Become a chew expert

Sizing and Selection

Practical, honest guides on natural chews — sizing, safety, and what actually keeps dogs busy.

A resealable Foodiepaws bag of 12-inch lamb collagen sticks with one long braided lamb collagen stick standing upright alongside it

Six Inches or Twelve: Length Is a Fit Rule, Not a Value Rule

Length is a fit decision, not a value one: the stick has to stay outside a working jaw. The value is in the pack count. Six inches or twelve, decided.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A Yorkshire terrier standing on a folded white towel on a kitchen counter while a person's hands gently lift its lip to show its small front teeth

Small Dogs Get Dental Disease First: What That Means for Chew Choice

Extra-small breeds are diagnosed with periodontal disease up to five times more often than giant breeds. What that changes about chew choice, and what it doesn't.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

An elderly shih tzu with a grey muzzle sleeping on a cream living-room rug with a short twisted dried beef chew stick lying in front of its paws

Bully Sticks for a Senior Dog: Sizing Around Worn and Missing Teeth

A senior dog can still have a bully stick, but the mouth decides which one. How to check for worn or missing teeth, and why thin is not the same as soft.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A resealable one pound Foodiepaws bag of bite-size bully stick pieces with a short dried chew piece standing alongside it

Short Chew Pieces: What They Are For and Who Should Skip Them

Bully stick bites are short pieces of the same dried beef as a full stick, cut for a reward, not a session. Who they suit and who should skip them.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A great dane puppy sitting on a braided kitchen rug with oversized paws, a short natural dried chew stick on the tile floor beside it

What Size Bully Stick for a Puppy? Size the Mouth, Not the Body

Size a puppy's bully stick to the mouth in front of you, not the adult weight on the breed page. Length follows this month's weight; thickness follows the teeth.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A resealable Foodiepaws bag of 5-6 inch thin bully sticks with a single slim dried beef stick standing alongside it

When a Chew Should Finish Quickly: Sizing for a Light Chewer

A thin bully stick is the same beef pizzle cut narrow, so a light chewer finishes a session instead of leaving half a stick behind. Who it suits.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

A brindle pit-bull-type mixed-breed dog lying on a concrete patio gnawing one end of a long twisted dried beef chew stick held under its front paws

Bully Sticks for Power Chewers: What Slows a Strong Jaw Down

For a power chewer, buy more beef per inch at the length your dog's weight already picked. Hardness is the dial that fractures teeth, so leave it alone.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A 1 lb resealable Foodiepaws bag of 12-inch bully sticks with two bare 12-inch sticks standing alongside

Bully Sticks for Large Dogs: 12 Inches Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling

A dog over 60 lb should start at a 12-inch bully stick: length keeps the chew outside the mouth, so the three-inch stub arrives late. Where the ceiling sits.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

A chihuahua, a beagle and a great dane sitting in a row on a porch, showing the range of dog sizes

Best Bully Sticks for Dogs: The Four Checks, Not a Ranking

Four checks sort a good bully stick from a cheap one: a one-line panel, a sourcing claim you can check, a stated thickness, cost per chew. Ours clear three.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Two plain dried beef chew sticks lying side by side, one noticeably thicker than the other

Mega and Jumbo Bully Sticks: Thickness Is Not Length

A mega or jumbo bully stick is a thicker cut of the same beef pizzle, not a longer one. Thickness sets how hard your dog works; length sets how long it lasts.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

4-Inch Bully Sticks in a resealable 1 lb Foodiepaws bag with short natural beef bully sticks in front

Bully Sticks for Small Dogs: Safe Sizing Under 25 Pounds

Under 25 pounds, start with a 4-inch bully stick and retire it at about three inches. A small dog's throat, not a tape measure, is what sets the limit.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read