Which chew to choose for your dog? The comparison guide
Choosing a chew for your dog may seem simple… until you discover all the options available! Bully stick, collagen, yak cheese, ear, esophagus, trachea, beef cheek, tilapia, rabbit skin with fur: each chew has its own particularities.
The right choice depends on four things: your dog's size, its chewing style, its sensitivities and… of course, its preferences! 🐶
Some dogs love very firm and dense chews to work hard on, while others prefer a softer texture that is easy to gnaw. Some dogs look for smellier chews, while others love everything! And their tastes can even change over time!
In short, just like us humans! 🐶💚
💚 Our philosophy: natural chews
At Happy Chew, we have chosen to favour natural dog chews, made of a single ingredient of animal origin, with no chemicals or preservatives.
We also favour chews made from parts of animals raised for human consumption, which are less eaten by humans, but which can offer dogs delicious and nutritious chews. 🐶💚
That is why you will not find chews made of nylon, plastic or rawhide at Happy Chew. We prefer to offer products of natural origin, with simple ingredients and a variety of textures, proteins and hardness levels.
Our philosophy is simple: simple ingredients, natural products and a way to make the most of what can be eaten by our dogs rather than wasted.
🦴 Comparison table of the main dog chews
Here is how to find your way and choose the chews best suited to your dog.
| Chew | Duration | Texture | Smell | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esophagus | Short | Soft | Very smelly | Little treat |
| Ear | Short | Firm | Low to moderate | Moderate chewer |
| Trachea | Short | Soft | Low to moderate | Moderate chewer |
| Tilapia | Short | Soft | Smelly | Light chewer |
| Rabbit skin with fur | Short | Soft | Low | Dog that loves fur |
| Bully stick | Medium | Firm | Low | Most dogs |
| Collagen | Long | Dense | Almost none | Moderate to aggressive chewer |
| Beef cheek stick | Long | Firm and dense | Very smelly | Moderate to aggressive chewer |
| Yak cheese | Very long | Very hard | Low | Moderate to aggressive chewer |
| Beef or buffalo cheek roll | Very long | Very dense | Low to moderate | Aggressive chewer |
| Mega buffalo collagen ring | Very long | Very dense | Low | Aggressive chewer |
Duration varies with the size of the chew and above all with the dog's chewing power.
💪 What type of chewer is your dog?
🐶 Light chewer
This is the nibbler dog that spends days slowly gnawing a single chew treat or that loses interest over time.
🐾 Moderate chewer
This is the selective dog that needs to satisfy its need to chew with the treats of its choice.
It eats some treats and ignores others. It will take its time to gnaw its reward, which it may finish the same day.
💥 Aggressive chewer
This is the dog that chews anything and everything, aggressively, quickly and with power.
It's a race! Get the stopwatch out! 😂
For this dog, favour dense, tough chews suited to its size, such as collagen, beef or buffalo cheeks, yak cheese or large formats.
🐶 The different chews
🐶 The esophagus
A favourite of dogs, smelly and easy to gnaw. Perfect as a fun treat, but less suited to a big chewer looking to keep busy for a long time.
🐷 The ear
A firm chew with a crunchier part. The base of the ear, thicker, is harder to gnaw, offering a tougher chew.
Available in different proteins: beef, pork, lamb, rabbit… with or without fur.
🦴 The trachea
A chew for dogs that like to gnaw quietly.
Stuffed and frozen, the trachea becomes a mental stimulation activity that keeps the dog busy longer. ❄️
🐟 The tilapia
A soft and crispy chew, short lasting, ideal for dogs that love crispy fish.
An excellent way to vary proteins and let your dog discover a new flavour.
🐇 Rabbit skin with fur
A wild, local… and irresistible treat!
Dogs go crazy for its taste and its furry texture, and the fur can also support good digestion. 💚
🥩 The bully stick
Loved by almost every dog, it is an excellent starting point to discover natural chews.
The bully stick is a 100% natural, single ingredient chew, made from beef penis. It is easily digestible and offered in different lengths and thicknesses.
Our bully sticks have a low beef smell, just enough to attract dogs that love smellier chews, without a smell that is too strong for you. 😉
How long it lasts depends on the weight, the thickness and the dog's chewing style.
👉 Everything about the bully stick
👉 See our bully stick collection
💚 Collagen chews
Collagen offers a dense chew that lasts longer than the bully stick. Its denser texture makes it an excellent option for dogs that love to chew for a long time.
It also gives off much less smell than a bully stick, which makes it a choice appreciated by dogs and their humans alike. 😉
Collagen comes from the under layer of beef or water buffalo skin.
At Happy Chew, you will find beef and water buffalo collagen, in several formats: sticks, braids, spirals, rings and Monster formats.
It is an excellent option for dogs that love dense, long lasting and low odour chews.
👉 Discover our collagen chew guide
🥩 The beef cheek stick wrapped in bully stick
⭐ The perfect middle ground between the bully stick and collagen!
A chew that offers a longer duration than a bully stick, while keeping the irresistible taste of the bully stick. 🐶
The beef cheek brings a firm texture and a sustained chew, while its bully stick wrap adds a natural and tasty flavour that dogs love.
It is therefore an excellent option for dogs that love the bully stick, but are ready to move to a longer lasting and tougher chew, without jumping straight to collagen. 💚
🧀 Yak cheese
Yak cheese is a very hard and very long lasting chew, especially appreciated by dogs that love firm textures.
It lasts much longer than collagen.
