Friday Favs: Dog Toys for Strong Chewers

I have shopped far and wide for the most durable dog chew toys out there for my beloved pittie who has jaws so strong she once chewed a door knob off of a door trying to protect our house from the lawn mower man (anyone else out there have a pit with the most irrational fears? Ceiling fans, lawn mowers, bicycles..). Not much is worse than that feeling when you spend $30 on a top-of-the-line chew toy only to watch your dog completely destroy it in 20 minutes or less, followed by hours of picking splintered dog toy out of the carpet, followed by cleaning dog throw up off of everything because they ate an entire toy in 20 minutes that was meant to endure 6 months of dog chewing. My at-length research has led me to these top 4 products, all Ok'd by my vet, as long as you get the proper sizes and monitor the chewing.

1. Nylabone:

• Pros: Flavoring keeps dogs occupied for hours, come in different flavors, they LOVE the textures, bristles on the bones clean dog's teeth, don't splinter much as long as you get the right durability (they have 3 levels of hardness and recommend purchasing a size up if you aren't sure which kind to get your dog)
• Cons: If you get one that isn't strong enough for your dog they do splinter which makes for difficult clean up
• Notes: Make SURE to pay attention to the chewing strength (on every package and/or on-line description)
• Where to buy: PetCo, PetSmart, Target, Amazon (best price)

2. Hoof

• Pros: Super cheap, the smell/taste keep dogs entertained for hours, long-lasting for the price
• Cons: Super splintery- you have to be really careful with these because of this. When Andi uses them I let her chew it for 30 minutes/day to make sure the splinters don't hurt her stomach. 
• Notes: Can really hurt a dog's stomach if they get too splintered
• Where  to buy: Petco, Petsmart (has stuffed hooves!), Amazon, Ebay

3. Kong

• Pros: SUPER strong, zero splintering, unpredictable bounce makes for lots of entertainment (for dog and owner ha)
• Cons: Not flavored (but they are made for stuffing with treats or recipes), more expensive
• Notes: Fill with treats, food, peanut butter. Freeze treats into the Kong for hours of entertainment
• Where to buy: Petco, PetSmart, Target, Amazon, Ebay

4. The Antler

• Pros: Durable, natural, naturally shed, don't splinter, taste that keeps dogs interested, clean dog's teeth, packed with nutrients like calcium. 
• Cons: More expensive
• Note: Moose and Reindeer are stronger than elk which is stronger than deer (but the deer has more marrow inside which is what keeps the dogs occupied). Yeah yall, the antler business is serious! ALSO: apparently there is a market for fake antlers, so read up on the reviews and make sure you're getting what you order.
• Where to buy: Natural food stores (best price),  ebay, Amazon