Raw bones are a great treat for dogs and cats for that matter, but specifically for dogs as they really need a place to chew.  Dogs use a chewing break for exercise, and mental release.  Consider your dog when you come home from work, is he or she happy relaxed, or stressed and excitable?  The addition of raw bones to your doggy routine can be a great nutritional benefit.  Here is why raw bones, not processed bones are best.

Raw bones are close to Natural Events

Dogs are often misunderstood by many means, and it usually creates an unusually naughty and excited canine companion.  With the advent of the modern age, our companions are often only our canine companions.  More and more people are isolated from each other, and rely on their dogs for love and affection.  This small pack family unit is hard on both the human and the dog, but it can be successful when the human allows their dog to be a dog.  Raw bones are a great way to give a dog that hunt and kill moment of feeding; just like a dog pack would eat.  It is a relaxing way for a dog to eat, pull, twist and chew some stress from their day that was often alone, and too closed up and quiet.  Or, if you have little ones running around, the constant noise of the day, can be whisked away for a dog with a little time to chew a raw bone.

Raw bones offer good amino acids

Raw bones and raw meat are good additions to the stored dry food we feed our dogs each day.  Once a week, check with your butcher on a raw beef long bone, and give it to your dog, watching that they do not get rib or soft bones like vertebrate.  Dogs often presented with a raw bone will attack it with gusto, looking for the best place to pull the meat that remains on the bone, and crack open any areas nearing marrow.

It is important to always be present when you feed raw bones, as our dogs have sometimes taken a cut thigh bone, and gotten it stuck around the bottom of their mouth.  It is such a nice circular bone, and they chew away the marrow inside the ring, and then boom!  They have a bone stuck!  This is something that I have prevented with purchase of longer, larger bones, and a time limit to chew time.  Each week, we let them chew for no more than 15 minutes of glorified doggie chewing time, and then snatch the bone away with a leadership grab.  Dogs chewing on bones will revert to their pack hierarchy of alpha and submissive roles, and you as the feeding human are a submissive role for certain.  During the bone removal, be safe, and allow your dog this aggressive stance, but be firm upon removal of the raw bone.  Do not save it, as a fresh raw bone is a great treat, but a stale saved stored bone is unhealthy and a risk of disease.

Raw Bones : When to Buy

Most butcher shops and grocery stores do their large cuts early in the week.  Plan to buy your raw bones on a tuesday or a wednesday for the best choices.  Good options for dog bones are leg femur bones cut into 3 or 4 inch cuts, shoulder joint bones, hip or upper pelvic bones, and nuckle pig bones.  Do not feed your dog chinese dried pig ears, tails or any skin pieces from the scrap piles.  Often sold to pet stores, these cuts are worthless to dogs, and will be too soft and create intestinal damage to your dog.  Look for bright red meat, beef, venison, and lamb cuts, that are larger and easy to hold onto.  Raw bones should be free of any odor or apparent rot.