Walk down any pet aisle and you'll find dozens of chews: bully sticks, rawhide, antlers, yak cheese, nylon bones, dental sticks. They are not interchangeable. The right chew depends on three things — your dog's size, how hard they chew, and how well they digest what they swallow. This guide walks you through each, then compares the most popular options honestly.
Step 1: Size the chew to your dog
A chew should be too big to fit entirely in your dog's mouth, and too thick to be swallowed in one or two bites. The most common mistake is buying a chew that suits a small dog for a large one: it disappears in minutes and can become a choking hazard.
| Dog weight | Typical breeds | Bully stick to start with |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 kg | Chihuahua, Yorkie, Shih Tzu | 6-inch thin or standard |
| 10–25 kg | Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Border Collie | 6-inch thick or braided, 12-inch standard |
| 25–40 kg | Labrador, Golden Retriever, Boxer | 12-inch thick or braided |
| 40 kg+ | German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Mastiff | 12-inch jumbo |
Our size guide has the weight of every PUPHE style, with photos at the same scale.
Step 2: Match the chew to chewing strength
Dogs of the same size chew very differently. Watch your dog with a chew for a few minutes:
- Gentle chewers lick and nibble — thin or standard sticks are plenty.
- Moderate chewers work steadily at one end — standard or thick.
- Power chewers crunch, crack and try to swallow big pieces — go for thick, jumbo or braided, and consider a bully stick holder.
For power chewers, thickness matters more than length. A thicker stick is slower to wear down and harder to bite through. See bully sticks for aggressive chewers.
Step 3: Think about hardness and digestion
Two properties make a chew safer: it should give a little under your dog's teeth, and anything swallowed should be digestible.
A useful rule of thumb from veterinary dentists is the thumbnail test: if you can't make a small dent in the chew with your thumbnail, it may be hard enough to fracture a tooth. Very hard chews such as antlers, bones and some nylon toys are a common cause of broken carnassial (back) teeth.
How popular chews compare
| Chew | Digestible? | Hardness | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bully stick | Yes — single muscle protein | Firm, softens as chewed | Most dogs, sized correctly | Calories; remove the last 5 cm |
| Rawhide | Partly — processed hide | Tough, swells when wet | — | Harder to digest; possible blockages; processing chemicals |
| Antler | Mostly no | Very hard | Gentle chewers only | Tooth fractures |
| Yak cheese | Yes | Very hard until softened | Moderate chewers | Hardness; small end pieces |
| Nylon bone | No | Hard | Chewing without eating | Tooth wear; swallowed fragments |
| Dental stick | Yes | Soft | Daily dental routine | Quickly eaten; added ingredients |
Bully sticks sit in a useful middle ground: firm enough to last, soft enough to be kind to teeth, and made of a single digestible ingredient. Their main downside is calories, which is why we publish the calories for every stick. For a closer look at the most common alternative, read Bully sticks vs rawhide.
How to spot a quality bully stick
Not all bully sticks are equal. Look for a single-ingredient label, a stated country of origin, a guaranteed analysis, consistent thickness and a mild smell. We cover each point in How to spot a high-quality bully stick.
Safety checklist for any chew
- Choose a size your dog can't swallow whole.
- Supervise, especially with a new chew.
- Take it away when it is small enough to swallow — about 5 cm (2 in) for a bully stick.
- Count the calories as part of your dog's daily food.
- Rotate chews so your dog doesn't get bored, and check teeth regularly.
- Ask your vet if your dog has dental disease, a sensitive stomach or is on a diet.
The right chew for special situations
| Your dog | What to look for | Good PUPHE option |
|---|---|---|
| Teething puppy | Soft enough to dent, sized to the mouth | 6-inch thin |
| Senior with sensitive teeth | Softens quickly, not too thick | 6-inch standard |
| Sensitive stomach | Single ingredient, introduced slowly | Any stick, short sessions |
| On a weight-loss plan | Smaller portions, counted calories | Half a standard stick |
| Multi-dog household | One chew per dog, separated | Same size for every dog to avoid guarding |
| Power chewer | Thickness first, holder recommended | 12-inch jumbo |
Signs a chew isn't right for your dog
- It's gone in under five minutes — go thicker.
- Your dog breaks off and swallows large chunks — go thicker, or use a holder.
- Your dog loses interest after a few licks — it may be too hard or too big; try a thinner stick.
- Soft stools or vomiting the next day — shorten sessions or try a smaller portion.
- Blood on the chew, or your dog chews only on one side — stop and check teeth with your vet.
How often should dogs get a chew?
Most dogs do well with a supervised chew session three to five times a week, adjusted for calories. High-energy or anxious dogs may benefit from more frequent, shorter sessions. Daily chewing is fine if the calories fit your dog's treat budget — see How many calories are in a bully stick?
Rotate for interest
Dogs, like people, enjoy variety. Rotating between a straight stick, a braided stick and a non-edible toy keeps chewing interesting and spreads the wear across different teeth. Keep new chews supervised until you know how your dog handles them.
Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Teeth, teething and chewing in puppies (teething timeline; avoiding chews that don’t bend).
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Why bones are not safe for dogs.
- MSD Veterinary Manual — Esophageal foreign bodies in small animals (rawhide and chew treats among swallowed objects that lodge).
- Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) — VOHC-accepted products.
- Freeman LM, Janecko N, Weese JS. Nutritional and microbial analysis of bully sticks and survey of opinions about pet treats. Canadian Veterinary Journal, 2013;54(1):50–54.
- PUPHE in-house chew-time testing (2026).
