5 Reasons to Supervise Your Dogs During Chew Time
Kimberly Gauthier, Dog Nutrition Blogger for Keep the Tail Wagging, is today’s guest blogger. She brings us 5 reasons to supervise your dogs during chew time.
Rodrigo is an a-hole. I love my dog, I love all of my dogs. But I must be honest about who they are and Rodrigo is an a-hole. When I switched my dogs to raw feeding, I was terrified of feeding them raw bones. What if one of my dogs choke? What if the bone punctures their esophagus or intestines? What if my dog breaks a tooth? Despite the assurances of a ton of know-it-all strangers in Facebook groups, I couldn’t feel comfortable feeding raw bones – unless I watched our dogs like a hawk.
My paranoia turned out to be spot on, because Scout tried to swallow half of a turkey neck, because chewing apparently wasn’t necessary. Rib bones break off into prison-style shanks that my dogs are only too happy to inhale. And I learned that Rodrigo is an a-hole.
Today, our dogs enjoy a chew session several times a week, always under supervision. My referee duties extended from Raw Bone Chew Hour to all chews, because Rodrigo is an a-hole.
5 Reasons We Should Supervise Our Dogs During Chew Time
- Your Dog May Be an A-Hole – whether your dog is an only child or you live in a multi-dog home, supervision will cut back on a-hole tendencies, which include growling as people walk by, stealing the chews of other dogs, and using side-whale eye to intimidate another dog into giving up their chew.
- Safety Comes First – I only give our dogs “safe” dog chews, but “safe” is relative. I like to monitor my dogs to prevent swallowing whole pieces and other unsafe practices they discover while happily chewing away.
- Create a Top 10 List – One thing that will blow my socks off is when one of my dogs doesn’t like a chew. Sydney doesn’t like duck feet; Zoey doesn’t like tracheas – go figure. Chew Time is more enjoyable when all the dogs get their favorites.
- Not on the Furniture! – All of our dogs have a special spot for Chew Time; whether they’re inside or outside (with raw bones). We’ve trained the dogs to choose a rug on which to enjoy their chew; it’s easy to vacuum and we don’t worry about the drool.
- Provides the Perfect Excuse – When my boyfriend, the Chore Meister, finds me relaxing with a book or enjoying the sun on our deck, I tell him “I HAVE to sit here. I’m supervising the dogs to keep them safe.”
Whether you’re raising a four legged a-hole or you just want to spend time with your dogs and keep them safe, it’s crucial that you supervise Chew Time. If anything, it’ll get you out of a few household chores.
About the Author: Kimberly Gauthier is the blogger behind Keep the Tail Wagging, a blog about raw feeding for dogs and offers a free Quick Start Guide to Raw Feeding for newsletter subscribers. Kimberly and her boyfriend are raising two sets of littermates in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy a property with plenty of room to run and explore. Rodrigo, Sydney, Scout and Zoey are all herding mix dogs, including Blue Heeler, Border Collie, Catahoula, Australian Shepherd, and Labrador (a lover, not a herder).