It is also low odour, which makes it an interesting option for humans who prefer more discreet chews. 😉
At Happy Chew, our yak cheese is made of yak milk and cow milk.
As with any very hard chew, it is important to choose a suitable format and to supervise your dog while it chews.
🥩 The beef or buffalo cheek roll
A chew that lasts… and puts up a real fight!
Its very dense and tough texture is ideal for dogs that love to chew for a long time and that quickly get through softer chews.
It is an excellent option for aggressive chewers that need a truly tough chew.
🐃 The mega buffalo collagen ring
The very best for big chewers! 💥
A real chewing challenge for aggressive chewers!
A very dense, very tough and very long lasting chew.
👉 For an aggressive chewer, see our chews for large dogs collection and the Extreme Chewer box.
🐕 How to choose the right chew?
1. Consider your dog's size
Size matters, but it is not the only criterion.
A small dog can be a true chewing champion, while a large dog can chew quietly.
You should therefore consider:
- the dog's size and weight;
- its chewing power;
- the texture of the chew;
- the size of the product;
- and its habits when it chews.
👉 A small dog that chews very intensely may need a denser chew than a large dog that chews gently.
2. Observe its chewing style
Does your dog nibble quietly? Does it take several days to finish a chew? Or does it devour everything in a few minutes?
These observations will help you choose a chew suited to its needs.
3. Vary textures and proteins
Dogs, like us, can have their preferences.
Some love beef, others prefer fish, pork, lamb, rabbit or water buffalo.
Regularly changing texture and protein can also make the chewing experience more interesting for your dog.
If you are hesitating between several options, a box of assorted chews can be an excellent way to discover your dog's preferences.
👃 Your dog's preferences
Two dogs of the same size and with a similar chewing level can have completely different preferences.
Some love very smelly chews, others prefer a more discreet smell. Some look for a firm texture, while others prefer something softer.
And of course, some dogs have their favourite protein.
You don't know yet what your dog likes?
That is exactly where boxes of assorted chews become interesting. They let your dog discover different proteins, textures, shapes and chewing levels, without having to buy several products separately. 🐶💚
👉 One box, several discoveries… and maybe the chance to find your dog's favourite chew!
🥩 What if your dog does not tolerate beef?
If your dog does not tolerate beef well, you can turn to other protein sources such as rabbit, pork, lamb, fish or water buffalo.
Varying proteins can also be interesting to offer different chewing experiences.
👉 Discover our beef free chews
🏆 Which chew lasts the longest?
There is no identical duration for every dog.
How long a chew lasts depends in particular on:
- the size of the chew;
- its weight;
- its thickness;
- its density;
- and above all your dog's chewing style.
A product that looks bigger is therefore not necessarily the one that will last the longest.
The denser the chew and the better suited to the dog's chewing style, the more potential it generally has to last a long time.
At Happy Chew, we grade our bully sticks, collagen chews and yak cheeses by weight, to help you choose a format suited to your dog.
⚠️ Safety rules with chews
Whatever chew you choose:
- Choose a chew suited to your dog's size and chewing style.
- Always supervise your dog while it chews.
- Leave fresh water available.
- Remove the chew when it becomes small enough to be swallowed whole.
- If your dog tries to swallow large pieces rather than chew them, choose another texture or a better suited format.
Every dog chews differently. The right chew is therefore the one that suits your dog and not necessarily the one that works for the neighbour's dog!
🐾 So, which chew to choose?
There is no single "best" chew for every dog.
The right choice depends on your dog's size, its chewing level, its sensitivities and its preferences.
Hesitating between several options? Start with a box of assorted chews to let it discover different textures and proteins.
You might quickly discover its new favourite! 💚
💚 The Happy Chew tip
Do not look only for the chew that lasts the longest. Look for the one your dog loves, that it chews appropriately and that matches its chewing level.
Because deep down, the best chew is the one that truly makes your dog happy! 🐶💚
Browse all our natural chews and find the ones for your dog.
See all our chews❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the best chew for a dog?
There is no single best chew for every dog. The choice depends on its size, its chewing power, its sensitivities and its preferences. A small nibbler and a big cruncher do not have the same needs. The table in this article helps you choose.
Which chew for a puppy?
For a puppy, favour softer chews suited to its size, such as esophagus, ears, tracheas or a thin bully stick.
Very dense or very hard chews, such as collagen and yak cheese, should be avoided for puppies' baby teeth. 🐶💚
Which chew to choose if my dog does not tolerate beef well?
You can explore alternative proteins such as rabbit, pork, lamb, fish or water buffalo, which you will find in our beef free chews collection. If you suspect a true food allergy, talk to your veterinarian.
How often should I give a chew?
The frequency depends on the type of chew, its size and your dog's overall diet.
Offer a chew suited to its needs, keeping in mind that treats should generally not make up more than 10% of its daily food intake.
Do chews clean my dog's teeth?
Chewing helps limit plaque thanks to its mechanical action. It is a very good complement but it does not replace brushing.
Can I give my dog a chew every day?
Yes, in moderation and by including it in its daily ration.
Offer a chew suited to its needs, keeping in mind that treats should generally not make up more than 10% of its daily food intake.
Which chew to choose for a dog that chews a lot?
For a dog that chews quickly and with power, favour dense and tough chews, such as collagen, beef or buffalo cheeks, yak cheese or monster formats.
Which chew to choose if my dog is picky?
Try different textures, proteins, shapes and hardness levels. A box of assorted chews is an excellent way to discover what your dog prefers.
Always offer a chew under supervision and with fresh water. Wash your hands after handling.