Nylabone Magic
Part of my job as a dog trainer is to teach dogs what NOT to chew on. Dogs need to learn to ignore the kids’ toys, the coffee table, and the kleenex box.
But, dogs are dogs; they need to chew on SOMETHING. Nylabones are one of the safest options out there for a dog to “get their chew on.”
But unlike antlers, cow hooves, pig ears, and bully sticks, Nylabones aren’t made out of an animal product. Therefore, some dogs don’t seem to “like” them.
Today I’m sharing my easy 5 step system to encourage your dog to chew on a nylon bone.
- Take the bone out of the package. Do NOT throw it on the floor. If you don’t want it, neither will your dog. Pretend to chew the bone and make yummy noises. (Hopefully your dog is there to witness your silliness.) Trust me. Your dog will be interested in this foreign item that you seem so excited about.
- Let your dog take the bone out of your hand. Usually they’ll take it off to a pillow or a “special spot” to further investigate it.
- Take the bone away BEFORE your dog gets bored. (I’m guessing 5 minutes or so.) Put the bone up somewhere where the dog can see it, but can’t get to it. Perhaps on the mantle or on the refrigerator.
- After about an hour, take the bone down and repeat the “nom nom, look at me chewing this yummy bone” process.
- Let the dog take the bone out of your hand.
That’s it!
You have built in enough interest and value to that chunk of plastic that your dog now understands it’s a fun thing to chew on. If I buy a new bone, I do NOT have to repeat this process. Generally, once a dog realizes the Nylabone is yummy… they realize ALL Nylabones are yummy.
My dogs particularly enjoy the wishbone shaped Nylabones. They also love the wishbone shaped Benebones (similar to a Nylabone, but a different brand). For heavy chewers, I recommend the Souper size Nylabones.
Wish you could see a video? Wish granted! Here is the Facebook live video I recorded on this topic. So, if you want more info (or if you’d like to giggle at my “nom nom” noises) check it out.
