Finding a chew toy for a dog that likes to chew can be one of the most important things you can do as a pet owner. Little else will prevent them from tearing up the furniture, your shoes, and your walls, but finding a safe toy that lasts more than a few minutes that your pet enjoys is no easy task.
We can help you navigate the jungle of brands and dangers to arrive at a chew toy that you both love. We’ve chosen ten different brands of dog chews for aggressive chewers to review for you. We are going to tell you everything we like and don’t like about each brand so you can see what’s important to you. We have also included a buyer’s guide, where we talk about the dangers of some of these treats, as well as how to choose the best size.
Join us for our detailed reviews of each brand of dog chews for aggressive chewers, where we compare ingredients, safety, size, and durability, to help you make an educated purchase.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall | Top Dog Chews Premium Large Antler |
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Best Value | Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Chew Toy |
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Premium Choice | Pawstruck Monster Braided Chew Stix |
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Pet Parents Gnawtlers |
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Benebone Wishbone Dog Chew Toy |
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The 10 Best Dog Chews for Aggressive Chewers
1. Top Dog Chews Premium Large Antler – Best Overall
The Top Dog Chews Premium Large Antler chews are naturally shed antlers from North American elk, moose, and deer. They are completely natural. Their hard outer shells keep your dog’s teeth clean and healthy, and even aggressive chewers will take some time to get through them.
Antlers are low in fat, and these are free of bleach and other chemicals. While they are low in fat, antlers are naturally high in minerals like potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and magnesium, so they are also great dietary supplements that your dog will actually enjoy. They can be fed safely, giving you peace of mind that you are not causing any short- or long-term damage to your dog.
You get a mixed selection of antlers in a bag, which can include small and large pieces; thus, you might not be able to feed some of the smaller antlers to larger breeds of dog. However, despite this, they are still the best overall dog chews for aggressive chewers because they are natural and free from potentially harmful ingredients.
- Good for dental hygiene
- Packed with essential minerals
- Natural chews for aggressive chewers
- No control over the size of antler pieces
2. Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Chew Toy – Best Value
The Hartz Chew ‘n Clean 3270005415 Dog Chew Toy is a polished fiber shaped like a dog bone. It features a bacon-flavored treat center that contains ingredients that reduce the buildup of plaque and tarter while small round nubs gently massage the gums. We believe that after you give your pet one of these treats, you will agree that these are the best dog chews for aggressive chewers for the money.
The only drawback we had while using these chews was that some of our dogs could chew them up pretty quickly.
- Bacon flavored treat
- Contains ingredients that reduce plaque
- Nubs massage gums
- Some dogs can chew it up quickly
3. Pawstruck Monster Braided Chew Stix – Premium Choice
The Pawstruck MBBS09-001 Monster Braided Chew Stix is our premium choice of chews for aggressive chewers. This Monster chew toy braids eight standard bully stick chews into a single chew to create one of the largest and toughest chews available. There are no artificial ingredients or chemical preservatives, and it helps to clean your pet’s teeth as they chew.
This chew is expensive, but as long as it’s not too big for your pet to fit in its mouth or carry, you will likely find it to be long-lasting. We didn’t notice a smell at first, but after your pet is chewing for a while, this treat can develop a terrible smell.
- No artificial ingredients or chemicals
- Cleans teeth
- Eight chews braided together
- Bad smell
4. Pet Parents Gnawtlers
The Pet Parents Gnawtlers brand of dog chews are natural chews made from 100% natural elk antlers. There is no processing, and no bleaches or chemicals preserve the chew. Once the antler is the correct size, it’s vacuum-sealed to maximize freshness.
Our dogs enjoyed these antlers quite a lot, but while we did expect some variation between these real antlers, we found that we never knew what to expect when we ordered. In some cases, we got large pieces and felt we got a bargain, while other times, the antler was tiny and not a good value.
