Before you buy, ask yourself what the snack is for: keeping busy, dental care, training or a reward. The purpose decides the right chew, not brand or flavour. Everything sits side by side on the shelf, but not every snack is meant for every dog.
| Purpose | Type | Example from our range | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keeping busy | hard nylon chew bone | Nylabone Dura Chew | choose the size by your dog's weight, not meant to be eaten |
| Dental care | dental stick | Advance Zahnpflegestift | the manufacturer's weight guidance (over 10 kg), feeding recommendation on the pack |
| Training | freeze-dried meat | Natures Variety Hühnerfleischstückchen | composition: 100 % chicken according to the manufacturer |
| Reward | crunchy biscuit | Dog Treatz Big Club | count the amount towards the daily ration |
Chewing to keep busy
Hard chews such as the Nylabone Dura Chew range are made for dogs that chew a lot and hard. They are made of nylon and are not meant to be eaten. The sizes are graded by weight (up to 16 kg, up to 23 kg, from 23 kg), so choose by your dog's weight, not by feel. For puppies or dogs with dental problems, ask your vet first whether a hard chew is the right thing.
Chewing for the teeth
Dental sticks such as the Advance Zahnpflegestift have a different job: according to the manufacturer they are meant to reduce the build-up of plaque, rather than keep a dog busy. This one is designed for medium and large dogs over 10 kg. How often you may give one is stated on the pack. A chew does not replace a dental check-up: with bad breath, red gums or tartar, your dog belongs at the vet.
Treats with one ingredient
For training or in between, simple freeze-dried snacks are often enough, such as the freeze-dried chicken pieces from Natures Variety: according to the composition they consist of 100 % boneless chicken meat, so there is no guessing about the ingredient list. They are intended for adult dogs.
And in between as a reward
Firm, crunchy biscuits such as the Dog Treatz Big Club are neither dental care nor long-term entertainment, but simply a reward after the walk or the training session. That is a perfectly legitimate reason for a snack, it does not always need an extra function. Just count it towards the daily ration, otherwise the reward quickly turns into a second meal.
In short
Keeping busy, teeth, training or reward: if you answer that question before buying, you end up with the right snack almost automatically. More answers about snacks are in our frequently asked questions, the full selection in the Snacks & Chews collection.