Author: Keren Dinkin
Dog chews have long been popular snacks and treats for many dogs. They are delicious, great for their teeth, and perhaps most importantly, they will keep your dog or puppy far away from your furniture, shoes, and carpets.
Dog chews are often recommended for pups that are older than three months. But did you know that you can give them soft chews when they are younger?
In this guide, we will tell you all you need to know about the benefits of dog chews for puppies and how you can teach them to safely interact with the chew.
Let’s get to it!
3 Benefits of Dog Chews for Puppies
Here are three of the key benefits of dog chews for pups:
1. Dog Chews Keep Stress and Anxiety at Bay
If left alone to their own devices, pups will always give in to the urge to chew up and destroy everything they can find, such as pillows, furniture, or your most expensive pair of sneakers. The reason for this kind of reckless chewing is boredom, stress, and even anxiety.
Pups with high energy will chew away at objects to relieve stress, and it can be challenging to teach them to stop. This is why it is necessary to give them the proper outlet for their chewing tendencies.
Healthy, tasty chews, along with regular exercise, can help reduce stress and anxiety and give your pet something productive to expend their energy on!
2. Dog Chews Improve Dental Health
Pups can suffer from periodontal disease or gum disease just like humans do, and it’s not something that you as a pet parent should ignore. Dental health issues in pets can lead to appetite loss and broken or lost teeth. If bacteria get into your pup’s bloodstream through diseased gums, they can cause harm to their heart and other internal organs.
Dog chews can help mitigate dental problems and provide excellent oral health benefits. Along with brushing your puppy's teeth and going in for regular professional cleanings, giving your pup all-natural dog chews is an excellent way to keep its teeth strong, healthy, and disease-free.
Pups that chew regularly tend to have less plaque build-up. Certain types of dog dental treats can even work to reduce plaque by almost 70% just by the mechanical action of chewing. They can also help improve your pup’s breath and keep other dental problems at bay.
3. Dog Chews Help Pups Explore Their Surroundings
Pups learn about the world around them by interacting with it through biting and chewing things. Introducing your pup to the right kind of chewing outlets gives it a safe way to explore its surroundings with its mouth.
Giving your pup dog chews helps it inculcate a taste for healthy and delicious things at a young age. It also helps your pet get through the teething stage more effectively than chewing on wires, socks, and other belongings.
How to Feed Dog Chews to Puppies
If you're giving dog chews to a pup for the first time, pique its curiosity by allowing it to play with one piece for some time. Then, hold out the chew and let your pet sniff and gnaw on it for a couple of minutes. Keep your grip firm and ensure that it does not swallow the chew whole.
Take away the chew and check your pup’s stool for the day. If the stool is loose, do not give it another dog chew for a couple of days and then try again. Otherwise, you can allow it to chew on the treat for increased durations.
For pups younger than three months, teach them to gnaw on one end of the chew for as long as possible. This will give them all the benefits of dog chews without leading to choking or indigestion. Small bites are perfectly safe for young pups and will set them up for healthy chewing habits in the future. Once you decide to let your puppy interact with their chew on their own, make it a habit to use a Bully Stick holder for Bully Sticks and Collagen Sticks for safety reasons.
Feed Your Dog Healthy, Tasty Dog Chews
Natural Farm's 100% natural dog chews are made using sustainably sourced ingredients from Brazil and are carefully crafted in a USDA-approved factory. They are delicious and perfectly healthy for all types of dogs. They support dental health and are packed with nutrients that your dog needs.
We also use eco-friendly packaging, support non-profit organizations around the country, and plant a tree with every purchase. When you buy the healthier, better option for your dogs, you also aid in our reforestation and community efforts.
Choose from our wide range of all-natural chicken chews, beef chews, and jerky chews to treat your pup!
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