This is Post #5 (Dog Horn Chews) in a series of articles summarizing the pros & cons of 12 Long-Lasting Dog Chews.
Goat horns and buffalo horns aren’t nearly as popular as antler dog chews — but they are much cheaper!
HOW LONG HORNS FOR DOG CHEWS LAST: Months to years
BEST FOR: Power chewers and medium chewers
MY FAVORITE BRAND(S): Good Lovin from Petco
TIP: Horns for dogs are not safe for puppies (under 1 year of age) — because their teeth are too fragile. Since most horns are harder than a dog’s teeth, they may not be the best choice for a power chewer. Monitor your aggressive chewer closely — looking for fractured teeth or excessive wear on your dog’s teeth.
Pros & Cons Of Goat Horns & Buffalo Horns For Dog Chews
PRO: Made of keratin (like our fingernails are), horns for dogs usually range from 3 to 6 inches long.
PRO: They are 100% digestible by dogs.
PRO: They usually do not splinter.
PRO: They’re very long lasting!
PRO: Horns for dog chews are about half the price of dog antlers. (You might spend $6 to $15 apiece for high-quality goat horns, compared to $10 to $25 apiece for premium antlers.)
CON: The biggest downside is the fact that the marrow inside is rather hard to get at — so my dogs tend to get bored with chewing on a horn rather easily. (We have one goat horn that is almost 3 years old!)
CON: Plus, goat horns are relatively smooth in texture — which also makes them a little boring. As with antler dog chews… the rougher the edges and the more curve there is on a horn dog chew, the more my dogs seem to enjoy it — and they will chew on it much longer.
The Bottom Line
While many dogs seem to enjoy gnawing on goat horns for hours, my dogs tend to get bored with them after a few minutes of chewing.
Perhaps they aren’t “smelly” enough!
Regardless, my dogs are still intrigued enough to gnaw on a goat horn that’s been re-introduced to them after I removed it for a few weeks.
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I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of.
I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube).
My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year!
When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
