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.