Your dog absolutely needs to satisfy its need to chew to be truly happy. In terms of energy expenditure, 30 minutes of chewing is equivalent to 1.5 hours of hiking… Quite a great way to burn calories, isn't it? It's therefore important to provide your dog with the opportunity to satisfy this fundamental need, ideally every day. There are several ways to help your dog fulfill this need. The first is to offer meaty bones of the right size 3-4 times a week. This is more suitable for dogs that eat raw food, as their stomachs are used to digesting bones, reducing the risk of digestive upset. It's also important not to exceed 40-45% meaty bones in their diet and to choose the right size bones for safety. Good meaty bones include veal tails, horse vertebrae, and chicken, turkey, and duck necks. Another way to get your dog chewing is to offer their raw food in an interactive toy like the Toppl from West Paw Design. They come in 2 sizes: large (holds 8 ounces of food) and small (holds 2-3 ounces of food). Simply put the raw food in the Toppl, freeze it, and serve it to your dog as a meal! Finally, another suggestion for getting your dog chewing is to put treats like beef sticks or duck feet in a Quizzl toy! Guaranteed fun!
