as they are naturally flavored and are a reliable go-to option. My dogs are not so interested in Nylabones, but the will all chew on a Benebone. They all also prefer the wishbone shape option. Yana, still having puppy teeth at this stage will select her edible chew over the Benebone, but I let her keep the Benebone in her kennel for long term entertainment.
I suggest keeping an appropriated sized Benebone as a puppy chew option, however they are harder to chew for puppies. Along with a Benebone, I would always have some edible chew options that can give your pup some real satisfaction.
Edible Chews:
Edible chews are GREAT puppy options because they don’t yet have their full set of adult teeth and aren’t able to destroy an edible chew at the rate an older dog can. For example, right now, Yana can happily chew on her 12” collagen stick on and off for days. My adult German Shepherd stole an almost new stick out of her crate one day and it was gone in less than half an hour.
Bully Sticks
For puppies, bully sticks and collagen sticks perform similarly. They last a long time and give a lot of satisfaction. Bully sticks can smell worse and you do have to be careful to remove the stick when it gets small enough to swallow. I like the braided sticks as it seems to slow them down a bit and the remaining part is not as easy to swallow.
Collagen Sticks
At 14 weeks, the collagen stick is Yana’s favorite chew. She can slowly eat away at it and it provides her with hours of puppy edible enjoyment. The collagen sticks are a great balance between edible and long lasting. There are collagen rolled sticks and co
llagen based rawhide alternatives. Select a length and girth appropriate for your puppy. Too small sticks will disappear quickly. As they grow, the puppies will be able to consume these sticks faster and faster.
Earth Animal No-Hide
This is a collagen based rawhide alternative and another good puppy option. I found these don’t last too long with my adult Shepherds. They last longer with young puppies, but as they grow, these chews will disappear faster and faster as well. With these, I will go smaller so when consumed it doesn’t end up causing tummy issues.
Yak Cheese
The larger harder versions are a good addition to a benebone. I buy the EcoKind Large pack of 4 for my German Shepherd puppy and older dogs. For smaller breeds, you can opt for smaller sizes. The size and softness of the cheese chews can greatly impact the rate of destruction. I’d rather the puppy not be able to ingest the whole stick in a short amount of time, so a larger denser size is preferable. When the stick gets to a size that the puppy could possible ingest it, take it out and microwave it. That will turn it into a delicious puffy cheese snack!
Esophagus/Trachea chews
I find these a little too edible for puppies and the risk of it disrupting their poop schedule is more than I am generally willing to risk. In this critical potty training time, I try to reduce any risk of tummy disruptions. Still, if you can get a smaller esophagus ring or stick, they can be a good edible chew. Just select the appropriate size for your pup!
Chicken/Duck Feet:
Big hit with the puppies, but can been eaten quickly, even by a puppy. They don’t mind, but it can cause digestive issues.
Pig Ears
While the chicken/duck feet were a little too much for my puppy’s digestive tract, the Pig Ears slowed her down a little bit and didn’t cause any problems. These are a great treat!
Whatever you chose, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR PUPPY! They are only puppies for a very short period of time. While ordering online is convenient, and I do it all the time too, once in a while, go take your puppy shopping to chose their toys and treats! Check out the video below of Yana’s shopping trip to Hollywood Feed!
