Question for those that have big dogs

sparklingdiamond

I know someone else has a boxer on here, but can't remember who!  Anyways, ours is definitely a chewer.  We have tried buying toys for him, but he destroys them.  I hate that I can't leave him with toys while we are gone, but he keeps breaking pieces off and I don't want him swallowing those.  Do you guys with big dogs have anything you give them that they can't destroy?

@LuckyAngel07  I think you're the one with the boxer right?

LuckyAngel07

I have a boxer!! 

Have you given him a Kong? Especially one you've stuffed and frozen overnight? Zoey likes to destroy ALL her stuffies, but she typically leaves tougher rubber toys intact (her puppy Kong is still whole; we just bought her a new one because it was getting too gross even with regular washing).

If he's destructive, he might be bored. How much exercise and mental stimulation does he get?

sparklingdiamond

I haven't tried a Kong yet.  I had some other little rubber toys, but he destroyed those!  He probably is bored because he doesn't have anything to do while we are gone (except play with the other dogs).  We don't take him on walks as much as we should.  Since he only has three legs, he gets tired pretty quick.  But he does run around in the backyard with the pugs.

seahorse01

The black Kong has been pretty tough for our mega chewer.  Also the Kong tire toy.

This was pretty good too- edit- not the bristle bone- the Premier regular treat chew toy.

CincodeMayoLove

A femur bone.  Or other giant bone.  They can chew, for ever, but not destroy... Black kong is also good.

cinderin

our dog is not as big chewer, but loves her Kong. A Nylabone might also be a good idea, those take a while to chew. 

nfp147

We have a chocolate lab and she's a big chewer.  We tried Kongs, but she rips them apart almost instantly.  The only toys that last are rubber balls (she rips tennis balls apart) and Nylabone products.  

amccul20

we give our dogs soup bones and they love them and it takes even a big dog quite some time to break them.

we give them to our dogs as a special treat. you can get them right in the meat section at the grocery store

seahorse01

amccul20 said:

we give our dogs soup bones and they love them and it takes even a big dog quite some time to break them.

we give them to our dogs as a special treat. you can get them right in the meat section at the grocery store

Yes- this is an excellent suggestion.  Raw only.

brij2006

The black Kong works well for larger breeds.  We also found that giving her dog puzzles, helped. She needed to be challenge more with her mind than physical challenge, and she doesn't destroy those.

sparklingdiamond

I will try the Kong.  We have just rawhide bones we give them and he likes to chew on those, but I can't leave those in there with them during the day.  Our female pug will choke on them.  She does that gross thing where they get all wet and then get stuck in her throat and she'll keep coughing it back up and swallowing again.  Ewww.

spongebobsquarepanties

I have a large dog. He really likes to chew bones, so I would suggest that. Also, if your dog can get around and play, I'm sure that it can also go for a shorter walk in the morning before you go to work. That way he will be less antsy while you are at work.

sparklingdiamond

brij2006 said:

The black Kong works well for larger breeds.  We also found that giving her dog puzzles, helped. She needed to be challenge more with her mind than physical challenge, and she doesn't destroy those.

What are dog puzzles?  I have never seen these!

ecinereb

Our dog isn't big but he's a chewer. Kongs are good for him and we also have a few toys that are the WestPaw brand. It might be local here though but they are awesome if you can find them.

LuckyAngel07

sparklingdiamond said: I will try the Kong.  We have just rawhide bones we give them and he likes to chew on those, but I can't leave those in there with them during the day.  Our female pug will choke on them.  She does that gross thing where they get all wet and then get stuck in her throat and she'll keep coughing it back up and swallowing again.  Ewww.
Don't EVER let your dogs chew on rawhide unsupervised for this very reason. Rawhide gets bendy and gross and can be swallowed, where it might expand in the gut thanks to soaking up moisture and cause a blockage. Not to mention, rawhide is made with formaldehyde!!! Seriously, if you've never thought about it, look up how rawhide is made/what's in it. I would NEVER give it to a dog. 

