# Alternatives to bully sticks?



## HankGSD

I am afraid I spoiled Hank when he was little with bully sticks. I gave him his first one at about 10 weeks and I was so thrilled with how it occupied him that I continued buying them regardless of the price. Now, at 6 months, he will be done with a 3-foot one in a few hours and it's really getting too costly to buy them if they don't last.

We tried antlers, which he did like when they were brand new, but they have lost their novelty and also became too small too quickly so I threw them out afraid he could choke on them since he wants to swallow everything these days.

He has a Merrick's knuckle bone which interests him for about 2 minutes at a time. Today at Petsmart I picked up a large bone from Red Barn with peanut butter flavor filling; not sure what it's called but it is very large and kind of looks like a piece of popped popcorn shape-wise. We haven't tried it yet; I don't let him chew this stuff incessantly but do need something to occupy him sometimes when I need get something done. He seemed quite interested in what appeared to be a meat-covered bone (by Denton maybe?) but the package said to wash your hands after touching it, so how good can that be for him to chew and drag all over the house?

Nylabones don't interest him much, and I know a lot of people advise against them because the plastic can splinter off and get caught in his stomach. Kongs also aren't of much interest unless filled with peanut butter. I am also very leery of rawhide having heard of many dogs injured or killed by large hunks getting caught in their stomachs or intestines, and Hank had one as a gift so I let him try it, and he indeed tore off large pieces.

So, am I out of luck here having gotten him spoiled by bully sticks, or is there something I'm missing that might work to keep him occupied?

Thanks!


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## cassadee7

Try a Himalayan chew. It's really hard yak cheese, as in, hard as a rock. Saber has been chewing hers for a couple weeks and has barely shaved off a quarter inch of it, and I leave it out all the time. They are about $7 for a large one.


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## GSD_Xander

Have you tried stuffing and freezing the kong with different layers in it? 

Maybe a treat ball?

Are you getting the plain bully sticks or the braided ones or ring ones?

I know some sites also sell things like trachea (I think best bully sticks) and other parts...trachea doesn't seem very tough to me but, I could be wrong. But - if he's plowing through a bully stick that fast then I doubt it's tough enough for him.


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## GSDAlphaMom

Marrow bones. If you have a local butcher, you will find them there...if not, talk to your grocer. I keep them in the freezer so the marrow stays nice and hard.


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## HankGSD

Himalayan chews sound great! Thanks. 

With the marrow bone, how big is that? And will I eventually have raw meat being slobbered on the floor? 

I have tried all the bully sticks, straight, braided, rings. He goes through the rings the fastest. The wonderful local K9 store has 3-foot ones for only 5.99 but he still can get through those in a just a few hours total (a little in the morning, a little at night, a little the next day.)

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.


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## HeyJude

HankGSD said:


> Himalayan chews sound great! Thanks.
> 
> With the marrow bone, how big is that? And will I eventually have raw meat being slobbered on the floor?
> 
> I have tried all the bully sticks, straight, braided, rings. He goes through the rings the fastest. The wonderful local K9 store has 3-foot ones for only 5.99 but he still can get through those in a just a few hours total (a little in the morning, a little at night, a little the next day.)
> 
> Thanks so much for all the suggestions.


Wow, 3 feet for $5.99?! That is cheap. I pay twice to three times for those.


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## TaraM1285

The Himalayan chews didn't work for us - a large one only lasted Tara about an hour and a half.

Raw marrow bones and knuckle bones seem to be the best. I just taught her to stay in one place while she chews it so that I don't have raw meat all over the house.


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## Lucy Dog

cassadee7 said:


> Try a Himalayan chew. It's really hard yak cheese, as in, hard as a rock. Saber has been chewing hers for a couple weeks and has barely shaved off a quarter inch of it, and I leave it out all the time. They are about $7 for a large one.


I got lucy a himalayan chew about a week ago. I read about it on here and wanted to give it a shot. It cost about $10 and was in about 100 pieces in about 5 minutes. It wasn't my best purchase.

Where did you get yours? I got mine at a local pet specialty store.


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## cassadee7

Lucy Dog said:


> I got lucy a himalayan chew about a week ago. I read about it on here and wanted to give it a shot. It cost about $10 and was in about 100 pieces in about 5 minutes. It wasn't my best purchase.
> 
> Where did you get yours? I got mine at a local pet specialty store.


I got mine locally as well, but it was the brand they sell on bestbullysticks.com, says "Himalayan Dog Chew" on it, the "jumbo/large" pack of 3 on that site cost me $19 at my local store.


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## Kris10

Dental Treats for Dogs - CET Chews for LARGE Dogs (30 chews)

Anyone give these to their pups? This was recommended by a prior vet to replace rawhide chews (which she felt were unsafe). Max and Ally love these and have had no problems. They soften quickly, are digestible, and help keep their teeth clean. Max can go through some of the thinner ones in a few minutes though...


