Finding the Best Dog Chews

In this guide

Chewing is a natural behaviour dogs need an outlet for, and the right chew supports dental health and mental engagement, but not all chews are equally safe, and the right choice depends heavily on the individual dog's size and chewing style.

What to look for

A safe chew should flex slightly rather than being completely rigid, since very hard chews, real bones, antlers, and some synthetic hard chews, are a common cause of broken teeth in enthusiastic chewers. A simple rule some vets suggest: if a chew is too hard to leave a slight indent when pressed against a fingernail, it is likely too hard for a dog's teeth as well. Size matters too; a chew should be large enough that a dog cannot swallow it whole or break off a piece large enough to choke on, particularly important with rawhide-style chews that can soften and be swallowed in a large piece.

Common chew types and their considerations

• Rawhide: a popular option, but should be a size the dog cannot swallow whole, and it is worth supervising the last small piece, since that is when choking risk rises
• Dental chews: designed with a texture and shape intended to reduce plaque; these vary a lot in quality, so choosing one with recognised dental health endorsement is a reasonable filter
• Bully sticks and similar single-ingredient animal chews: generally well tolerated but calorie-dense, worth accounting for in a dog's daily intake
• Antlers and real bones: hard enough to fracture teeth in many dogs; cooked bones carry the added risk of splintering into sharp fragments, which is more dangerous than the fracture risk from raw bones, though raw bones bring their own bacterial and tooth-fracture concerns, so either type is best avoided or used only with specific vet guidance
• Rubber and nylon chew toys: durable for supervised chewing, though very aggressive chewers can still break off pieces over time and toys should be inspected regularly for damage

Matching the chew to the dog

A determined, powerful chewer needs a tougher option than a light, occasional chewer, and what works safely for a large dog may be a choking hazard in pieces for a small one. Always supervise a new chew type the first several times to see how quickly the dog works through it and whether it is inclined to bite off and swallow large chunks, and replace or discard any chew once it has worn down to a size that could be swallowed.

Frozen treats as a softer chewing outlet

For puppies teething or senior dogs with worn or sensitive teeth, a frozen treat can serve much of the same purpose as a chew without the hardness risk. A frozen cube of plain low-sodium broth, a frozen piece of banana, or a lick mat spread thinly with plain yoghurt or peanut butter and frozen, gives a dog something to work at for a while using a soft, gradually softening texture rather than a hard, rigid one. This is a particularly useful rotation option for dogs who should avoid harder chews altogether but still benefit from having something engaging to occupy them.

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