Suitable (food) Treats

Question
QUESTION: Hi I have a GSD (actually some people have told me he is a Belgian Shepherd as he is mostly black. But he has recently developed stomach problems diarrhea for a few days then it clears for one or two then returns. Reading your previous replies i realize we have been giving him a lot of rawhide products. We have now stopped this, what would be your recommended alternative? Thanks

ANSWER: The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed. I don't trust any of the consumable chews. The dogs just gnaw them down to a dangerous size too quickly. These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive chewers such as Labs.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Many dogs aren't interested in a slick, new Nylabone.  I think they are putting the nubby texture on more of them now.  I think it is part of the reason so many dogs like the hard to find dinosaur ones.  The ultimate is the Souper Size Galileo Nylabone.  It is about 7 inches long and 3 inches around.  It has the slick surface.  They are more attractive if you rough up the surface with sand paper or by rubbing it on a concrete floor.  Another technique is to jam a Nylabone into a Kong creating what I call a twofer.  The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

For training, you can use some of his regular kibble, small things sold as treats or cut up hot dogs or cheese.  To be effective in training, treats don't need to be large or rich.  

Many German shepherds are mostly  or even all black.  I think the Belgians are larger and have a different coat.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks very much for your reply, if i could clarify 2 things. What i meant was what type of edible treats to use, such as Bonio, dog biscuits etc. As a treat in addition to his meal. Also I'm in the UK and must admit i don't know what Kibble is?

Thanks for your help so far

Answer
Kibble is a common term here for dry dog food.  It is one of the safest possible treats for dogs.  Likely most of the stuff sold in pet stores except rawhide and other similar natural products such as pigs' ears and cow hoofs are OK.  I would limit the amount.  Any large, sudden changes in diet can lead to digestive upsets.