Rawhide/Pig Ears

Question
Hello,
I have recently been told that pig ears are very bad for my 5 month
old lab. What about rawhide bones or rolled rawhide with treats
inside. What about soup bones from the butcher shop? If I do use
soup bones, is it okay to boil them first?
We also give her a kong filled with peanut butter, is crunchy
(peanuts) or creamy peanut butter best.  

Answer
I don't have any experience with them, and have never found the sort of objective data about them I like to base my opinions on.  That leaves me depending on the highly experienced, but very risk adverse professionals at the dog guide school I volunteer for.  They have long flatly forbidden any rawhide and extended it to the pigs' ears as they became more popular.  I expect it to be extended to bully sticks.  They have a blanket ban on natural bones.  The larger soup bones may not crack and splinter like smaller ones, but wear teeth faster.  My 13 year old Lab, Aster, still has very good teeth showing the 3 lobes in the front incisors.  She has never had much except Nylabones and Kongs.  Her mother's teeth are much the worse for the wear from being given soup bones.  

The peanut butter in the Kong is a long established technique for keeping Labs out of trouble.  Never remember a reference to chunky being a problem.

If he is still on puppy chow, consider changing now.  It slows growth and allows more time to develop the sturdy joints a Lab needs.  Along with keeping him lean, it is the most important thing yo can do now for his joints.  for a guide to maintaining ideal body condition, see http://www.puppychow.com/products/popup_body_condition.aspx