Socks are Delicious!

Hi Everyone! Bastian is back with more insights into the minds of us dogs!  Today we’re going to talk about that thing you never want us to do… chew!  Now, if your dog’s like me, you like to chew… a lot.  I have been known to chew furniture, stairs, food Tom left on the counter, shoe soles, and I had one particular incident where my friend Sam and I got on the counter and ate a half a loaf of bread and some leftover cake.  I don’t regret it for a minute, besides… I was just trying to help Tom lose an LB or 2.  You know, that whole best friend thing? We’re just looking out for your health when we eat your food. 

Speaking of friends, Dr. Kristy Conn of cesarsway.com had a great article about how to teach us to chew.  Essentially, if you want us to stop chewing on your socks, you might start by not leaving them on the floor!  I mean nothing beats a good sock, they smell like grandma’s cookies straight out of the oven! How can we resist?  Equally delicious looking are power cords, but these are really dangerous, so make sure we can’t get to them.  Try not to let us have access to anything that you don’t want us to chew on.  A great suggestion includes St. Louis’s own Fusion Gates, who make high end decorative pet gates. 

You see, we love to chew, it’s in our nature!  We can’t help ourselves!  So, when we’re chewing on the wrong thing, first of all, tell us!  Use that stern voice your mom used on you when you got caught with your paw in the cookie jar.  You know the one where she used your middle name and said “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed in you.”  We understand what that voice means just like you did. 

But remember, we need to chew! So it’s essential to provide us with something we can chew on!  Don’t take my word for it… Dr. Conn says that some bones and toys are great for us dogs… but not just any bone or toy.  Dr. Conn says to avoid bones like chicken bones and rawhides as they get whittled down into pieces a dog can choke on.  Additionally, toys such as tennis balls can be shredded by dogs and we can choke on the pieces or even develop illnesses from the toxins in the felt.  Also be careful with toys with treat holes in them, as us dogs can get our lower jaws stuck in them. 

The best option?  The K9X Ball, of course.  It’s the perfect size for most dogs, its durability means it won’t be susceptible to breaking down, and it’s non-toxic.  I highly recommend it!