Why Are Dogs So Crazy About Bones?

Have you ever wondered why dogs have the fetish about bones? Why do you think they love to cling to the bones they love to chew and safeguard it with all their might? Let us try to examine how it came to be and what can we do to give them a better alternative to a thing which is not even that nutritious yet dogs love to have them. What is it in the bone that no other food can be?

The Carnivores
Bone chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. They got this trait from their ancestral genes – the wolves. Wolves are pack animals and great hunters. With their strong jaws and teeth, tearing on raw meat and grinding on hard bones are what they do on their early evolution. Today’s domesticated dogs’ trait have been more attributed to the modern man and with exception on chewing and gnawing on bones, today’s domesticated dogs were trained according to human’s acceptable ways. Dogs have learned to eat food, groomed and live the way how we humans are. Their food adaptation goes from its wolf-like carnivore diet to a wide ranging diet of meat to a non-meat basic dietary eating. More and more like that of the dietary patterns of its constant companion – human. Today’s domesticated dogs can eat both meat and non-meat food produce.

The Fetish on Bones
Through ages, dogs domesticated or not have retained that fetish and habit on gnawing on bones. An ancestral trait they just simply cannot shrug off from their cravings. But what is there in the not so nutritious bone that make them crazy about? The great satisfaction on gnawing on bones was pointed out by author Stanley Coren in some of his books like The Modern Dog, Why Dogs Have Wet Noses, etc. Apparently, the deposited fat left on the bone marrow and into bone itself has made the dogs so crazy about them. Until all the bone are ground down, the dog will continue to chew, gnaw and grind unto it. The deposited hidden fat keeps him going and going.

Bones Are Part of Dog’s Healthy Regimen
In the quest for the mystery about bone chewing, there are several benefits on dogs’ bone chewing were discovered:

>Bones keep the dogs delightfully entertained.
>The bone keep him from getting frustrated. Frustration gets a dog’s destructive trait comes out. Often leading to resorting in other means to chew things like shoes, furniture, wallpapers or anything it can get to satisfy his chewing cravings.
>Chewing and grinding releases some form of mental satisfaction, entertainment and happiness.
>Relieves boredom and dullness on dogs.
>Chewing on bones, help the dogs’ teeth get sharp and strong.
>Chewing regulates and generates digestive enzymes and juices needed to digest their food.
>Chewing and grinding makes their jaws stronger.
>It helps remove plaques and tartars making their teeth and gums clean and bacteria free.
>Fresher breath when oral cavity was cleaned.

The Dangers Lurks on the Fragments
As the dog enjoys the satisfaction of grinding and chewing brought by the bone, splinters and fragments were produced by it powerful act of grinding and chewing. These little pieces are often razor sharp and are potentially dangerous to the internals of the dog. It can lead to lacerations, bleeding and tissue tearing on oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach, intestinal tracts and other vital organs which could unfortunately be fatal.

Bone Treat Alternatives

Some manufacturers have created dog treats that mimics like a bone such as bone biscuits, raw hide dog bones and plastic bone look a-like. But all these artificial products leaves residue that are harmful still for the dog’s health faculties.

A hard habit to break.
True bones are far from being the most nutritious but a dog's cravings for bones goes beyond the nutritional aspect of this age old treat. In fact, 'No bone is a good bone in terms of the risks and dangers getting into their fetish. But just like us humans, we have habits that are not so beneficial to us and our health but we just simply cannot just shun and shrug it off that quick. A bone to a dog is like a crazy habit they cannot do away such as cigarettes and alcohol addiction does to many of us human.

I think that bones DO have a lot of nourishment for the dogs, and it is not just a fetich that they like to chew on a bone, but part of their internal craving that tells them that a bone is good for them.
When wolves chew on a bone, it is much different than the bones you can buy at the pet store. The ones from the pet store have been completely cleaned, and baked. there is no bone marrow, meat scraps, or cartilage on those bones.
The bones that a wolf would be eating are much healthier (and safer) for the wolf, or dog, to chew on. they are fresh and raw, and do not make the sharp splinters that a cooked bone will do. They have the marrow inside the bone, and the cartilage on the joints, which helps protect the joints and vertebra of the animal that is eating the bone.
We always would get the bones from the butcher shop for the dogs, so they were very good for the dog.

