7 Best Natural Chews For Puppies
Puppies chew things.
Especially puppies who are teething. A teething puppy will chew on anything and everything to alleviate pain and discomfort caused by their teeth and gums.
Chewing is completely normal puppy behaviour, and we need to help them safely satisfy their need to chew by providing a suitable outlet.
By teaching our pups the right things to chew, we can reduce inappropriate chewing they engage in and ensure we are meeting their needs.
We can incorporate appropriate chewing into our pup's daily routine by providing a suitable outlet such as natural puppy chews.
In this blog, we’ll be talking about natural puppy chews - the benefits of them and we’ll share our top natural chews for puppies. Plus you’ll also get some handy puppy chew tips and advice.
Explore our puppy chew range here
Benefits of natural chews for puppies
Promotes good dental hygiene: Chewing is an excellent way of promoting good dental hygiene and teeth cleaning. However, it should not substitute for brushing your puppy's teeth daily using a suitable puppy toothbrush and toothpaste. Just like us, we need to look after our pup's teeth. Good dental hygiene is essential to prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar, which can cause a whole host of dental problems.
Helps relieve boredom: It’s not always possible to engage in a game or take your puppy for a short walk when they decide they’re bored and want to play! Chews for puppies can be a brilliant go-to when you can’t give your puppy the attention they crave. Puppy chews are perfect for relieving boredom and keeping your pup busy and out of mischief.
Allows expression of natural chewing behaviour: Puppy chewing is a natural behaviour. By giving your puppy an appropriate way of expressing their natural urge to chew, you help discourage problem behaviours and stop them from chewing and biting things they shouldn't be.
Discourage problem behaviours: Puppy chews can help discourage problem behaviours like inappropriate chewing and biting. They help reduce these problem behaviours by providing them with a suitable chewing outlet. Natural chews for puppies have minimal ingredients and are minimally processed; therefore aren’t full of artificial ingredients that are often linked to problem behaviours.
Relief for teething puppies: When puppies are teething, they are looking for relief for their sore teeth and gums. Chewing gives relief to your pup’s sore mouth. If you’re exasperated with your pup chewing on your table leg, shoes, or soft furnishings, reach for a natural puppy chew to give your pup an acceptable alternative.
Makes them feel good: Chewing is a natural puppy behaviour and releases endorphins in your puppy’s brain - their natural feel-good hormones.
Training aid: They can be used as a training aid to teach appropriate chewing and help redirect excited behaviour helping your puppy calm down and settle, e.g. excitement and jumping up when guests come to visit.
Best natural chews for puppies
There are so many chews for puppies out there it can be challenging to choose which is best, which is why we've compiled this list of our favourite puppy chews.
So without further ado, let's dive into our top 7 natural chews for puppies.
Rabbit Ears
Rabbit ears are a firm favourite in our house. In terms of natural chews for puppies these rabbit ears are as natural as they get containing only 100% air-dried rabbit ears, fur and all.
Rabbit ears have a crisp, crunchy texture, are low odour and make minimal mess when eaten. They are low-fat, and the fur not only provides a source of natural dietary fibre, but it’s also said to act as a natural dewormer.
Rabbit ears are an excellent starter treat for pups who have not had furry puppy treats before.
What age can puppies have rabbit ears?
These rabbit ears are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Beef Trachea
Beef trachea have a wide straw-like appearance, getting their form from air-dried beef trachea (the windpipe).
As well as providing a long-lasting puppy chew, they are also perfect for puppy enrichment as you can stuff them with your puppy’s food to make them last even longer.
What age can puppies have beef tracheas?
These beef tracheas are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Lamb Braids
Lamb braids are made from strands of lamb skin that have been braided together and dried to form a tasty, long-lasting puppy chew that is approximately 5 to 6 inches long.
These particular chews are low-odour and are also great for inserting into the end of treat dispensers once filled to make them last longer.
What age can puppies have lamb braids?
These lamb braids are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Lamb Ears
Lamb ears are 100% natural, single-protein puppy chews that are high protein and low-fat. Their smaller size, makes them more suited to the smaller breed pups.
What age can puppies have lamb ears?
These lamb ears are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Ostrich Braids
Ostrich braids are made from strands of ostrich tendon that have been braided together and dried to form a tasty, long-lasting dog chew that is approximately 6 inches long.
These particular chews are also great for inserting into the end of treat dispensers once filled to make them last longer.
What age can puppies have ostrich braids?
These ostrich braids are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Ostrich Straws
Ostrich straws get their name from their long, wide straw-like appearance, getting their form from air-dried ostrich trachea (the windpipe). They are approximately 7 inches long.
These natural puppy chews have a softer chewy texture, and you can easily cut them into smaller pieces with a pair of scissors.
What age can puppies have ostrich straws?
These ostrich straws are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Deer Ears
Deer ears are another firm favourite in our house, largely due to their stinky odour that makes them utterly irresistible.
These long-lasting puppy chews are perfect for keeping young pups busy and out of mischief. They are on the larger size, making them more suited to the larger breed pups.
What age can puppies have deer ears?
These deer ears are suitable for puppies 12 weeks and over.
Puppy chew advice, tips and safety
Always supervise your puppy when they have a chew: For your puppy’s safety, it is essential to always supervise your puppy and never leave them unattended whilst they have a puppy chew.
Provide fresh drinking water: Make sure fresh water is available and accessible to your puppy at all times. Chewing is thirsty work, and your puppy will more than likely need a drink of water after a good chew session.
Choose an appropriate chew: Please ensure that puppy chews you choose are a suitable size and are appropriate for your puppy’s age, size, breed and chewing style.
Remove the chew if you feel it’s necessary: As your puppy chews their treat, they may be able to break off pieces that could potentially become a choking hazard. Similarly, you may have a pup who eats quickly and may stuff their treat in all at once or swallow large pieces without chewing them enough, which could become a choking hazard. Always supervise and remove the chew if you feel this is necessary.
Avoid all rawhide chews: Rawhide is a by-product of the leather industry and goes through multiples steps of processing involving toxic chemicals to make it. It is unnatural and packed with artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. Rawhide is a truly disgusting and dangerous 'puppy treat' (if you can even call it that). Find out more about rawhide here.
Avoid any cooked, dried or smoked bones: The cooking and drying process makes them brittle. When bones become brittle, they can easily splinter into sharp and dangerous pieces, which can cause internal damage to your puppy. Bones can also be too hard, especially weight-bearing leg bones, which risk causing damage to teeth. Find out what puppy treat ingredients you should always avoid here.
Always opt for natural chews for puppies: Choose natural treats with minimal ingredients that have had minimal processing and always check the ingredients. Many conventional treats sold these days contain many ingredients that are not only bad for your puppy’s health but can contribute to behavioural problems in the future.
Shop our full range of puppy chews here