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## Lucy Dog

cassadee7 said:


> I got mine locally as well, but it was the brand they sell on bestbullysticks.com, says "Himalayan Dog Chew" on it, the "jumbo/large" pack of 3 on that site cost me $19 at my local store.


Yep... that's the one i got too. I think it was the large size... it was the biggest one they had and there were a few different sizes. 

Based off what i read about the chews, i was expecting this long lasting chew. Nope... 5 minutes and it was gone. Even the 12'' bully's from bestbullysticks.com last at least a half hour. This thing was gone in minutes.


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## cassadee7

Lucy Dog said:


> Yep... that's the one i got too. I think it was the large size... it was the biggest one they had and there were a few different sizes.
> 
> Based off what i read about the chews, i was expecting this long lasting chew. Nope... 5 minutes and it was gone. Even the 12'' bully's from bestbullysticks.com last at least a half hour. This thing was gone in minutes.


That is insane! What a power chewer. How do Extreme Kongs fare?

My pup is 4 months old and chews a LOT but I might be amazed at what she chews when she grows up. A Thick 12" Bully now lasts her about 3 days (left out). When she was 10 weeks old they lasted a full week! I just ordered the Thick 12" Braided ones this time.


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## Lucy Dog

She's actually very good with the kongs. Never liked to chew on them... only suck out the goodies. I give her a kong stuffed with frozen pumpkin every day in the red kong she's had since she was a puppy. Still has yet to destroy it, but it's not much biting, just licking with those.

I give her antlerz and those seem to last. The regular nylabones are pretty good too, but she loses interest pretty quick. 

The bully sticks last her about 30 minutes each. I'll usually give her one a week, on sundays. When she was a puppy they'd last weeks, but those times are long over. Now they last long enough to distract her while I brush and clip nails.


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## HankGSD

The thing I bought today is a Red Barn Filled Knuckle Bone, Peanut Butter flavor. He is actually crunching the bone up and swalling the little pieces. I hate to sound completely stupid, but I hope this is okl! The pieces don't appear to be sharp.


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## Lucy Dog

HankGSD said:


> The thing I bought today is a Red Barn Filled Knuckle Bone, Peanut Butter flavor. He is actually crunching the bone up and swalling the little pieces. I hate to sound completely stupid, but I hope this is okl! The pieces don't appear to be sharp.


I'd be careful with those cooked bones you buy at petstore. They're cooked, so they can and do splinter which can cause digestion problems.


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## JOSHUA SAMPSON

I like these
Rawhide Retriever Rolls - 14/10 inch - Sam's Club







They are thick, tough and make the dog work to finish it. Even with my VERY aggressive chewers It takes them about 2 hours to finish then off.


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## Stosh

Wow, Stosh works on Himalayan Chews for weeks! Never saw one fall into pieces before. I buy most of the chew stuff from bestbullysticks.com. They've got a big selection of chew things. I also get bones from a local butcher- $3.99 for 5 lbs of beef bones and $2.99 for deer bones during hunting season.


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## Onyx Dragon

GSDAlphaMom said:


> Marrow bones. If you have a local butcher, you will find them there...if not, talk to your grocer. I keep them in the freezer so the marrow stays nice and hard.


 
Be careful with these. Both my breeder and my vet recommended not using them, and I have personally known dogs who have cracked teeth on those things.


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## GSDAlphaMom

Really, wow. That's the first I've heard of anything like that. I love using them. I guess I'll watch them closely for any issues. They pull any meat left off and then work on getting the marrow out. I guess I can see it happening if they chew on the actual bone iteself. 

I'm not ready to quit on them. Thanks for the heads up.


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## PaddyD

GSDAlphaMom said:


> Marrow bones. If you have a local butcher, you will find them there...if not, talk to your grocer. I keep them in the freezer so the marrow stays nice and hard.


Agreed....... or at your supermarket. We went the bullystick route too but had to discontinue because they made her stools too mushy and we were afraid of choking. Once you get past the 7-8 month mark, chewing or the need to chew should be greatly reduced. Or maybe we are just lucky. Abby hasn't chewed anything she shouldn't have since 6 months.


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## Lin

Onyx Dragon said:


> Be careful with these. Both my breeder and my vet recommended not using them, and I have personally known dogs who have cracked teeth on those things.


Yep, Tessa broke her top right canine on one. I don't feed them but we stayed overnight at a friends place and she had a bunch laying out. Figures, huh?


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## HankGSD

Lucy Dog said:


> I'd be careful with those cooked bones you buy at petstore. They're cooked, so they can and do splinter which can cause digestion problems.


I ended up throwing it out. Another $7.99 wasted. I didn't like how he was able to gnaw off pieces of it so easily even if what came off seemed very soft and not sharp. 

I would like to try the Himalayan chews; checked at Petco and Pet Supplies Plus with no luck. I will check the local K9 supply and if no luck, I will get them from Best Bully Sticks. Not too excited about the $8.48 for shipping.


