Best Dog Chews

Importance of Good Dog Chew

How do you choose the best dog chews? My top considerations when I choose a good dog chew for my own pets and my clients are taste, texture, duration, and health!

It might sound a tad dramatic, but a good dog chew can mean the difference between a calm, well-behaved dog and an unruly pet. It is incredibly important for you to keep your dog properly mentally stimulated. An unstimulated dog can display undesired behaviors, but choose a bad chew and it can cause digestive issues for your pet.

The best dog chews contain only wholesome ingredients while also providing your dog with a tasty snack. All of these chews taste great without forfeiting your dog’s health in the process.

A Word of Caution: NEVER give your dog rawhide chews. They cannot digest rawhide, and dogs who eat rawhide can potentially die from stomach blockage. 

Five Best Dog Chews

As a certified dog trainer, I have experienced and tested a wide variety of dog chews with my clients and my own pets. I’ve used that experience to help compose a list of the best dog chews on the market.

Each of these chews has a certain scenario or feature that makes it shine: taste, all-around use, value, etc. It is difficult to provide an all-encompassing choice of which dog chew is best, but we have ranked them in terms of quality, price, versatility, and more.

Here is our unbiased review of the top 5 best dog chews available!

All-Around Favorite Dog Chew

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Review Highlights:

“… I can give her one of these sticks and it’ll keep her occupied for a while. Also, she settles down some after chewing. Plus she’s super cute when she’s chewing …”

“… my [dog] loves these things. Quality of this brand is great, they certainly keep my little guy entertained …”

“… [My dog] loves chewing on toys and sticks but he LOVES chewing on these the most. One stick normally lasts a very long time. He doesn’t mind me leaving as much when he has one of these… not only parent approved but also dog approved …”

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$16.99 ($1.13 / Count)

As a dog trainer, a bully stick is my go-to for my own dogs. These have consistent sizing and don’t cost quite as much as some of the other brands. To top it all off, they don’t smell quite as bad as their competitors.

Feature Highlights:

  • All-natural chew made from a single ingredient.
  • The first ingredient is a real protein source.
  • Made in the U.S. and sourced in Argentina from top-quality beef.
  • Safely processed and lab-tested for quality.

My absolute favorite chews for my dogs are bully sticks. This is primarily becuase they have two strong benefits, they take a long time to chew and dogs love the taste. Duration and taste both have incredibly important implications in choosing a chew for your pet.

Another key factor that makes these chews great is their ingredient list, or lack thereof. These chews contain a single ingredient, and they don’t source their beef from China. They use high-quality beef from Argentina and perform all quality tests and processing in the United States. Recommended for: Pitbulls, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Doodles, Beagles, and more.

Best Dental Chew

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Review Highlights:

“… [My dogs are] addicted to these… their teeth look great, the have pretty good breath, they love eating them, it hasn’t made them sick and the blueberry smell is pleasant …”

“… From the moment we opened the bag, her nose perked up, her tail was wagging her whole body, she grabbed the greenie and took off! She, in no uncertain terms, LOVES them!!! Her breath is MUCH better… I’m thrilled beyond words! …”

“… My pups LOVE these treats. My pups go more nuts for these than any other “fresh breath teeth cleaning” treat on the market. And they do their job darn well too. All three of my puppies have shiny white teeth …”

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$17.98 ($1.50 / oz)

Greenies are the king of dental chews, and for good reason. We take a little bit of a twist on the classic with this pick with the blueberry flavor. The primary reason? They smell amazing! Great smell, great taste, and your pup will have great teeth too!

Feature Highlights:

  • Comes in four different sizes for different breeds of dog.
  • Cleans teeth and freshens breath.
  • Made with natural, digestible ingredients.

My favorite dental chews, in general, are Greenies. Now, add a great blueberry flavor, and you have the perfect combination of fresh breath, flavor, and tooth-cleaning success. These chews are great because your dog will love them, and you will love the smell!

Another important aspect of any chew is the ingredients the brand uses. Thankfully, you can trust these chews with your pet’s digestive system. They contain only all-natural ingredients and your dog can easily digest them without upset. Recommended for: Maltese, Shih Tzus, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Yorkies, and more.

