Bones

[Cocker pup]

I want to give my puppy (15 wks) a roast bone when I leave the house to keep her occupied....a kong toy doesn't last long even if filling is frozen. However, I have heard that you should not give cooked bones to dogs
Pet superstores (like pets at home) sell these pre cooked or stuffed! I'm confused. Are they or are they not suitable

[Nettle]

Totally unsuitable and can be dangerous. Same with rawhide chews - in fact most pet shop chewies are risky. There is no legislation to control what is sold in pet shops, sadly.

Two frozen kongs, perhaps? Raw meaty bones are great but I never like to leave a dog alone with a bone.

[rnor1120]

I'm not sure where you live, but you can probably order one of these from the internet. It looks like you can control the size of the opening, so you can only let a few pieces of kibble out at a time. I've never used one myself, but it looks promising. Also, I don't know what kind of space your puppy has when you're not in, but my dog loves his Kong wobbler, it usually keeps him busy for a long time because it only lets a few pieces of kibble out at a time.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/busy-buddy-twi ... 7AodgVEAqw

It's never never never never a good idea to give cooked bones to dogs, they're more brittle and more prone to splintering everywhere in the dog's GI tract. Also, not a fan of leaving dogs alone with raw hides or anything that they can rip big pieces off and swallow - this can make them choke or wind up with a foreign body obstruction (actually, not a huge fan of rawhide in general, they're not healthy, they're processed with a ton of chemicals, they goo up the carpet, and my dogs learned to swallow giant pieces whole and then puke them back out ).

[doggiedad]

i give my dog center cut and whole beef femur bones uncooked. i also give him elk antlers.

[Cocker pup]

Thanks for your help. My dog does not seem interested in 'working' for his treats. He has a kong wobbler and a ball that dispenses treats but doesn't use them...unless it's to lick cream cheese from the opening
That's why I was looking for something more irresistible and long lasting. He likes pigs ears but i don't want her eating too many of them.

Any other ideas would be appreciated? Is the general consensus that raw bones are ok?
I tried the two kongs today... Kept her going for 15 mins so that's progress

[JudyN]

I think the problem with raw bones is the dog may be able to bite chunks off them. This normally isn't a problem, as plenty of dogs eat bones, but they should be supervised for safety while eating them. Weight-bearing bones might be indestructible, but then your pup could break a tooth....

Stag antlers are a possibility (though I have heard claims that they can damage teeth too), and Nylabones may be worth a try. Alternatively, if she's not crated, you could take a handful of small-bite kibble (from your pup's daily allowance, if kibble-fed) and scatter them randomly all over the house/room for her to find.

Another entertainment she might enjoy is having a collection of small cardboard boxes with a treat in each, all in a bigger cardboard box, so she can rip them all up, eat the treats, and make a wonderful mess!