Longest lasting chew toy?

Question
I've got a 9 month old border collie mix that loves to chew.  We've yet to find a chew bone/rawhide/pig ear thing that lasts more than 10 or 15 minutes.  Do you know of a treat that would keep her busy for longer period?  

Chris

Answer
Aaaahh yes, I know exactly what you're talking about, Chris! My dog was a chewer as a puppy, too, and since she's a pit bull/chow mix, she was able to destroy just about any toy we gave her in the span of 5-15 minutes. What many people do not know is that dogs actually go through two teething phases. The first is when most of their adult teeth come in - and happens around 4 or 5 months of age. The second happens around 9-10 months of age; this is when their very rear molars come in. This phase doesn't last as long as the first one, and many times the dog doesn't really begin to act much differently. That's why most people are unaware of this phase.

Have you tried a kong with her yet? If you do not know what a kong is, you can go to their website at http://www.kongcompany.com/ These toys are known for being extremely durable, even for the most aggressive chewers. They can be filled with peanut butter, cream cheese, dog biscuits, or pre-made kong stuffing that you can buy in a squeeze tube. Most dogs love them, but my dog could care less about it. She was more interested in playing with something that she *could* rip apart. We finally discovered that we could go to the local Goodwill store and buy stuffed toys for .25 each, take them home and wash them, and then give them to her to play with. This was a MUCH more cost-effective way to provide her with the toys she liked best. Of course, when your dog has something that she can easily destroy, you should always be there to supervise her and make sure she doesn't swallow pieces of the toy. Once my dog had ripped open a toy, we took it and pulled all the stuffing out and gave it back to her to make sure she didn't swallow any of it.

Nylabones (http://www.nylabone.com) are also good for aggressive chewers. The larger the bone, the better. I like the Galileo in the regular Nylabone line, and the big, soupbone-like ones in the "Healthy Edibles" line.

I don't know if you've seen "Tire Biters" or not, but they are pretty good for chewers as well. I have not used them, personally, but I know of people who have given them to their dogs and they last a good while. Again, the bigger the better.

Good luck and let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen