Can I leave my dog alone with an antler? A Step-by-Step Guide

How long do deer antlers last for dogs?

Lastly, antlers will last your dog a long time. The average lifespan of an antler chew can be as long as six months to a year. With that said, this will depend on the size and cut of the antler, the hardness of the core, and how aggressive of a chewer your dog is.

Can I Give My Puppy Antlers?

Antlers are not suitable for puppies. Puppies all go through a teething stage. Labrador owners will know just how painful and stressful this stage can be! But, this doesn’t mean that you should resort to antlers.

Teething puppies can benefit from having something to chew on. But, they can still experience broken teeth and dental issues associated with hard chews. So it’s best to stick to an alternative. Many pet stores sell specific chew toys for teething puppies that will be much safer for their teeth.

There is a wide range of chew toys on the market specially designed to give dogs the opportunity for recreational chewing that won’t cause them injury. You can read our toy reviews in this section of the website. There are also a range of products sold as dental chews that claim to help keep your dog’s teeth clean and reduce the risk of periodontal disease.

Vet Brett Beckham has produced a fact sheet for dog owners on avoiding tooth fractures. The recommendations include avoiding antlers, and giving your dog products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). The VOHC has a list of products that it has approved as safe for dogs to chew. Each product has to pass two separate trials (carried out on different dogs) in order to pass. By safe, they mean that the product won’t cause the following:

  • Major extra-oral or body-wide issues such as toxicity, esophageal or gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation, or gross nutritional imbalance
  • Trauma to oral tissues, such as fracture of teeth or laceration or penetration of oral mucosa.
  • Can I leave my dog home alone for 2 days?

    Your dog will be just fine staying in your home while you’re gone. Depending on how much of the two days you will spend away from home, you can ask a friend, neighbor or family member to stop in once or twice to check on your dog and provide some loving company.

    How to use deer antlers to your advantage when training your puppy!

    Deer Antlers are like all-natural, super-chew magic. Whilst they’ve been around almost forever (well, as long as deer have been) they’ve recently become a staple of pet stores everywhere in a smorgasbord of shapes, sizes, colours and textures. From cap to tip, split or whole, small or large: antlers are a treat with incredible variety.

    Being connoisseurs of fine dog treats, we figured it was time to bring the spotlight on this chew of champions. Deer antlers might be the treat your doggo’s been chewing in his dreams.