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## CassandGunnar

If you go to this site, it will give you a list of places, by State, where you can purchase them directly. Just a hint, the page loads really slow, so you might have to be patient.

Himalayan Dog Chew - 100% Natural. Authentic. No Preservatives. An Everest Sized Treat


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## CassandGunnar

I've never purchased pre-packaged knuckle bones. If you have a butcher/meat shop anywhere close to you, ask them for the knuckle bone. They're usually pretty cheap and they have some meat on them. They tend to be "softer" than a marrow bone. We freeze the extras and put them back between sessions.


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## HankGSD

I want to thank everyone again for their great suggestions.

Ordered the jumbo Himalayan chew and a large elk antler from Best Bully Sticks.

The Himalayan chew seems to be quite a hit and yes, it is VERY, hard. I will post later how long it lasts. He only gets to have the "good chews" when I need him to chill out and give me a little free time so it won't be available to him 24/7. It has a slight odor, but not unpleasant. I actually got used to the bully stick smell anyway, LOL.

He liked the elk antler pretty well, but of course it was brand new so novelty always creates quite an interest. I will keep that one put up, too, and get it out as needed to keep it exciting. I like that it's much thicker in diameter than the mule deer antlers, but the length is only about 6 inches. I still worry about him swallowing it if it gets too short.


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## lylol

Not as long lasting, but my guys really like the dried trachea ... crunchable, not smelly like bully sticks ... sometimes called Moo Tubes


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## HankGSD

Well, the jumbo Himalayan chew that I spent more than $20 on split in half after Hank dropped it on the floor, and I'm not comfortable with him chewing on something 4 inches long that could be a choking hazard.


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## cassadee7

HankGSD said:


> Well, the jumbo Himalayan chew that I spent more than $20 on split in half after Hank dropped it on the floor, and I'm not comfortable with him chewing on something 4 inches long that could be a choking hazard.


Yeah. That happened to us a couple days ago. Saber dropped her Himalayan chew on the tile entry and it broke! Guess they need to be kept on the carpet...

Anyway, I took the small chunk and stuffed them into a treat holder so she can still chew them a bit and then lick them when they are smaller without choking hazards. I got the West Paw Zogoflex Tux, which looks like a 3 leaf clover with a hole in the middle. Her chunk of chew is stuffed in there and she can chew the edges but it is not going to come out! Very tight fit.


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## HankGSD

cassadee7 said:


> Anyway, I took the small chunk and stuffed them into a treat holder so she can still chew them a bit and then lick them when they are smaller without choking hazards.


Great idea, thanks I will try that.

I already contacted Best Bully Sticks who said the product was not guaranteed but they would give me 10% off my "next order." I don't think I will necessarily need to buy from them again, they were just the only place I could find the Himalayan chew.


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## CuriousKira

I swear by the knuckle bones, I think they are a bit softer than a soup bone & Kira loves them to no end. We watch her when she has any chews prob bc i'm an over cautious mama but it's perfect when I need to make a phone call or get some laundry done!! We asked for smaller sized ones for our pup but I just got a rather large one for my parents dog as his sunday treat!!


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## spidermilk

We do raw knuckle bones and antlers. I almost bought a Himalayan Chew last week but when I asked the store owner if they would be good for an extreme chewer (Dax is!) she said to save my money and try the antler. 

Dax also has this extreme Nylabone from when he was a puppy that he likes to chew on and he has a knotted rope toy that he chews on a bit. I think sometimes it helps then stay interested in a toy if you rotate which ones they have and play with them with it a bit. Because it is quite a bummer when you shell out so much money for a toy that they lose interest in after a week!


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## velvetheart

cassadee7 said:


> Try a Himalayan chew. It's really hard yak cheese, as in, hard as a rock. Saber has been chewing hers for a couple weeks and has barely shaved off a quarter inch of it, and I leave it out all the time. They are about $7 for a large one.


I have tried the Himalayan chew, which she seemed to like but I would find tiny pieces of it stuck to the carpet all over the house or stuck to her bedding so for me, not appropriate for inside, which is where I want to use a chew. When you step on those pieces with a bare foot, not pleasant. She seemed to like it, although not as much as a bully stick. The cost of bully sticks means she certainly doesn't get one every day as she can consume them rather quickly...maybe an hour. So they are reserved for when I have company as she seems to think they are HER friends and not mine, as most Goldendoodles do.


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## WNGD

10 year old thread but the question is still asked regularly. 
Bully sticks are loved, but devoured too quickly and expensive.
Nylabones last forever but they don't chew them for long and can shard.
Stuffed kongs will get them licking but not chewing for long. They are for retrieving in my house, not a treat.
Raw meaty bones are best for my dog but the only get them every few weeks or once a month.

Every time this topic comes up, someone posts some rolled alternatives (not rawhide) but I have had trouble finding htem in Canada and they are also pricey.


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