10 Things Dogs Should Not Chew (And What to Give Instead)

Stop your dog from chewing dangerous items like cords, chocolate, and trash. Discover 10 risks and the safest natural solution: long-lasting yak chews.


By Kishor Neupane
5 min read

10 Things Dogs Should Not Chew (And What to Give Instead)

Introduction

Dogs love to chew, but not everything your dog loves to chew is safe. What we see common in our house can cause choking, poisoning, or serious internal injury.

In this blog, you'll discover:

  • 10 dangerous things dogs should never chew
  • Why they’re harmful
  • Safe chew alternatives
  • The best natural chew option for long-lasting safety

If your dog is chewing your shoes, furniture, or some random objects from your house, this article is for you.

10 Dangerous Things Dogs Should Never Chew

The following are the 10 things your dogs should never be chewing onto, they can cause anywhere from minor issues and can even be fatal to your dog.

1. Electrical Cords

To my knowledge, electrical wires are probably one of the most dangerous items that there is for your dog to chew on. Why is it’s dangerous then?

  • Electric shock
  • Burns in the mouth
  • Risk of fire
  • Possible death

Puppies love dangling cords almost as much as they love exploring. Chewing on a live wire is an emergency.

2. Shoes

Shoes carry your scent, which makes them extremely attractive to dogs. The risk of the that:

  • Swallowing fabric or rubber pieces
  • Intestinal blockage
  • Expensive vet surgery

Plus, let’s be honest, your favorite sneakers won’t survive if your dog starts chewing onto that.

3. Chocolate

Chocolate isn’t just bad, it’s actually toxic. It contains theobromine, one of the compounds that your dog is not able to metabolize properly. We've an article on why chocolate is risky to a dog, you can read it now.

Risks of eating the chocolate could be:

  • Vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Death (in severe cases)

Make sure to keep the chocolate on areas not reachable by your dog, and if you're feeding chocolate to your dog, stop it immediately.

4. Plastic Bottles

They look like nothing to you, but you dog is like a baby with no knowledge. They cannot identify if they are safe or not, your dog could shallow the cap of the bottle and that could lead to chocking and even death.

  • Sharp plastic edges
  • Choking hazard
  • Internal injury

Often times dogs swallowing the caps leads to surgery, and this is definitely the condition that you don't want your dog to get into.

5. Sticks

This surprises people because it seems natural, But they can get stuck easily in the dog's mouth, and can be fatal if it the stick's chunk gets stuck in the neck or inside the intestines.

  • Mouth injuries
  • Throat punctures
  • Digestive damage

A single sharp splinter can cause serious internal harm that you might not even have realized. Make sure that you don't keep sticks and provide your dog something else to chew so it never stumbles to chewing the sticks.

6. Socks & Underwear

Dogs love soft fabric. But socks and underwear are some of the most common. There are no houses that don't have socks and underwear, and so they can be something that could cause some danger to your dog. If your dog swallows socks, it is still not digestible. This often means:

  • Surgery
  • High vet bills
  • Serious pain for your dog

They might not be fatal but can cause serious harm to your dogs, and could definitely mean a lot of medical and veterinary bill.

7. Furniture

Table legs, sofa edges, wooden frames, just like the stick it has the same risk for your dog, they are not digestible. Even if some wood pieces could be digestible but they also come with the same risk, and the risk of damaging your furniture.

  • Wood splinters
  • Chemical finishes
  • Costly damage

If your dog is chewing furniture, it’s usually because of boredom or anxiety. If you're interested in removing the boredom, you could provide your dog with some other kind of dog safe chews like yak chews.

8. Remote Controls

Remotes are mostly found on the sofa, and in really accessible areas, they are dangerous because of the presence of batteries, plastic pieces (undigestible), and the chips contain toxic materials (even the plastic has some toxicity present). The remote controls could cause:

  • Battery burns
  • Small plastic pieces getting stuck in the neck and the intestines
  • Toxic materials

Battery acid leakage can cause severe internal burns.

9. Trash Items

Garbage is a goldmine for dogs, you might have even seen street dogs crawling into the garbage bags and garbage boxes. Inside dogs look for chicken bones, or other edible material but can also be risky to the dogs.

  • Food wrappers
  • Toxic foods
  • Sharp packaging

Trash chewing definitely means an emergency to happen. If you want to make sure that your dog is not looking into the trash cans and packages, feed your dog with dog safe chews and make sure that your trash bins have a seal that only you and other individuals of the house can open.

10. Children’s Toys

Children toys and dog toys are not the same. Children toys are not designed for dogs. They can break easily and they could contain:

  • Small parts not digestible by your dog
  • Unsafe paints
  • Stuffing that are undigestible
  • Plastic pieces that are also undigestible

It might not be fatal on the most conditions but your dog could face serious illness juse because of this.

Now, Why Do Dogs Chew These Things?

Chewing is natural. Dogs chew because of a lot of reasons. It can be any reason from:

  • Teething (puppies)
  • Boredom
  • Anxiety
  • Lack of exercise
  • Lack of proper chew toys

The real problem isn’t that your dog chews, but that they don't have the right thing to chew onto. You can provide them dog safe chews of various nature and they can be safe while they still chew on to things.

Why Yak Chews Are One of the Best Choices

Yak chews (Himalayan dog chews) are:

  • 100% natural
  • Long-lasting
  • High-protein
  • Low odor
  • Great for dental health

And, They satisfy your dog’s chewing instinct without destroying your house or risking their health. Dogs love them for the same reason. And, our experience says owners trust them.

Buy Premium Yak Chew for Your Dog Today

If your dog is chewing shoes, furniture, or some other dangerous items, the solution is simple. You can give them something better to chew onto. Something like our premium yak chews are:

  • Made from natural ingredients
  • Safe and long-lasting
  • Suitable for small, medium, and large dogs
  • Stop replacing shoes.
  • Stop worrying about vet bills.
  • Start giving your dog a safe chewing solution.

Order your first yak chew and see how happy your dog becomes and you to be relaxed that your dog is chewing into something healthy and your products and furnitures are safe as well.

If you're interested in better bulk deals, you can also contact us or visit our site to find the best deals for your dogs.


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