Some pups will take a favorite toy and take care of it. Others will take anything and everything you give them and tear it to shreds. If you’ve ever come home to find a snowfall of cotton stuffing in your living room, you may live with a power chewer.
My brother’s dog Kuma is a power chewer. Every toy she gets her paws (and teeth) on ends up in tatters. If it’s stuffed… if it has a squeaker… it’s doomed. I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking for a toy that can outlast Kuma’s powerful jaw.
At the holidays, I found Big Brutes at J.B. Wholesale Pet Supply. These tough nylon toys would stand up to Kuma’s mighty choppers, I figured. They DID last longer than the average stuffed toy; it took a whole hour for Kuma to shred the first one. She’s too smart for me and my Big Brutes, though. Once she figured out the trick on the first one — the weakest point is where the tag is sewn into the seam — she quickly dismantled the second one.
Tennis balls are generally pretty tough for power chewers… but you do have to be careful. For a large or extra-large dog, a normal tennis ball can be a choking hazard. Tennis toys are available in a variety of sizes (all with the same fuzzy tennis ball exterior) so you should be able to find one that is an appropriate size for your power chewer.
And we can’t forget about the good old Kong. That hollow, hive-shaped, bouncing rubber ball is a sure challenge for your power chewer. Kongs are available in a variety of sizes so you can find one that is the right size for your dog’s mouth. Stuff the inside with treats or a smear of peanut butter and your pup will be entertained for a while. In Kuma’s case, a Kong is pretty much the only toy that can outlast her super choppers.
If you have a power chewer in your family… and you know of some other tough toys, please let me know! I’ve got a fuzzy niece with mighty choppers who always needs presents.