Having something to chew, whether it is a bone or a rawhide bone, is important for the dog in many other ways, as you mentioned in your post, Snowflake. Puppies (just like little kids) need something to chew on when they are teething, and having some kind of a chew toy for the puppy will save a lot of your shoes, and maybe the furniture as well.

This is a really great read. I learned a lot from it. Thanks for sharing this! I can attest to this. Our labrador retriever, Bruce, loves chewing bones especially the really big ones. He also won't let it go even if it's already so old. It just scares me sometimes because he sometimes manages to break the bone into really tiny pieces. I don't want those pieces to get stuck on his throat or something like that. To avoid that, I just buy those artificial bones from pet stores. I think it's called Dentastix or something like that.

(09-05-2014, 07:12 AM)Happyflowerlady Wrote: Having something to chew, whether it is a bone or a rawhide bone, is important for the dog in many other ways, as you mentioned in your post, Snowflake. Puppies (just like little kids) need something to chew on when they are teething, and having some kind of a chew toy for the puppy will save a lot of your shoes, and maybe the furniture as well.

When I read about this article, I am really so engrossed on what really is there something about those bone that make our doggies crazy about them. As the original author, Stanley Coren have stated in his book and in his research, there is really not much nutrition left on the bone without the meat in it. But he believe its the natural instinct based on their genes that has this mental urging to gnaw on the bone and grinding em good until clean and broken into pieces. The little and almost no fat scent )of the marrow)brought a mystery mental signal to chew, gnaw and grind until there's none of those scent at all. Not even the tiny ants wont have a chance to snatch it from them lols....

To me, whatever it is that is in there (bone) is something that makes them happy and relieve all the stress they have. And that is one thing I really cannot buy for them except give them the best looking luscious bone or any alternative bone like treat. I buy MILKOTEIN for them. Simply because I can always re heat it to restart again their goodness. The little pieces broken as they chew, I also put in the microwave to puff into new bites. Something the hides and Kongs cannot exactly do.

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(09-05-2014, 07:12 AM)Happyflowerlady Wrote: Having something to chew, whether it is a bone or a rawhide bone, is important for the dog in many other ways, as you mentioned in your post, Snowflake. Puppies (just like little kids) need something to chew on when they are teething, and having some kind of a chew toy for the puppy will save a lot of your shoes, and maybe the furniture as well.

Yeah, our pets are like our little children too! Raising them is a test of parenting too. We learn to practice more tolerance, patience, be alert and always giving our unconditional love to then.
I really lost tract counting how many shoes, how many times I've fixed everything in the house. But for me, it is somehow a learning stage for me to keep on thinking about ways to have our home safe and tidy as I keep them safe and caring for them like little babies. Something not many pet parents cannot comprehend. The process maybe slow but one will always get there no matter how.

First, I wanted to thank you for posting that information. It was very helpful and honestly there were some things I didn't even realize! One of the reasons I love being a part of these forums.

We have 2 dogs that live for their bones!! They love treats but when I take out a rawhide bone that is it!! They jump, cry , run in circles... you name it, they do it.

Once they get it you don't see them for hours! They don't want to be bothered at all. When they first take it and run, our older dog prances away with so much pride, it's the cutest thing ever.
I love my pets, they bring so much fun and love to us all !

Danyel

(09-28-2014, 07:07 AM)Danyel72 Wrote: First, I wanted to thank you for posting that information. It was very helpful and honestly there were some things I didn't even realize! One of the reasons I love being a part of these forums.

We have 2 dogs that live for their bones!! They love treats but when I take out a rawhide bone that is it!! They jump, cry , run in circles... you name it, they do it.

Danyel

Hi Danyel,

You're so much welcome and it's a pleasure my article have delighted and helped you. Just like you, I love dogs and I have this passion on writing about them and sharing it to the rest of us dog lovers and responsible pet parents.

Cheers to us all!

I would never give cooked bones to a dog. They can crunch raw bones up, but they seem to crunch into pieces that a dog can digest, whereas cooked bones don't seem to.