3 large labs only get definite dog chew toys. I have never given them anything which could be misconstrued at a later date. And I've never had any problems with shoes, purses, etc. Although my youngest does like to walk off with my wifes gloves for some reason. She doesn't chew them, just takes one outside with her sometimes.
I began with regular Red Kongs, and the oldest dog did well with them as a puppy and young adult. He tries to swallow all bones, having caught a T-bone in his throat as a puppy, I realized as intelligent as he is, he is a bone dunce.
Then I got a new lab puppy, and she 'rices' everything she touches. The red Kongs turn into large piles of red rice sized pieces. She would turn a rope into a pile of threads. She did the same with small black Kongs, but cannot get enough of a grip on the large black Kongs. But typically, I buy only Nylabones. She chews on them and cannot demolish them.
For 'treats' I give them the larger 10" or so, rolled rawhides from Costco/Sams. My 2 larger dogs typically demolish them within about 2hrs. The smaller girl just carries hers around for days. Its odd, because she trashes everything else, but tends to savor her rawhide.
My 13yo chews only on the rawhide. He doesn't care about anything else laying around. My 10yo doesn't either. But the 5yo girl almost constantly has something in her mouth.
I have never had teeth problems with any of my dogs. In fact, the vet always comments on how good they look. They only get dry dog food and water. No other treats to speak of. They are spoiled by all the pets and scratches... not by food.