Best Dog Chew Variety Pack

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Review Highlights:

“… My dog chewed everything he wasn’t supposed to—shoes, kids toys, wood furniture, zippers in jackets, our couches— until we bought him these! Total life saver right here! …”

“… [My dog] went crazy for every single treats in this pack, but the cow hoof was probably her favorite. All of the treats lasted a long time …”

“… Our golden doodle loves the variety in chews in this bag! While he normally chows through most treats a some of the treats in here can keep him occupied for an hour. We love Barkworthies! …”

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$14.02 ($2.80 / Count)

If you’ve perused a few of my recommendations, you’ll know that as a trainer, I believe variety is key to success. No matter how great a chew is, your dog can and will grow bored of it. That’s why a good variety pack can help you keep your dog on their paws!

Feature Highlights:

  • Contains a variety of different chews.
  • Choose between four different sizes for the best fit.
  • All chews are highly digestible and safe for your pet.

I cannot emphasize this enough, but, you need to provide a variety to keep your pet interested. This is my all-time favorite pick for owners with troublemaking pets. It provides them with several different options to keep their dog occupied.

Chews make for a great source of mental stimulation for your dog, so when a single pack contains a variety of different kinds with different textures and tastes, your dog will thank you! This also gives you the opportunity to find out what types of chews your dog prefers as well for future reference.  Recommended for: Golden Doodles, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Pitbulls, and more.

Best All Natural Dog Chews

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Review Highlights:

“… Great to see a quality treat that is healthy and easy on my Boxer (sensitive stomach)
She spent hours enjoying 1 treat… didn’t leave a huge mess like some lesser treats do. Thanks Himalayan, my Boxer is a fan! …”

“… These chews are great. They would chew on these 24/7 if we had enough of them. Best consumable chews I’ve had to date, we will be purchasing more of them …”

“… This is a GREAT product and a GREAT value. When they get too small to be safe to eat you can put them in the microwave for about 2 minutes and they’ll puff up into sort of a hard cheese-doodle treat that dogs love to crunch up …”

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$28.95 ($1.81 / Ounce)

This product is a fun, all-natural chew. It is also incredibly unique among dog chews when you take a look at the ingredients. Though it looks a bit like a chunk of smoked fish, this product contains all-natural yak’s milk!

Feature Highlights:

  • Made with all-natural yak’s milk.
  • Long-lasting, easily digestible chew.
  • Tried and tested recipe from the mountains of Nepal.

Ok, I know you wouldn’t normally think of a block of rock-hard yak’s milk as a great chew, but hear me out. Your dog will spend hours gnawing on this chew. When they give up, you can put it away, and let them try again tomorrow. It will keep them occupied for long periods and last you forever.

When your dog does manage to gnaw this chew down to a small chunk you can pop it in the microwave. The piece will puff up into a crunchy treat for your dog to safely eat. As with any chew, you should supervise your pet while chewing to ensure their safety. Recommended for: Golden Retrievers, Shih-Tzus, Boxers, Poodles, and more.

Best Dog Chews for Puppies

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Review Highlights:

“… This puppy triple teething pack was a miracle to our fingers… We currently have a 9 week mini schnauzer puppy who’s teething like crazy… She loved them! Each of the different textures help for different things …”

“… I couldn’t live without these products. She especially likes the white bone. I’m glad that after her adult teeth came in, she still chews on these. She’s still enjoying the products! …”

“… Once [my dog] was chewing on the pink one made for puppies, he was OBSESSED. He’ll chew on this bone all day long & it still hasn’t shown any signs of teething damage which is great …”

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$8.21 ($2.74 / Count)

When you have a new puppy, you’re usually navigating the interesting waters of deciding what they like to chew on. This variety pack provides you with several different options, each with different flavors and textures, for your pet to test out.

Feature Highlights:

  • Comes with three different types of chews.
  • Covers all puppy chewing phases.
  • Chews and treat all made in the USA.

These chews make for a great choice, but they are not built for power chewers. Make sure you supervise your dog, and if they manage to destroy the rubber ones, only use the fully edible Nylabones for your pet.

Teething can be a real pain! Thankfully, this set of bones lets you alleviate some of your puppy’s chewing needs. The pink teething bone works to massage painful gums, while the white bone keeps your pet entertained for hours. The natural treat bone lets your pup chew and eat the entire treat! Recommended for: Yorkies, Maltese, Shih-Tzus, French Bulldogs, and more.