Chewing bones provides a canine many healthy benefits. Giving your dog a gourmet bone to chew is much more than just giving him something to chew on.

Bones of many varieties will help dogs of all ages. Satisfying a puppy or a dog's desire to chew is beneficial in many ways. Chewing on hard bones is a natural way for dogs to clean teeth and exercise muscles. Hard chew treats improve the dog's dental health by giving the dog a chance to exercise the gums and scrape teeth and promotes healthy teeth for your dog. Too many dogs need to go to the veterinarian and be treated for dental problems, and most are dogs that have not had enough hard objects to chew on.

Chewing on dog bones helps scrape away plaque which causes bad breath and other serious dental problems. Chewing a bone ideally scrapes against the teeth helping to remove plaque and tartar buildup. This often provides less discoloration of the teeth and helps keep gums healthy. Keeping your dogs teeth clean is healthy for him and could save you costly vet bills.

Natural bones can be fed anytime as a gourmet snack or reward, as a substitute for chewing furniture (especially useful for teething puppies!) or to occupy a dog during travel time or to help alleviate separation anxiety.

Natural bones are fully digestible, and a good source of protein and calcium. They provide an enjoyable chewing experience and satisfy a dogs natural carnivorous instincts. A good article to read concerning natural treats for dogs is Keeping Your Dog Healthy With Natural Treats: Chewing For Your Pet's Better Health written by authors Steve Brown and Beth Taylor, both of which are pet health and nutrition experts, provide an all-inclusive argument for feeding your dog a naturally balanced raw meat, bone and vegetable-based diet that provides much higher quality nutrition than any dry or canned dog or cat food.

Your dog has a natural urge to chew, especially young dogs. A bone would possibly keep him from chewing on your shoes or furniture. If not controlled from a puppy on, it will become a very bad habit. It will also provide him with some form of entertainment and mental stimulation. A bored dog is an unhappy dog!

As a rule smaller dogs prefer smaller bones, but the reverse is not always true. Bigger dogs will sometimes ignore big bones and opt for smaller ones. Use caution when giving large dogs small bones. They may cause choking if accidentally swallowed whole.