The Scamps see toys and chews as a challenge. It’s like they set a mental timer and see how long it takes to annihilate a toy or chew. But, I have found a handful of indestructible dog chews that are almost unbreakable, even for bull breeds.
Unfortunately we can’t have a cute little toy box up the corner where they can dip in and out, but a basket on top of the kitchen cupboards. Each day we’ll rotate various chews to mentally stimulate Phoebe and Frank, and remove them when the novelty wears off, as that’s when they start to become destructive. Frank’s bite power is stronger than he realises, and he recently chewed the top off a large black Kong extreme in less than 10 minutes.
We need tough, durable chews that the Scamps find interesting and fun. These are our three favourite completely natural indestructible dog chews that are ideal for bull breeds.
Anco Roots
Anco Roots are a chunk of 100% untreated natural tree root enriched with minerals. They are sustainably harvested, which also makes them eco-friendly.
The chemical-free chew is great for dental hygiene and the longer the dog chews, the more saliva is produced, thus cleaning teeth further.
We first purchased a Root from Hounds for our first Staffie, Lyla. The chew is actually quite ornate, and when she passed, we placed it next to her ashes box on the bookshelf. However, sneaky Phoebe would always try to pinch it off the shelf, so we decided to get the scamps one each too. The roots don’t splinter like sticks, and is suitable for puppies from 12 weeks old.
They come in sizes XS to XL, but we find medium and large to be the best sizes for staffies and bullies. Some of the medium roots can be pretty generous in size! They don’t make a lot of mess, just wooden crumb-like bits that hoover up easily enough.
If you’ve got a furniture chewer, like Frank used to be, I highly recommend these types of chew to show your dog what is okay to chew, and what isn’t – like the corner of the sofa.
These range from £6.49 to £14.99 on the Anco wibsite, but prices may vary. However, you certainly get your cost per chew down to pennies! They last months, if not years, depending on how frequently you let your pooch play with it. I must stress that dogs and puppies should always be supervised with chews and toys.
Hollings Buffalo Horn
Buffalo horns are a low in fat, high in protein chew that are great for chompers. We always buy ours from Hounds so that I can pop in store to pick a shape and size that suits the scamps. We like the ones that are relatively straight and flat, with no actual pointy horn bit on the end. The horns soften slightly with saliva and help keep teeth clean.
These come in three different sizes starting from £3, going up to £6. We actually find the small size to be a good fit for Phoebe and Frank. It would make a chunky chew for any smaller breeds, which would last even longer.
These create even less mess than the Anco Root, however, they do have quite a strong smell. The only scent I can think to compare it to is that of Veet hair removal cream. If you don’t fancy a pongy carpet, I advise taking these ones outside to chew in the garden.
These last around six months each – then we replace them when it starts to look a bit disheveled. This works out at 50p per chew, per month!
Coconuts
Phoebe and Frank get a new Coconut most weeks. I picked a couple up on a whim, and the scamps absolutely love them. They’re about 80p each and we pop them on our weekly food shop.
When we get them home, I pull as much of the hair off as possible to make the coconut smoother before giving it to the dogs.
Frank loves to roll his around and play football with it – the sloshing of the water inside can spook him, but he still loves to chew it. Phoebe is much smarter, and has more of a prey drive. She strives to destroy said coconut, but it does prove a difficult task. She knows to constantly pick up the coconut and drop it on the concrete outside to get the water out. Sometimes she’ll even stand on a chair to give the drop more height!
The dogs have hours of fun with their coconuts, and they last around a week we replace them. They will drink the coconut water when they get to it, and the coconut can be opened for them to eat some of the flesh inside.
