Dog Chew Toys
Free, Standard and Unique

Chewing is an integral part of being a canine.

The right dog chew toys are good exercise, relieve tension and will save your shoes.

Here are ideas for free, fun and unique toys.

My dogs spend a lot more time chewing a good dog chew toy than anything I put in their food bowls.

That's probably because chewing food like we do isn't necessary for their digestion. (I'll tell you why in a note at the bottom of this page.)

Still, dogs have a real need to exercise that jaw and those teeth. Whether it's a behavior passed down from the beginning of dogs or not, it is still important for dog health and here's why:

• Chewing calms and relaxes a dog
• Chewing is both a mental and physical exercise
• Chewing relieves tension and pent up energy
• Chewing the right thing is good for the teeth and jaw

If a dog does not have his own chew toys he will find something. A stick, your tennis balls, a baseball, plastic drink containers, your socks, shoes or the remote control for the television. The need to chew is simply part of being a dog.

Free Dog Chew Toys

Dogs will find their own things to chew on. Some are fine while others are dangerous.

Wood - While its kind of hard for me to actually promote sticks, they seem to love them. Every dog I've had over the course of 30 years has chewed on natural sticks (small branches) that fall from the trees. I used to take them away thinking they were bad, but I've never found they caused discomfort or ended up as slivers in my dogs' gums.

The biggest drawback to free sticks is they are NOT indoor chew toys. What a mess!

Rocks - I can't believe I'm bringing this one up but one of my dogs actually enjoyed chewing on rocks. That is a definite no-no. It will wear down their teeth far to much and if swallowed, must be surgically removed.

Antlers - Talk about a unique dog toy. If you know anyone who hunts deer or finds shed antlers - they make a good and healthy natural chew toy. You can saw them into manageable pieces so no one gets poked and you can even buy them online now.

Click on the picture for pricing.

Free Balls - If you know anyone who plays tennis, ask for the 'dead balls' that no longer bounce well and get thrown away. Sometimes even tennis coaches will save them for you if you ask.

Know anyone on a baseball team? Same thing. When balls get old, they throw them out. It takes my tough pit bulls much longer to strip the cover off a baseball than a tennis ball and I don't mind free stuff at all!

How Do You Rate a Toy?

The best dog chew toy for one dog may be uninteresting for another. This is part of knowing your dog. For my own furry kids, the selection is rather meager. I can't buy stuffed toys, squeaky toys, soft toys or even most rope toys since I have power chewers. (I have my own little demolition squad.)

There are some adorable and humorous choices out there if you have a gentle chewer or your dog just falls in love with a toy. My demolition princess, Lulu, found a tiny stuffed lion several months ago that became a favorite. The other dogs must know because they'll take turns carrying it but no one has chewed it up yet.

Heiniesniff Beer Toy

Chewy Vuitton Purse

Indestructible Dog Toys

I'm not really sure if there is any such thing as an indestructible dog toy for some canines. The closest I've found are Kong Toys. I've always had big dogs with a good deal of jaw pressure. Buying 5 giant Kong dog chew toys at one time tends to empty my wallet.

Dogzilla works for us. There is a red one shaped kind of like a dumbbell with one end open for stuffing. Stuffed or not, this one lasts with mine for a few months and its less expensive than Kong toys. Final destruction happens eventually when Helen, one of my four pit bulls, gets carried away. I can only describe it as 'worrying' the toy. She grabs the open end with her front teeth and nibbles, nibbles, nibbles. Then the sneaky girl adds pulling to her nibbles. She won't eat the tiny pieces she pulls off, and she enjoys the destruction process immensely.

NOTE:

To learn about the difference in digestion between us and our dogs, especially if you have a fur kid who wolfs down his food, read The Dog Digestive System, on this website.

If you have a toy destroyer, you have a dog who likes using what God gave him those teeth for. The back molars are the crushers and those cute little front teeth are to grab (like getting close to the bone in nature) and that reminds me. Don't forget the raw meaty bones!

This Great Dane is not sticking his tongue out at you. This is one of the funniest dog chew toys I have ever seen, along with the mustache toy at the top of the page. They are made of sturdy rubber and have a ball at the end. They may be more for mom and dad than the dog, but I have got to get one of these! You can find them along with some other good dog chews if you start at these funny dog toys.

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