A life long need to chew.

When Curly was a young pup he had a strong desire to chew.  No shoe in our house was safe left unattended.  It was really challenging at times to deal with this unwanted behavior.  It's a common theme among puppy owners who's dog want to chew taboo items like clothing, furniture and even arms!  Redirecting them to something you'd prefer chew on such as a bully stick or marrow bone is most helpful.

Curly at little under 3 months old.

Little did I know back then that chewing is a life long need for dogs.  Their need to chew can very by age and chew preference, but it's an outlet they really need.  It's a great stress reliever (think about how we eat salty or sweet food to ease our stress sometimes), good jaw exercise, cleans their teeth (depending on the chew) and gives them some mental stimulation/exercise.

One of my favorite chews right now are beef trachea's.  They are very good at cleaning teeth, have glucosamine in them which is good for the joints and my dogs prefer them over bully sticks.  A favorite chew can help a lot of behavior problems, too.  In group class they are great when there is talking time or observation time.  At home they are useful for crate time, during times the dogs need attention but their human is busy and for redirecting them from barking at things outside they find bothersome.

When it comes to chew items like bully sticks, trachea's, etc always, ALWAYS supervise your dog.  Our darling Franky once choked on a bully stick nub and had to get the doggie heimlich.      He's an expert chewer, but once it got a little slimy it got away from him.

A great resource to have awesome chews delivered to your home is Best Bully Sticks.  They offer a wide variety of chews including the trachea.  The majority of our dogs could benefit from their products regardless of their age.  Chewing isn't just for the puppies!