Natural Wood Chew Tips: Sustainable & Satisfying for Your Dog
A dog's natural desire is to chew, so why not give them chews directly from nature! That means no plastics, no synthetic material, and no unnecessary ingredients. We have many different products to choose from, some of which might be new to you, a pet parent: Wood Chews. We even have classified our wood chews for different types of chewers! (See our post about different chewing behaviors here.)
Let’s learn about our natural wood chews:
Coffee + Coco - For Moderate, Playful Chewers!
Our biggest inquiry we receive about our Coffee + Coconut rope is how long the coconut husk rope will last. The coconut rope is made by a family that has been in the business of coconut husk for many years. They worked with us to design a product that uses the fibers from a coconut husk to create a rope look-a-like. As the dog chews and tugs on the rope, small fibers, about 2 inches long, come off.
Ideally, the pups that get satisfaction from destroying plush toys would find the same satisfaction from shredding this coconut husk rope. With that being said, the coconut rope will not last as long as the coffee wood. That is normal! The coolest part about the coconut husk fibers? In small amounts, they are digestible. AND the small fibers clean the dog’s teeth!
Some dogs treat the coconut husk rope differently:
- Some just carry around the Coffee+Coconut chew
- Some want to play tug of war, but not actually chew on the product
- Others ignore the coconut rope part and just chew the coffee wood
- Some younger pups take their time slowly shredding the rope
- And some shred the rope in minutes!
All of these behaviors are normal, they are just different.
For safety, please watch your pup chew at all times. Although the small coconut fibers are digestible in small amounts, it is not food. We do not want any dogs to swallow big pieces.
Coffee Wood - For Moderate to Heavy Chewers
We understand that Coffee Wood is still a new concept to pet parents. Coffee Wood is the most ideal wood for a dog to chew on because unlike your everyday stick in the backyard that splinters and may have toxins sprayed on it, the coffee wood has zero additives and the wood is much more tightly woven together, making it more dense. When a dog’s saliva touches the wood while chewing, it softens the fibers causing pieces to flake off and become soft and flexible. This makes the small pieces digestible in small amounts. Eventually, your dog will have chewed the stick down enough that they will need a new one.
If you allow your dog to chew inside, have a vacuum ready to get up any small fibers leftover from the chewing session.
Briar Root - For Power or Aggressive Chewers
Made from the root of a heather tree, this nearly indestructible chew is perfect for those aggressive dogs that need something a little softer than an antler. Originally this root was used in the production of tobacco pipes. It is harvested by small family businesses in the traditional way by hand without the use of heavy machinery. This method keeps the forest intact and helps to preserve this unique landscape and related way of living for future generations. This root is STRONG! It takes so long for dogs to get through this chew. Like the coffee wood, small pieces will flake off.
Top 5 Tips About Our Wood Chews:
- 20 minutes is an ideal chew time. At about 20 minutes, a dog has reached their optimal relaxation time.
- Make the chew sessions special. Have a coffee date with your dog; while you drink your morning cup of joe, have your pup chew on their coffee wood stick.
- Always supervise your dog while they are chewing. No matter what your dog is chewing on, we want to be as safe and cautious as possible, so only allow your dogs to chew on our product while you are watching. This is due to the fact that each dog is very unique in their chewing behavior and chewing aggression.
- Our chews range from moderate to power chewers, so be sure to know what kind of chewer your pup is! More of a moderate, playful chewer? Coffee + Coco might be where to start. Moderate to heavy chewer? Coffee Wood Stick. Aggressive chewer? Definitely try our Briar Root! See our blog post about different chewers HERE.
- Our Wood chews are not food, but small flakes in small amounts are digestible, the same goes for the coconut rope fibers. One product that is perfect for a dog might not be a good fit for another. That is why we have so many different ranges of products. If your pup doesn’t show interest in a product, please upcycle and give it to another furry friend to try! Sometimes, when a dog starts to figure out how to get through a chew, they might start to get through the second one even faster or more aggressively. If this is the case, consider a larger chew size or switch to something more durable like an antler split or sheep horn.