- Natural antlers
- Vacuum sealed
- Inconsistent antlers
5. Benebone Wishbone Dog Chew Toy
The Benebone 808600 Wishbone Dog Chew Toy is an extremely durable nylon food toy meant for the most severe chewers. The nylon has a real bacon flavor infused throughout the entire bone.
Our dogs were able to chew on this toy for a long time before it needed replacing, but more than once, the dogs chewing created some sharp edges into the bone that can lead to some gum bleeding. We feel we should also let you know that these toys are very hard, and a smaller dog could chip or break a tooth chewing on them.
- Real bacon flavor
- Durable nylon
- Can create sharp edges
- May be too hard for some dogs teeth
6. Nylabone Dura Chew Dog Toy
The Nylabone NCF315P Dura Chew Dog Toy is a ring-shaped toy from a top-rated dog chew toy manufacturer. This toy features a flavoring throughout and a unique ring shape. The ring features many different sized nubs that help to clean teeth and remove tartar while your pet chews.
While we were using these chew toys, we found that our larger dogs were able to break the ring pretty quickly. Once the ring is compromised, the dogs begin to chew off chunks that they might wallow. These worked much better for large breed puppies and small dogs.
- Durable nylon
- Ring shape
- Nubs help clean teeth
- Not long-lasting
- Only for smaller dogs
7. Pet Qwerks BBS3 BarkBone
The Pet Qwerks BBS3 BarkBone is a dog chew that features a unique stick shape that dogs naturally see as a toy. The shape allows for easy pickup by your pet, and the durable nylon construction should hold up nice to some tough chewing without breaking apart or splintering.
Our dogs enjoyed playing with these bones, and they are fun for tossing around the yard, but our larger dogs were able to wear them out pretty fast once they started to chew. They lasted a bit longer when we gave them to our smaller dogs and pups, but we wouldn’t consider these suitable for big dogs.
- Stick shape
- Designed for easy pickup
- Durable nylon
- Doesn’t last long
- Not for big dogs
8. Pet Factory 78128 Beefhide
The Pet Factory 78128 Beefhide is a more substantial sized dog chew that measures 7 to 8 inches long. It’s a braided rawhide chew infused with peanut butter flavoring. The braided design helps make the toy more fun for your pet, and it also helps clean teeth and removes tartar.
We didn’t like that this chew is rawhide because even though rawhide is a perfectly natural and time tested chew, it presents a significant choking hazard for your pet. Besides the choking hazard, this treat has peanut butter flavor and caramel color coatings. These coatings wear off quickly, and the caramel color can stain a rug or carpet.
- 7-8 inches long
- Braided design
- Cleans teeth
- Rawhide
- Flavoring comes off
- Can stain carpet
9. Petstages 219 Dogwood Chew Toy
The Petstages 219 Dogwood Chew Toy comes in several sizes to accommodate most pets. These chew toys contain real wood and feature a K shape. If your dog is in the habit of collecting twigs from the wood, they will love this toy.
What we didn’t like about this toy is that it only states that it contains wood, and no other ingredients are listed. We also found that it breaks down quickly into little pieces resembling rice, but larger chunks can break off as well that can create a choking hazard. Without knowing the ingredients, we don’t think it’s safe to let the dog eat the little pieces, either.
- Contains real wood
- Comes in several sizes
- Unknown ingredients
- Breaks down quickly
- Large chunks can break off
10. Nature Gnaws Jerky Chews
The Nature Gnaws Jerky Chews is the last brand of dog chews for aggressive chewers on our list. These are single-ingredient shews made from 100% beef gullet. These tough beef chews will with dental health by reducing plaque and tartar build-up.
We didn’t like these chews because they break apart quickly and are more like treats than a chew for an aggressive chewer. Also, a few of ours broke into pointy shards that could cause damage to your pet’s gums and digestive tract.
- Single-ingredient
- Supports dental health
- Breaks up quickly
- Breaks into sharp shards
Buyer’s Guide
In this section, we’ll discuss the essential things that a chew toy for an aggressive dog should include in its construction and its ingredients.
