Dogs love to chew things, it's their nature and the best way we as dog owners can satisfy their chewing tendencies is to provide a proper and safe outlet such as rawhide chews. Left to their own devices a dog will try to chew whatever they can get their mouth on, from table legs, end tables and other household items. Given an approved chew toy or treat the dog will then focus all their chewing energy on that, leaving your house and the items in it untouched.
Rawhide chews and treats come in a wide variety of styles and not all dog rawhide is created equally. It's important to choose the correct size for your dog. Smaller dogs do well with both small and large rawhide treats whereas medium and large breed dogs require large rawhide chews -- the larger size preventing a potential choking hazard the smaller ones could pose. Once the correct size is determined the particular style of the rawhide needs to be chosen. Rawhide comes in a variety of styles, from knotted bones, to pressed bones, inside-out rawhide bones, doughnut shaped bones and a variety of other styles. Certain dogs like certain types and sometimes the dog needs time to try a variety before settling on a favorite.
Once the rawhide treat is chosen comes the particularly important part: letting your dog enjoy the rawhide in as safe a manner as possible. As with any toy or treat you give your dog it is of the utmost importance that you be with your dog whenever they enjoy any toy or treat. With rawhide bones and chews this is especially important. Rawhide is extremely hard and your dog will work at it with their teeth and the saliva in their mouth moistens the rawhide making it more and more malleable until they are able to actually ingest the small bit they managed to removed; this is perfectly fine as rawhide is digestible. The trouble can arise when your dog removes too much of the rawhide treat and tries to ingest it. This is when the human must step in, remove the potential choking hazard, assess how the rawhide bone looks physically and either discard completely or allow the dog to continue to chew it.
When dog owners are with their animals when they enjoy treats, toys and rawhide the owners are able to step in and prevent any potentially hazardous situations from arising. Rawhides, and any other toy or treat, need to be inspected before and even during the time the dog is enjoying them to ensure the animal remains safe.