The joy of chewing

Young dogs like to chew. Even tiny Yorkies. Sometimes what they chew can damage your house and furniture. Other times, chewing may necessitate a trip to the emergency vet.

My neighbor's Labradoodle puppy swallowed several pair of her underwear. Seriously. Some of them "passed through." Others got twisted in the intestines, causing an obstruction that required surgery and thousands of dollars in vet bills. He also swallowed rocks and bark from the yard.

I got off cheaper. Sampson chewed my sofa corners and pillows. Daisy chewed the walls, baseboards and corners of my dresser. Yorkie-size destruction can still be costly - and dangerous. I've had a couple close calls with Sampson swallowing end pieces of chew toys. Daisy's had severe gastritis, warranting several trips to the vet. I even caught her starting to chew on an electrical cord that was luckily unplugged.

The biggest mistake new pet owners make is giving their new puppy too much freedom. Too much accessibility to the house leads to too much chewed furniture, too many accidents on the carpet, too many occasions to cause destruction and worst of all, too many occasions to seriously endanger themselves.

Create a safe room in the house, like a kitchen or laundry room, with linoleum or other easy-to-clean surface. Puppy proof the room just like you would a small child. Cover electrical sockets. Move electrical cords out of the way. I used masking tape to secure them to the wall where it was not feasible to unplug them, making them less attractive to chewing. Remove small objects in reach or anything you don't want destroyed. Block exit from the room with baby gates, rather than closing doors, so the dog knows you're nearby. Put down newspaper or pee pads. Set up a comfortable crate or bed in the room and supply it with safe chew toys.

Sampson and Daisy love Merrick Flossies - and so do I - my Yorkie pacifiers. I throw a couple Flossies down and it keeps my demanding little dogs busy for hours. To doggie senses these beef tendons dried in a spiral are pure heaven. The smell of dried cow flesh, the texture of a fresh kill, the perfect shape for gripping and holding in place, dense and hard for chewability without being hard enough to crack teeth, and soft and stringy upon chewing, cleaning in between teeth like nothing else. They provide hours of doggie chewing enjoyment.

There are lots of Merrick Flossie imitations, but I'd stick with the real thing. Do not buy any if it's not clear that they were made in the U.S.A. Imported rawhide and other chews have been found to be treated with Arsenic (yes, that's rat poison) and may contain salmonella bacteria.

Always supervise your dogs when you give them chew toys and treats. As they chew them down, the end pieces can become a choking hazard. Also make sure they don't chew too much at one time. I buy the Jumbo Flossies - the largest Merrick makes - for my tiny Yorkies. They can chew through a small Flossie in a fraction of an hour and that's just too much indigestible stuff in their tummies. I only let them chew down a couple inches of a Jumbo Flossie at a time, then take them away for another day. The ends will be wet and stringy and I worry about bacteria - they are an animal product after all. I don't know if it helps, but I store the half-chewed Flossies in the refrigerator and nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds before handing them out again, to hopefully reduce or kill harmful bacteria.

Numerous chew toys and treats are on the market. Try to stick with natural products, made in the U.S.A. Read the reviews online about chews that are known to be problematic, such as Greenies. I don't recommend giving bones, raw or cooked, to Yorkies. Cooked bones are more likely to splinter and fracture, leading to choking hazards. Raw bones I think are just too risky for Yorkies' sensitive tummies. Even with the Merrick Flossies, I find if I let my dogs chew too much down, the next morning they may have upset tummies.

Keep your dog safe, restrict their access to the house unless closely supervised (use a leash or lead in the house if necessary) and provide safe chews and you'll get through the dreaded chew stage. But keep up with the chews, like the Flossies, throughout their life, to keep their teeth clean, their gums healthy and their breath fresh.