Rawhide
We’ll start with rawhide because it’s such a popular ingredient in dog chews. Rawhide is a time tested material that’s perfect for constructing chew toys that are durable enough to stand up to even the toughest chewers. Rawhide is the main ingredient in a wide range of chew toys for every size dog.
The downside to rawhide is a serious one, though. Rawhide is the leading cause of choking in dogs and the leading cause of intestinal blockages. Both can lead to death, and intestinal obstructions can cost thousands of dollars to remove.
What happens is that as the dog chews the rawhide, it becomes soft, and the dogs can tear off pieces that they then swallow. If the part is too large, they choke or get a blockage.
It’s extremely important to supervise your pet while they are chewing a rawhide toy and to take it from them when it wears to the point that they can tear off pieces or swallow it.
Nylon
The other main ingredient in the construction of chew toys for aggressive dogs is nylon. This material is exceptionally durable and has some advantages over rawhide. It doesn’t require animal skin for one, it can be harder or softer, and it can break apart in a predetermined way. Nylon doesn’t need preservatives or chemicals to clean it, nor will it spoil or deteriorate on the shelf.
Nylon isn’t without its share of problems, though. It can often wear in ways that create sharp edges. Instead of gently cleaning and massaging, these sharp edges can cut the gums and cause bleeding. Some nylon chew toys can also be too hard for your pet’s teeth, which can lead to a chipped or broken tooth. Also, despite manufacturers their best efforts, dogs still find ways to break off chunks that are too large, which can choke them or block them like rawhide.
Nylon is also known for breaking off in pointy shards, so you will also need to supervise your pet at all times while they chew on nylon chew toys.
Antlers
Antlers are arguably the best type of chew toy for aggressive chewers. Antlers are rich in nutrients, and they won’t splinter or cause obstructions in your pet’s digestive tract. Different antlers are different hardnesses. For example, a moose antler is softer than an elk antler.
The downside to antlers is that they are expensive, and they won’t last as long as the nylon or rawhide. They can also be wildly inconsistent in size, shape, and color. You are not going to get the same thing twice, which means there will be times you feel cheated.
Other Ingredients
Many times a manufacturer will add some extra ingredients to these chews to make them more appealing to your pet. Some nylon bones will have a flavor like bacon added to them, or a hard treat that your dog needs to dig out while they chew. Rawhide bones can also have a flavor added to them, and they often contain coloring to darken the rawhide and make it look more like bone.
Food coloring can stain the surfaces near your dog while they chew on the bone. When adding flavor or edible treats, you need to worry about those ingredients and preservatives. Most dogs that have vomiting or diarrhea after chewing a toy are chewing a flavored brand.
We recommend keeping your chews and your foods separate unless there is no other way to get your dog to chew the toy. You can always add peanut butter yourself later.
Conclusion
We recommend starting with a nylon brand of dog chew, and least until you have a reason to change. Nylon is cheap and safer than rawhide. The brand is our choice for the best overall because it lasted the longest with the least splintering and breaking. If your pet needs a little coaxing, try our selection for the best value. The Hartz Chew ‘n Clean 3270005415 Dog Chew Toy comes with a healthy treat that helps fight tooth decay while the nylon nubs scrub the teeth clean. If, for some reason, your dog keeps cutting their gums on the nylon chews, we recommend going with the antlers.
Contents
- A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
- The 10 Best Dog Chews for Aggressive Chewers
- 1. Top Dog Chews Premium Large Antler – Best Overall
- 2. Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Chew Toy – Best Value
- 3. Pawstruck Monster Braided Chew Stix – Premium Choice
- 4. Pet Parents Gnawtlers
- 5. Benebone Wishbone Dog Chew Toy
- 6. Nylabone Dura Chew Dog Toy
- 7. Pet Qwerks BBS3 BarkBone
- 8. Pet Factory 78128 Beefhide
- 9. Petstages 219 Dogwood Chew Toy
- 10. Nature Gnaws Jerky Chews
- Buyer’s Guide
- Conclusion