Dodo Pick: My Dog Can't Stop Drooling Over These Bones

"He gets EXTRA excited for the PB ones specifically" 🐶❤️🥜

dog loves smartbones
Taylor Celentano
Taylor Celentano

We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission.

When The Dodo’s own Taylor Celentano went to her vet to see why her dog, Ryder, was having tons of gas problems, she was surprised to find out that his diet — especially the use of rawhides as treats — was probably the cause.

dog loves smartbones
The Dodo’s Taylor Celentano’s dog, Ryder, and a SmartBone | Taylor Celentano

“After a couple weeks of Ryder having horrible gas we called our vet and he asked about Ryder's diet — including treats and chews,” Celentano said. “He informed us that rawhide bones were probably the issue — so we did research and ordered SmartBones because they were rawhide-free, made with natural ingredients, highly digestible — and still within our budget.”

Why The Dodo loves SmartBones

“We love that they’re good for Ryder,” Celentano said. “They’re all natural and made from ingredients we know and can pronounce — things like corn, peanut butter and sweet potato.”

Speaking of peanut butter — while SmartBones offers tons of different flavors, Ryder is all about the peanut butter.

“Ryder loves the peanut butter flavor!” Celentano said. “They smell of real PB when you take them out of the bag and he gets EXTRA excited for the PB ones specifically."

dog loves smartbones
Ryder and his SmartBone | Taylor Celentano

Any downsides?

According to Celentano, one issue is that the bones tend to leave a bunch of little pieces behind when Ryder bites into one. While they’re totally safe, it can sometimes mean a mess to clean up.

“They almost splinter into small shards and get all over the floor and carpet,” Celentano said. “It's a small con and I know he's so much happier with these bones — so a little extra vacuuming is OK with me knowing he's healthier and happier!”

Since Ryder loves these bones so much, Celentano also wishes they were a bit bigger or sold in a larger quantity — since currently only about three or four small/medium bones come in a bag. “But they’re affordable, they’re offered in a variety of flavors so he never gets bored and they’re sold on Petco.com, which is where we buy the majority of his necessities — so it's very convenient,” Celentano said.

Ryder’s got one issue, though:

According to Celentano, Ryder eats them up too fast!

“Ryder loves his SmartBones so much — and they’re so digestible — he finishes them in 15–20 minutes flat!” Celentano said.

“So again, it's a small con — but I think he wishes they would last longer because after 20 minutes he's begging for another one!”

But it’s not too big of a deal, because Ryder has learned how to extend the life of his bone — even if it’s because he plays with it for a little while.

“After finishing half of his bone, Ryder LOVES to take the other half, bring it over to his bed and pretend to dig a hole,” Celentano said. “He scratches at the bottom of his bed with his paws (with the bone in his mouth) and uses his snout to dig so he can ‘hide’ his bone.”

Once he's satisfied with the hole he's dug, Ryder nestles the bone into the side of his bed and then uses his snout to "cover it."

“Me and my boyfriend Danny will watch him for 20–25 minutes while he does this and laugh because he's so proud of his work,” Celentano said. “Then after successfully burying his bone he grabs it and finishes it in five minutes.”

dog loves smartbones
Ryder enjoying his SmartBone | Taylor Celentano

On a scale of 1-10, how much would you recommend this product? 8

Buy SmartBones Medium Peanut Butter Chew Bones Dog Treats on Petco for $15.99