Zoey loooves her giant white Nylabone (I can't even remember what it's called); she was "meh" about the regular tan-ish colored ones. Antlers are also awesome (yes, they're straight up sections of antler).

Definitely look into puzzle toys for mental stimulation, or even giving yourselves 15 minutes in the morning before work to refresh him on old commands and practice new ones; mental stimulation will wear him out way better than a short walk every could.

TheDeaton's

Is she still a puppy? Ours grew out of their need to chew on things when they quit teething. Now that have little interest in bones, Kongs, etc.

sparklingdiamond

LuckyAngel07 said:

sparklingdiamond said:

I will try the Kong.  We have just rawhide bones we give them and he likes to chew on those, but I can't leave those in there with them during the day.  Our female pug will choke on them.  She does that gross thing where they get all wet and then get stuck in her throat and she'll keep coughing it back up and swallowing again.  Ewww.

Don't EVER let your dogs chew on rawhide unsupervised for this very reason. Rawhide gets bendy and gross and can be swallowed, where it might expand in the gut thanks to soaking up moisture and cause a blockage. Not to mention, rawhide is made with formaldehyde!!! Seriously, if you've never thought about it, look up how rawhide is made/what's in it. I would NEVER give it to a dog. 

Zoey loooves her giant white Nylabone (I can't even remember what it's called); she was "meh" about the regular tan-ish colored ones. Antlers are also awesome (yes, they're straight up sections of antler).

Definitely look into puzzle toys for mental stimulation, or even giving yourselves 15 minutes in the morning before work to refresh him on old commands and practice new ones; mental stimulation will wear him out way better than a short walk every could.

Thanks for the info!  Yea, we definitely don't ever let them have it unsupervised.  And I had no idea they were made with all that nasty stuff.  

sandollar1010

My dogs are big chewers and the only thing they don't completely destroy are kongs and antlers.  The antlers are expensive, but they last a long time and they LOVE them.  The kongs I fill with treats and close the hole with peanut butter and freeze for a few hours.  They also have a "bumi" that they like to play tug with.. not really a chew toy, but they can't seem to ruin it.

http://www.westpawdesign.com/catalog/dogs/dog-toys/eco-friendly-dog-toys/eco-friendly-products/bumi

 

amccul20

seahorse01 said:

amccul20 said:

we give our dogs soup bones and they love them and it takes even a big dog quite some time to break them.

we give them to our dogs as a special treat. you can get them right in the meat section at the grocery store

Yes- this is an excellent suggestion.  Raw only.

yes. we put them in the freezer and so it takes them a bit longer to at the meat out of the middle.

sparklingdiamond

TheDeaton's said:

Is she still a puppy? Ours grew out of their need to chew on things when they quit teething. Now that have little interest in bones, Kongs, etc.

The boxer is around 2 or 3.  I was hoping he would grow out of it!

musac15

We have two boxers! They aren't as big of chewers as some, but they do love the kongs stuffed with all kinds of things. I'll freeze them if I'll be out of the house for a prolonged time. 

They also like the big nylabones....like this one! http://www.petco.com/product/9991/Nylabone-Big-Chew-Bone-for-Big-Dogs.aspx

I agree with PP's - stay far away from rawhide. There are a lot of alternatives around today...bully sticks, tracheas, etc. I don't give any edible toys/treats/chews when I'm not around to supervise - if they can get pieces larger than a piece of rice off - it needs supervision. The nylabones they do get some very small pieces off at a time, but they are very small. The kongs they don't get any pieces off. 

brij2006

@luckyangel07

The dog puzzles are like this:http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Seek-A-Treat-Shuffle-Bone-Puzzle/dp/B0038WP1YC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017860&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+puzzles

or this:  http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-Dog-Games-Treat-Wheel/dp/B0043AAP3K/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017991&sr=8-45&keywords=dog+puzzle+toy

Sadie has the one that's a wheel, and she has to take the pieces out in order to make the wheel spin. Then her treats are inside and she has to work to find them.  She absolutely loves it, and goes crazy when we pull the toy out. It challenges her mind enough that she keeps out of things while we're gone, but we never leave the puzzle toy out while we aren't there. Since she could easily rip apart the yellow covers.

