Some dogs seem to get indigestion pretty easily from rawhide, so if you do give it, start in very small amounts. Also, you need to supervise pups with rawhide, since they can be pretty dumb about swallowing large pieces they tear off (some pups never do this and simply gnaw). So if you do give him one at this point, do it in supervised situations and only give it to him for a few minutes at a time.

One of my dogs' breeders asked that we never give him rawhide because she had heard too many reports of serious intestinal obstructions caused by them, so he doesn't get them at all. There's a pretty large group of people who feel the way she does.

Also, be aware of the source of your rawhide. There have been reports (not sure if they're true) of dangerous chemicals being used to process rawhide that comes from overseas. I haven't verified these claims myself, but it's fairly easy to pick up USA rawhide, so why not?

Personally, I wouldn't give one to a crated pup of any age. There's too much chance of tearing off a big piece and choking on it or having it turn into a bowel obstruction.

 

I agree with Tippy. Nylabones and Kongs are a better substitute.

 

I don't recommend rawhide for dogs of any age.

You could try an elk or deer antler or small bully stick. Also, you could try nyla bones...they come in a variety of sizes and shapes. I believe some even come flavored.

 

I personally don't feed raw hide to my Goldens, but I certainly wouldn't use it as a crate treat. Raw hide chewing/eating needs to be closely supervised, especially in young dogs.

I would recommend a puppy nylabone or teething ring to keep in his crate. Check it regularly for wear, but it should be a fun toy for him to gnaw on and keep him entertained/occupied.

 

Bullysticks were a lifesaver at that age!!!

 

ditto!!!

I bought them in bulk from K9 Cuisine Hank's first year.

No rawhide :no:

 

I wouldn't even give an adult dog rawhide. Nylabones are much safer.

 

If you do use Nylabones (and we love them in our house), make sure to choose the appropriate strength. "Puppy" nylabones are great for young pups, but older dogs can tear off pieces and swallow them. They make a "durable" variety that's perfect for my adult dogs. They rough them up and can grind off tiny bits, but they can't tear them at all.

 

I gave Jacks a rawhide bone to chew on when he was a puppy... <- Actually, I gave rawhide to my old golden to chew on and he shared with the pup. I've been giving rawhide to our dogs for many years and feel they are perfectly safe - with supervision.

I would NOT leave any chew thing with your puppy if you aren't around to supervise. It's way too much of a risk. Even the "indestructable" nylabones can get pieces chewed off, and unlike rawhide bones, these pieces are very sharp and will cause mondo internal damage if swallowed.

 

I never use rawhide. Did years ago before I knew better and they were messy and gross, so never liked them anyway. If you do use them you have to supervise and remove anything they might swallow, and make sure it's rawhide that isn't imported - the ones made overseas usually have a lot of toxic chemicals in them and some think they're linked to mouth cancers in dogs.

I like raw bones for the dogs, messy but in a crate or outside they work very well. If they swallow anything it's digested - just make sure the bone is big enough that they can't inhale it anyway.

 

Thanks for the advice...i'll stick to kongs for Lucca then. But it's alright to leave the kong with him unattended? It seems to be the only thing to attract him into the crate.

 

I personally would never give rawhides, pig ears or nylabones to a dog of any age. I only give bully sticks or tendons (make sure it's US made from a reputable company/source) or steralized bones. And while crated I would never give any of this because the dog should be supervised.

As an aside: you probably already know this but make sure that you remove the pup's collar before crating.

 

Yeah, I remove his collar before crating..will check out the bully sticks for him..he's teething and chewing excessively..I need something else apart from the kong to keep him busy..hah

 

I'd late to leave a dog in the crate with nothing to chew, so with pups I'm willing to do Nylabones of an appropriate hardness for unsupervised times. Kongs are AOK too (though some older dogs do develop the strength to rip apart a regular-strength Kong and swallow the pieces, so be careful). Also be careful of very old Kongs (10+ years) as the rubber seems to degrade a bit over time. Leaving a Kong in the sun will accelerate the process.

 

Try an antler, Josie loved hers from a very young age. They don't break off in pieces, no mess, no smell, and you don't have to worry about digestion issues. Bully sticks often gave my pup an upset tummy (then again, so did everything else), but she just chewed and chewed her antler, with very little wear. Its also small enough for pups to angle it right where they need it for those teeth coming in. Good luck!!!!