A Guide to What Dog Chews are Good for Your Dog
It's no secret dogs love to chew. It's finding the right chew your dog will love that's genuinely healthful and long-lasting that can be challenging.
Giving your dog the best, healthiest chews doesn't have to be daunting. We're pretty obsessive about dog chews and what makes them good for our crew and yours. Let's jump into questions we hear most from dog parents — and what you need to know about why your dog loves, even needs, to chew and how to choose chews that help keep your dog healthy and both of you happy.
Why your dog needs to chew
Ever wonder why your dog loves chewing? The simple answer: chewing is an instinctive behavior that not only helps keep your dog occupied and supports dental health, it also gives your dog a way to self-soothe that's hardwired in dogs' brains. Dogs naturally love chewing because it stimulates their brains to release "feel-good" hormones like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin. When your dog chews, these hormones help promote feelings of happiness and well-being, sending a sense of relaxation and calm throughout your dog's system.
While long-lasting dog chews are keeping your dog busy, they're also naturally providing the mental exercise all dogs need. Your dog instinctively knows the act of chewing is a built-in de-stressor in all kinds of situations from thunderstorms to being alone to traveling to boredom. That's why having good, healthful, long-lasting chews on hand is always a smart idea — that way your dog's go-to chew isn't your favorite shoes or furniture!
How dog chews keep your dog's teeth healthy, too
Chewing on dog chews and appropriate dog chew bones with the right textures and hardness for your pup can help clean your dog's teeth and reduce tartar buildup. The saliva generated with chewing also helps keep your dog's mouth clean and healthy.
From teething puppies to seniors
If your dog happens to be a puppy, natural chews with a balance of pliability and firmness are great for massaging a dog's gums, especially a teething puppy with sore gums. A chew with some softness is also a safe dog chew choice for senior dogs who may have sensitive teeth and whose teeth may not be as strong. For both puppies and older dogs, mental stimulation is vital. Mentally-stimulating chewing helps keeps seniors' brains sharp and reduces stress, while for puppies and many dogs, chew time is an opportunity to release excess energy.
Choosing the right dog chew
Know your dog
Choosing the right chew for your dog depends on your pup's size, age, and chewing style. Large dogs need different-sized chews than smaller dogs for safety reasons, for example. When in doubt, it's always a good idea to size up; you want to be sure the chew is bigger than your dog's mouth.
Dogs chew in all kinds of ways with their own chewing styles. Power chewers need tougher, more durable chews. If your dog is an aggressive chewer, you'll want to be sure to choose something that won't break into small pieces that can be sharp or potentially a choking risk.
Also consider your dog’s chewing preferences, such as flavor and texture, when selecting a chew. It’s also important to keep your your dog’s health in mind, including any allergies or sensitivities.
Steer clear of anything not natural, artificial
Look for all-natural chews, either single ingredient or very limited ingredients — with nothing else, no additives, no nothing. That way you know exactly what you're giving your dog and that it's all good. After all, the chew will be in your dog's mouth and some or all of it will be ingested.
That's why it's smart to avoid chews like rawhide and nylon bones. You never want your dog to be chewing on and ingesting anything containing toxins, chemicals, or plastics of any kind. Rawhide has also been known to be more likely to present a choking hazard, blockage, or digestive upset in some cases.
A word about safety
Always supervise when your dog is chewing anything, especially when introducing a new chew. Though raw bones can be good for dogs, you want to avoid giving your dog cooked bones since dog teeth can easily splinter a cooked bone, making them harmful when ingested. Keep an eye on your dog's chewing habits and adjust your chew selection as needed to fit your pup's needs.
9 long lasting chews dog parents (and dogs!) love
Here are 9 favorites of dog parents and dogs alike that make it easy to choose the best long lasting chew for your individual dog. All are all-natural, 8 are single-ingredient chews and one is only 3 natural ingredients. As natural dog chews, prepared gently and carefully, they are easily digestible. All serve as dental chews, while also supporting joint health in addition to all the positive emotional and mental benefits that come with the act of chewing.
1) All-Natural Yak Cheese Chews - Made with only 3 ingredients (yak milk plus a bit of lime juice and salt to harden the yak cheese), yak chews are long-lasting (often over multiple chew sessions) and a great source of calcium to support bones. Since most dogs soften the hardened chews with their saliva as they chew, yak chews offer both a soft, pliable chew and a harder chew that fits a range of chewing styles.
2) All-Natural Bully Sticks - 100% beef bully sticks made from grass-fed beef, and a great source of nutrients, high in protein for your pup. Chewing bully sticks helps strengthen jaw muscles and promotes dental health by reducing plaque and tartar buildup. Available in various sizes and thicknesses, they suit dogs of all chewing styles, from light to power chewers.
3) All-Natural Chicken Feet Chews - 100% chicken feet, packed with protein and essential nutrients, support healthy joints and overall well-being in your dog, thanks to their rich glucosamine and chondroitin content. A crunchier vs longer-lasting chew, good for all types of chewers, great for teething puppies.
4) All-Natural Cow Kneecaps - 100% protein-rich, meaty goodness from grass-fed, free-range cattle. Specially designed for power chewers to keep even the most determined dogs engaged for hours.
5) All-Natural Beef Collagen Sticks - 100% grass-fed beef collagen, these collagen/tendon chews soften with saliva for extended chewing, perfect for teething puppies and power chewers. Packed with protein and collagen, promoting skin, bone, and joint health for your pup.
6) All-Natural Elk Antlers - Made with responsibly-sourced elk antlers, our antler chews are designed for durability and longevity, lasting 50% longer than standard chews. Perfect for power chewers and keeping your dog engaged and focused.
7) All-Natural Beef Gullet Sticks - Crafted from the esophagus of grass-fed cows and slow-baked to perfection, these all-natural chews are fully digestible and soften with your dog's saliva. Great for teething puppies and lighter chewers.
8) All-Natural Pig Ear Chews - 100% pork, our pig ears are a good source of chondroitin for joint health and a great choice for pups with sensitive stomachs or allergies to common proteins and grains.
9) All-Natural Cow Ear Chews - 100% grass-fed beef, our cow ears are gently dehydrated to preserve their natural essential nutrients and crude protein.
Choosing the right chews for dogs can seem overwhelming, but by following a couple guiding principles — stick with healthful, all-natural and know your dog — you'll know you're getting it right for your pup.
Happy chewing!
Because chewing matters to every dog's mental, physical, and emotional health, creating honestly good chews matters almost obsessively to us at Mighty Paw.
We're here to find ways to help you give your dog the biggest, best, fullest life we all want for our pups, every day, in every adventure large and small.
That's why we're committed to creating high-quality products that are healthful, safe, and practical for everything you need: from all-natural chews, to healthful supplements, to durable, comfortable equipment for all your adventures together.
