out with the old...

This is Zuzu's chew toy of choice.   She's been chewing on it a little bit every day for about 6 weeks.  Yesterday when I was running errands I decided it must be time for a new one. Right?

That's much nicer, isn't it?  When deciding what size to buy, Nylabone suggests that if in doubt buy the bigger size.   After the Greenie incident - I wholeheartedly agree.  This one is chicken flavored.  Before I even took it out of the package she was ready.

Speaking of the package, there are guidelines (usually neglected, yet always informative) in which Nylabone advises:

No dog toy or chew is totally indestructible.  Frequently inspect any chew before giving it to your dog to make sure it's whole and intact, with no missing pieces.  Replace a Non-Edible Chew when knuckle ends are worn down, or if it becomes too small to chew safely. 

 I'd say it was time, wouldn't you?   I think Zuzu would agree.

Why do dogs love to chew? With a 10 minute internet search here's what I found:

1. Chewing helps relieve tension and stress. 

Not sure this is the case with Zuzu.  She doesn't really let stress get to her.  She's a pretty firm believer in relaxation followed by a long nap.

     2.  Puppies start chewing around the age of 3 months, when their permanent teeth start coming in and they chew in earnest until the age of six to ten months when most of the permanent teeth have come in.

I'll buy that.  Teething hurts.

     3.  Dogs chew because they are bored.

Really?  Zuzu will chew anything chew-worthy in front of her, but does she really chew out of boredom? My guess is that dogs chew initially as a means of exploration, but once they get going it feels so good, they do it until they get bored.  (p.s. How can you tell if your dog is bored?)

When I gave her the Nylabone,  Zuzu got right down to business.  She sat about 3 feet from me but kept swiveling away to protect her treasure.  If I got too close, she'd pick up and move away again.

We have been very lucky that for the most part;  Zuzu does not chew shoes, or furniture - although she still can't be trusted in Charlotte's room.  There are about 10 different chew toys strewn about the house, which seems absurd for one small doggie, but there are so many choices in the dog toy aisle. What to chew? What not to chew? Currently there is a debate going on considering the safety of some of the more natural chew toys, such as rawhide, pigs ears, cow hooves and other body parts. We were instructed upon adoption that under no circumstances should we ever offer Zuzu rawhide or pigs ears.  They may be a problem for all dogs, but for Frenchies, the excessive salivation produced could cause them to choke (fatally).

So, the rule of thumb seem to be: if you see the item falling apart in chunks or pieces, dispose of it immediately, and, ironically, chew toys made of natural materials are the most dangerous.

That means if Zuzu was ever living in the wild,  she could only hunt in a forest inhabited by brand new,  artificial animals with nylon bones.  And she could not chew on them for too long.