jeffrey's mom

My husband and I are getting our first basset puppy in 3 weeks, and we're very excited! We've been reading up a lot on the breed, but it's always good to have first hand information from real basset hound owners. So any advice is welcome.

I'm also wondering what the best chew toys are for our little (soon to be big) guy. I've heard that nylabones are not good, something about puncturing the colon or something. Any advice?

Thanks.

shallhb

I've never heard of health problems with Nylabones. But then our dogs would hardly look at them, so I didn't have to worry about them puncturing anything <_<. Even tried boiling them in chicken broth, and nothing! My girls like N-bones. Unlike most other chews I've tried, I've not had any digeestive problems with them. Maybe you were thinking of Greenies--dogs go nuts over them, but I guess there's been some problems from ones that weren't entirely digested.

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Grace (puppy in training)
Bella, UD, VER, TD, RE, CGC
Pearl,UD, TDX, RE, CGC (Waiting at the Bridge)
Samantha, Theodore, CGC, Louella, Zeke and Arty, Bassets All; (All Waiting at the Bridge)

bcc11

Perhaps you are thinking of greenies? (BTW, I think they have changed greenies b/c of concerns of large chunks being a problem to digest.)

I think one of the best "chew toys" is a kong filled with peanut butter and kibble. You can freeze them to make them last longer.

Congrats!

Terry

Kongs are virtually indestructable and irristible when filled with cream cheese or peanut butter. My friend fills them with PB and freezes them so they last that much longer. They distract her three young Bassets from mischief-making that much longer. Strips of cotton moistened, then twisted and frozen are soothing teething items for a young puppy with new teeth coming in. My mother-in-law used old socks tied in a knot for her dog to play with. Squeeky stuffies are fun toys though some dogs love to 'kill' them and tear them apart. Rope toys are good, as are the age-old favorite - tennis balls. All dogs will eventually find a favorite toy and yours will, too.

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Moe and Terry
"Don't worry, be happy"

Marcia

Bully sticks are a safe natural chewie that won't splinter. Yes, they're actually smoked bull penises , but you can get past that for the sake of your doggie, right?

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murraysmom

I second the bully sticks- I've been giving them to both our dogs since Marcia mentioned them a year or so ago- the dogs love them and they can't break pieces off, but I still supervise and take them away when they get too small.

Marcia

Glad your babies are enjoying the bully sticks, Murray's Mom! Ours get one every Sunday and it's the high point of their week. :P

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Loving Slave to Sally, Bliss, Waldo & Chloe kitties, and watched over by Daisy Mae and Rocky ATB

Lightning&Stomps

The one chewy I would steer you away from is rawhide. I've had to stick my fingers down Lightning's throat twice to pull out softened chunks that he was choking on. And apparently they cause digestive problems as well. Stomps doesn't chew, and the only thing Lightning will chew and not destroy is his Nylabone. As a puppy I got the small ones, but now that he's grown I get him the big Nylabone knuckle bones. They last for years, so they're a bargain! For a young puppy, and especially one that's teething, though, Nylabones might be too hard. Just keep the shoes, socks, underwear, boots, power cords, remotes, and furniture out of his way. And you might invest in a spray bottle of Bitter Apple in case he does develop a taste for something he shouldn't.

lala

As a dog mom who just spent 700 clams on cleaning and fixing some gum damage on ernest the puppy, I will say that stay away from hard objects like sticks or nylabones if your dog is an aggressive chewer.

Oy!

Ernest chewed so aggressively on one side that he managed to do some serious, but reparable damage to his gum and may have led to bone loss if we hadn't caught it in time (our bad).

He is happily chewing on squeaky toys now, but is resentful when he sees other dogs with sticks. We did buy him a very cool tennis ball shaped like a bone and that seems to be making him happier. It was quite an adjustment.

His delicate stomach can not handle rawhide and he's more interested in slurping out of kongies than chewing on them. I wish we could find him something meaty to chew on, but thankfully, that means our floors stay less drooly.

lala

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BubbaLeroy

Bogie Carter enjoying a "bully stick".

Bogie loves bully sticks, and they last a long time. A little expensive, but they sure keep him entertained and help keep his gums healthy and his back teeth sparkling white. He'll also chew on his "kong" that we stuff with a little cheese or peanut butter, and wedge some small dog cookies inside. That will keep him busy for awhile, as well.

Our other Basset, Bubba, now at the bridge, loved rawhide chews, but we had to quit giving them to him. He would bite off large chunks and get them caught in his throat, and choke. You would have to reach in and put the lodged piece out. Just like Lightning and Stomps said her Basset did.

We also couldn't give him nylabones because he would bite off large pieces, swallowed them and threw them back up. The vet told us we were fortunate he threw them back up , because she had operated on more than one dog for intestines blocked with nylabone chunks. Greenies can do the same thing if large chunks are swallowed.

Good luck with your new pup, and I can't wait to see pictures.

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You don't own a Basset, a Basset owns you!!
Aroooooos from Bogie !! - Trumbull's Who's Teasin Bogart CGC- Born April 21, 2005
ATB: Bubba - (Trumbull's Surley It's Stormin Norman) Sept. 8, 1998 - Dec. 20, 2005