 

TheDeaton's

sparklingdiamond said:

TheDeaton's said:

Is she still a puppy? Ours grew out of their need to chew on things when they quit teething. Now that have little interest in bones, Kongs, etc.

The boxer is around 2 or 3.  I was hoping he would grow out of it!

I think Molly was almost 3 before she complete gave up her chewing habit. We had a terrible time with her up until that point but her favorite and only thing she wanted to chew on was DH's dirty socks. (She is an odd pup)  I hope you find something that he will like that is safe for all the puppies.

sparklingdiamond

Thanks for all of your suggestions ladies! :-)

LuckyAngel07

brij2006 said:

@luckyangel07

The dog puzzles are like this:http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Seek-A-Treat-Shuffle-Bone-Puzzle/dp/B0038WP1YC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017860&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+puzzles

or this:  http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-Dog-Games-Treat-Wheel/dp/B0043AAP3K/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017991&sr=8-45&keywords=dog+puzzle+toy

Sadie has the one that's a wheel, and she has to take the pieces out in order to make the wheel spin. Then her treats are inside and she has to work to find them.  She absolutely loves it, and goes crazy when we pull the toy out. It challenges her mind enough that she keeps out of things while we're gone, but we never leave the puzzle toy out while we aren't there. Since she could easily rip apart the yellow covers.

 

I think you meant this for @sparklingdiamond. She asked what the puzzles were.

brij2006

LuckyAngel07 said:

brij2006 said:

@luckyangel07

The dog puzzles are like this:http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Seek-A-Treat-Shuffle-Bone-Puzzle/dp/B0038WP1YC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017860&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+puzzles

or this:  http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-Dog-Games-Treat-Wheel/dp/B0043AAP3K/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1377017991&sr=8-45&keywords=dog+puzzle+toy

Sadie has the one that's a wheel, and she has to take the pieces out in order to make the wheel spin. Then her treats are inside and she has to work to find them.  She absolutely loves it, and goes crazy when we pull the toy out. It challenges her mind enough that she keeps out of things while we're gone, but we never leave the puzzle toy out while we aren't there. Since she could easily rip apart the yellow covers.

 

I think you meant this for @sparklingdiamond. She asked what the puzzles were.

Sure did! Thanks for tagging her.

You would think it's Monday all over again or something....

islandmonkey8

I only have a yorkie, but he chews like there is no tomorrow. He destroys all Kongs, except the black one, and even that has chunks missing. He does pretty well with antlers and solid bones. I never get him rawhide or soft toys or anything not for an extreme chewer because he destroys them in under a minute. No joke.

Moral: Black kongs are good, heavy bones and antlers are great. If I want to occupy his time we sometimes put something in some of the bones so he licks at them til it falls out. Also, bully sticks will last 5-10 minutes which is good too, but they are expensive! Good luck!

musac15

We use the Kong Wobbler, too! Ours our entertained with it for an hour to two..especially if it's stuffed with goooood treats! 

DangerMuffin23

My ex and I had a boxer. He chewed stuff up regularly till he was at least 3 and had been neutered for quite some time. We even came home to him jumping on the couch to make the cushions fall off and was eating the inside of the couch, lmao. (It's funny in retrospect). We eventually limited him to a couple room while we were at work and gave him kongs filled with peanut butter and antlers. We also played fetch with him first thing in the am to wear him out as much as possible. Soooo basically I'm just repeating all the PP's, but I just loved my boxer, so I had to comment. :-x

MadeOfAwesome

Definitely the black kong.  I have a Great Dane mix and it's the only thing he hasn't been able to destroy immediately. 

sparklingdiamond

@musac15  I love that pic of your dogs!