Mighty Mouths

Choices for heavy chewers

Shelters occasionally encounter dogs who are heavy chewers, or who chew and swallow inedible items in their kennels. Mighty Mouths provides these heavy chewers with appropriate alternatives that satisfy their need to chew and help reduce the stress of kennel life.

Mighty Mouths is also appropriate for “bully-breed” dogs, such as American pit bull terriers and Rottweilers, who tend to deteriorate quickly in kennels. Kennel enrichment helps to occupy and maintain the behavior of these dogs. Visit the following websites for more information about the brand-name products mentioned in this article:

• Boomer balls
• Nylabones
• Kongs
• Tug-a-Jugs

What to Chew

The most important items to provide are those the dog can safely chew and swallow, and that will safely pass through their digestive tracts. These include:

• Newspaper or paper towel/toilet paper tubes for ripping and shredding
  
  
• Boomer Balls^®, which are large, tough, plastic balls that are difficult to destroy
  
  • Many bully-breed dogs use these balls to play and chew roughly in their kennels.
    
    
  • Herding dogs often enjoy rolling and chasing the balls in the shelter’s outdoor enclosure.
    
    
  • Holes can be drilled into the Boomer Ball, transforming it into a kibble-dispensing device that keeps food-motivated dogs occupied.
    
• Heavy-duty rubber toys such as Kongs^®. For an added challenge, suspend a Kong by a rope from the top of the dog’s kennel.
  
  
• Nylabones^®
  
  
• Tug-a-Jug^™
  
  
• Large, rolled-up rawhides
  
  
• Fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables, such as apples, large carrots, and cucumbers
  
  
• Cereal box kibble-dispensing devices, which provide a food motivator and the ripping and tearing that some dogs enjoy. To create these devices:
  
  • Collect empty cereal boxes and remove the inside plastic pouch that contains the cereal.
    
    
  • Layer three to four boxes, pouring kibble inside the boxes, closing the tops and placing kibble in between each layer of boxes.

What Not to Chew

Without enrichment, heavy chewers have been known to chew and sometimes swallow parts of objects in their kennels, including bedding, food and water bowls, the kennel door, and toys.

When providing enrichment materials for dogs who tend to consume inedible items, be sure that the materials are inert and can safely pass through the dog’s digestive tract. In addition, be sure that the dog cannot physically harm himself on sharp edges or damage his teeth on objects that are too hard.

Pass It On

If you identify particular items that are successful in occupying a Mighty Mouth dog, be sure to share this information with the dog’s adopters. The adopters can then keep these items available in their homes.

photo courtesy of Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society