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[Shalista]

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I've been posting so much (sorry about that) that I couldn't find the person who recommended it but my package of Skippers Flatties Cod Fish Skins came in today and it was a miraculous hit!!!! He gnawed away happily for a solid fifteen minutes on it. when the ends started to get soggy he'd hold it in his paws and tear off the small soggy ends so he wasn't left with a bunch of floppy skin to swallow. I was so happy to see him cheerily gnawing away on something and having the time of his life. turns out when it's the right object he's an extremely enthusiastic chewer!

the only downside is that when it got to about half its length he started trying to anaconda the whole thing straight down the pipe. it's so stiff and was so long I was definitely worried. thankfully some new jerky treats came in today which are INSANELY high value for him so I quickly scattered those a short distance away and he dropped his chew and went for the treats.

this is mostly a celebration post that I finally found something he loves to chew but I'm also looking for some thoughts on:

A. is there any way to prevent him from swallowing large objects whole? ideally, I'd like him to take advantage of being able to chew the entire chew. as is he only got it about halfway down before almost successfully swallowing the remaining six inches before I intervened. Obviously, this chew is a huge win and I'd never offer a toy or food item without close supervision but I worry about his tendency to try to swallow things whole. is this a feeding thing? is he just hungry? he's close to a good weight and he's getting regular feedings (though still soft serve poos) is this a behavior that may temper with time and regular access to food?

B. I trade. it's how I got Bax to drop high-value items. offer another item a little distance away and swipe the offending item while their back was turned. this worked great for Bax but I feel guilty doing it to Freddie because Freddie returns and looks for the swiped item. he doesn't seem to be distraught by it but I feel guilty since Bax never seemed to notice the favored contraband was missing and Freddie definitely does. ideally, a good drop it/leave it cue would replace trading and I understand that sometimes as a dog mom, I've gotta yeet the contraband. but I still feel guilty. any thoughts on how to make this easier on Freddie?

over all celebrating a huge win with the cod skin treats! doubly so since I gave the tooth paste another go and he turned up his nose at it entirely. I bought a different flavor and we'll see if a more gradual approach to tooth brushing + cod skin chews can get his teeth in better shape.

I'm over the moon!!!!

 

[JoanneF]

I'm glad he likes the fish skins, I buy them by the kilo!

Two things come to mind about him trying to finish them whole.

First, I may be wrong, but as he came to you very thin and has very high food drive, I'm wondering whether food hasn't always been available to him. Maybe after he has been with you for a few weeks, and knows he will be fed regularly and predictably, he will relax more.

Second, when my dog was like that with bully sticks, I used to buy the metre long ones. It took him weeks to get near to the point they could be at risk of being swallowed. I know Freddie isn't a powerful enough chewer for those, but the principle is, the longer the better.

Actually, as I'm writing, something popped into head - have I seen a chew holder, that you can clamp the chew into, so they can't get the last half inch? Amazon? Anyone???

 

[JudyN]

There's quite a few chew holders online, e.g. Sodapup Industrial Dog-Gear Treat Holder Large - Lead On Dog Shop

No idea if they would work for fish skins, but you might be able to find one that's worth a try.

 

[Hemlock]

So pleased to hear of your success! And treat holder thingies - what a super idea. I never knew they existed.

I'd been going to suggest that when you scatter those small treats as a lure away from something you need to remove, leave one where the removed-thing was, but I'm not sure you'll need to now.

 

[Shalista]

Oh my word that’s brilliant! I love the idea of a treat holder! I was able to find one with a screw to tighten down to keep it even more locked in place. That’s one thing I love about the dog community. If you have a problem odds are someone else has had it before and they’ve already come up with a solution lol.

 

[Shalista]

product review:

got him this one and it works exactly as intended. however, since it's technically built for bully sticks (all the best ones were) the hole is a little small to fit all the fish skins. thankfully some are thinner and I was able to squish one so that it JUST fit into the hole and I could screw it down. works perfectly as intended. no worries about it coming out. I originally ordered the small but again I can't fit all the fish skins in because most are too rigid so I sized up to the large and reordered it (the things we do for love) I'm not worried about it being too big for him I just want the fish skin to fit in the hole.