Dogs are playful and cheerful additions to many households. But, what’s less fun is losing your left shoe to a mouthy puppy or adult dog. It doesn’t matter how many different toys they’ve got lying around, they always seem to want what they can’t have. It’s lucky they’re so cute or you’d be much angrier!
If you’re familiar with this exact situation or you’ve got your own book of stories similar to this, you’re probably wondering what you can get for your dog that will make them finally stop raiding your closet. In addition to supplements that will keep your pet healthy, Wapiti also makes a variety of elk antler chews that will keep your shoe collection safe and your dog happy and healthy.
What Does Your Dog Need in a Chew
The first step in determining the kind of chew to get for your dog is to ask yourself what they need in a chew. Different dogs like different types of chews. Some breeds are happy to lay on their bed quietly and enjoy themselves, while some breeds are a little more social and playful and want something that reflects those characteristics. Your dog’s breed and size also come into the decision when you’re deciding what kind of chew to buy your pup.
Most producers of dog chews don’t think about this important factor and mass produce toys that just won’t work for your smaller dog. This is wrong because just like human accessories, one size does not fit all. We recommend keeping in my your dog’s needs and what might be best for their size and personality while we discuss some of the more popular options for dog chews on the market right now.
Different Kinds of Chews
There are a lot of different options for dog chews available. But what’s best for your small dog?
Rawhides
- Pros: they are easy to buy in bulk and a popular choice for all breeds. They also come in multiple shape and sizes.
- Cons: While they do come from animals like cows or horses, rawhides are heavily manufactured and in the process are treated with a lot of chemicals that can be harmful or upsetting to dogs.
Treat Dispensing Toys
- Pros: You only need to buy one toy and then refill it with treats.
- Cons: Similar to the rawhides, some rubber toys are heavily manufactured and if your pup is a bit more aggressive they can come apart and be swallowed. They’re also a bit large and often too big for smaller dog breeds. Make sure to do some digging to see if the toy you’re looking at comes in small breed varieties.
Tennis Balls
- Pros: You can play fetch with them as well as many other games. They’re easy to find and buy.
- Cons: They are also heavily manufactured and unnatural. Like the rubber treat dispensing toys, tennis balls can be easily shredded by small dogs that likes to play rough.
Elk Antlers
- Pros: Elk Antlers are completely natural and last longer than standard chews.
- Cons: If left available to a dog for over extended periods of time the antler could eventually be worn down to a point of cracking.
Benefits of Elk Antler Chews
You might be thinking that a lot of the cons listed above seem to outweigh the pros that your small dog would get out of those chews. That’s what we were thinking when we began to develop our elk antler chews. At Wapiti, we source a wide range of elk antler chew size; spanning from four to eight inches. We’ve chosen this size range because we know that one sized dog chews will not fit all dog breeds. We even make a pack of four button sized chews that are perfect for smaller dogs or puppies that have sensitive teeth and a need for softer chews.
Elk antler chews will benefit you and your furry best friend in many different ways. They last much longer than rawhides, meaning that you won’t need to be restocking your supply as frequently. Our users have found the four pack button elk antler chews to be better than rawhides for dogs whom are new to chew toys or for dogs with sensitive teeth. Our elk antler chews are also made with only natural ingredients. We harvest them from our lovingly cared for elk heard, and after cutting them down to size, we water rinse them only. No chemicals are involved in the process, so you can rest easy knowing that your pup has a healthy treat to gnaw on!
