Millions of Americans own dogs. And, in general, it's an incredibly rewarding experience to become a dog owner. However, when it comes to certain behaviors, owners can find themselves scratching their heads. Is chewing good for dogs?
The answer is yes and no. Dogs love to chew; it's one of the most joyous activities they engage in. Chewing satisfies a natural instinct as well as provides much-needed exercise for their mouths and jaws. In fact, chewing is a normal canine behavior. A study on the behavior of domestic dogs found that chewing is actually the most common dog behavior after barking, with 68% of dogs exhibiting this behavior daily. Chewing can be satisfying for dogs since it encourages proper teeth grinding and entire mouth movement. The chewing motion stretches the jaw which can help keep your dog's teeth clean and healthy. Dogs are also known to need some form of gnawing or chewing almost constantly.
