Rawhide Bones and Chews - How to Choose the Right One for Your Dog

Learn how to choose rawhide bones and chews that correspond to your dog's chewing habits and rate. Find out the key factors that determine safe and enjoyable chewing on rawhide for dogs.

Rawhide chews for dogs are now available in huge variety of shapes, flavors and sizes. How to make right choice and choose a rawhide treat that will be safe for your dog and ensure plenty of chewing pleasure?

The most important factors to consider while choosing a rawhide chew are the following: size, hardness, flavor and shape.

1) Size. A rawhide bone should be large enough to not be swallowed or chewed too quickly, but small enough to be manageable for your dog. A general rule of thumb is that the rawhide treat should be twice bigger than the dog's mouth. Besides some dog are very finical about size of a chew you give them. Many dog owners incorrectly believe that bigger dogs prefer big chews that is not necessarily true. It's a matter of a dog's chewing habits, and many big dogs just ignore large rawhide, although if you give them a smaller treat, they will love chewing it. At the same time opposite is nearly always right: smaller dogs like small rawhide chews.

2) Hardness.To make right choice about hardness of a rawhide chew for your special dog you need to determine what type of chewers your dog is: light, semi-aggressive or aggressive.

Light chewers tend to enjoy their rawhide treat for a long while, biting off small pieces and showing finesse when chewing. For these dogs select softer types of rawhide and pork hide chews.

Semi-aggressive chewers can normally handle any type of rawhide, but they don't work on them so furiously like aggressive chewers do. The best choice for such dogs is different types of knotted rawhide chews and bones.

And finally aggressive chewers are dogs that demolish their chews in surprisingly short time and soon their hopeful eyes look up at you for an addition. Choose compressed rawhides that are dense and durable for the most chewing satisfaction of such dogs and best value for you.

3) Flavor.Flavor of rawhide bones may be important for some dogs. Try different types to find your dog's favorite - chicken, beef, pork, lamb, peanut butter, cheese, barbeque, bacon or mint.

4) Shape.Just like with size, some dogs can be picky about shape of their rawhide chews. Most dogs love traditional bone shape, however others may prefer flat chews (rawhide chips suit them best), or sticks and twists, or balls. Luckily rawhide treats for dogs come in any shape imaginable, so you only have to find the right one that your pet loves.

Remember that all dogs like to chew. Chewing is their natural behavior and need. But often the trick is to find right combination of the above mentioned factors when choosing a rawhide chew for your pet that he will enjoy for hours. When your dog loses interest to the rawhide chew he is working on, replace it with another one that he also likes.

Article Tags: Rawhide Bones, Rawhide Chews, Rawhide Treat, Rawhide Chew