By Simone Hartley — Rescue dog advocate, amateur upholstery repairer, and devoted owner of a Staffie cross named Bruno.
Bruno and the Chewing Problem
I adopted Bruno eighteen months ago from a rescue centre. He was two years old, had been in kennels for four months, and came with a file that described him as "high energy, needs mental stimulation, can be destructive if bored." I read this as a challenge. I was, in retrospect, somewhat naive.
Bruno is a Staffie cross, weighs about 14kg, and has jaws that could probably crack a walnut. He's also one of the most affectionate, loyal, and genuinely lovely dogs I've ever known. He is also, when under-stimulated or anxious, a one-dog demolition crew. In the first three months I had him, he destroyed: two dog beds, a cushion from the sofa, the corner of a doormat, a pair of trainers I'd left by the door, and a phone charger cable that I maintain he had no legitimate reason to be near.
The rescue centre had warned me that Staffies and Staffie crosses often chew as a stress response — it's self-soothing behaviour, not malice. The solution, they said, was to give him something appropriate to chew that would hold his attention long enough to actually calm him down. I'd tried rope toys (destroyed in a day), rubber toys (chunked apart in three days, one vet visit to confirm he hadn't swallowed anything significant), and a supposedly indestructible rubber bone that lasted a week before developing a crack I wasn't comfortable with.
A friend with a similarly enthusiastic chewer recommended Nylabone. Specifically the durable range, specifically the beef jerky flavour, specifically for medium dogs. I ordered it the same day.
Why the Nylabone Durable Range
The key difference between Nylabone's durable range and everything else I'd tried is the material. Nylon doesn't chunk apart the way rubber does — it wears down gradually into tiny fibres that pass safely through the digestive system. For a dog who chews with Bruno's commitment, that safety aspect was non-negotiable after the rubber toy incident.
The Nylabone Durable Beef Jerky Chew Toy for dogs up to 16kg was sized correctly for Bruno. The beef jerky flavour is infused throughout the nylon rather than coated on the surface, which means it doesn't wear off after the first session. And the integrated dental bristles that raise during chewing were a bonus — Bruno's dental hygiene had been a secondary concern given everything else, but I wasn't going to complain about a built-in toothbrush.
Bruno's First Session
I gave it to him after his evening walk. He sniffed it, looked at me with the expression he reserves for things he's not sure about, sniffed it again, and then settled down and started working on it with the focused intensity that had previously been directed at my furniture.
He chewed for forty-five minutes. The bone was showing surface wear but was structurally intact. No pieces on the floor. No safety concern. Just a very occupied, very calm dog. I sat on the sofa and watched him. It was the most relaxed I'd felt in an evening since I'd brought him home.
Six Months Later
The bone is still intact after six months. Worn, personalised, bearing the marks of considerable daily attention — but whole. Not one chunk has come off. Everything else I'd given Bruno had been destroyed within days. The Nylabone has outlasted all of them combined.
The destructive chewing has stopped. Bruno still chews — that's not going to change — but he chews the Nylabone rather than the furniture. The dog beds are intact. The sofa cushions are intact. The doormat is intact. I haven't had to replace anything in six months.
It's become part of his routine. Bruno now brings the bone to his bed in the evening. It's become a comfort object as much as a chew toy — something familiar and reassuring that he returns to when he needs to settle. For a rescue dog who came with anxiety, that kind of settled routine matters enormously.
His dental health has improved noticeably. His vet commented at his last check-up that his teeth were in significantly better condition than when I first brought him in. The bristle surface does its job every time he chews.
The Difference It Made
Bruno is a better-settled dog than he was six months ago. Some of that is time — rescue dogs take time to decompress and feel secure. But some of it is the Nylabone. Having something appropriate to chew that actually satisfies his need has reduced his anxiety, redirected his energy, and given him a healthy outlet that works for both of us. The furniture is intact. The vet bills are lower. The evenings are calmer.
Would I Recommend It?
Without hesitation. If your dog chews and you've been through the same cycle of destroyed toys and safety concerns, this is the answer. Durable, safe, flavoured throughout, and genuinely long-lasting. Buy it before the next thing gets destroyed.
👉 Shop the Nylabone Durable Beef Jerky Chew Toy – Medium
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Simone Hartley is a graphic designer and rescue dog advocate based in Sheffield. Bruno the Staffie cross is eighteen months out of kennels, fully settled, and has not destroyed a single household item in six months. Simone considers this a triumph of patience, love, and nylon.
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