Buffalo Horn for Dogs: How Long They Last and How to Use Them

A buffalo horn is the longest-lasting thing we sell, and the one I get the most questions about. Fair enough, because it is also the one that looks the least like a dog treat.

Here is everything people ask me about them on the stall, in the order they usually ask it.

What is a buffalo horn?

The outer sheath of a water buffalo horn, cleaned and dried. Nothing added, nothing coated, one ingredient.

Horn is keratin, which is the same material as your own fingernails. That is why it is so hard, why there is almost no fat in it, and why it does not go greasy or leave marks on the carpet.

Buffalo horn is naturally hollow at the wide end, which turns out to matter quite a lot. More on that shortly.

How long does a buffalo horn last?

Months. Genuinely.

Our buffalo horns typically last three to six months, and that is not one continuous chewing session, it is a horn that comes out regularly and slowly wears down over that time. It does not shatter or break apart the way a bone does. It just gradually gets smaller.

I have seen plenty of sites promise "hours of engagement", which always makes me smile a bit. A horn is not an afternoon. It is a chew you will still be washing up at Christmas.

That makes it the best value thing on the whole site, at £8 a horn. Nothing else in our long lasting range comes close on cost per hour of chewing.

What size should I get?

Bigger than you think, is the honest answer.

The horn needs to be too large for your dog to get their back teeth around comfortably. That is what keeps them gnawing at the surface rather than trying to crack it, and gnawing is both the safe way and the useful way to chew.

If in doubt, size up. A horn that is slightly too big is fine. One that is slightly too small is a problem.

Are buffalo horns safe for dogs?

Mostly, with one honest caveat that I would rather you heard from me than found out for yourself.

Horn is hard. Any hard chew carries some risk of a cracked tooth, particularly with a dog who bites down aggressively rather than gnawing steadily. It is not common, but it happens, and anyone who tells you a hard chew carries no risk at all is selling rather than advising.

What you can do about it:

• Choose a horn big enough that they cannot get it between their back teeth.
• Watch how your dog chews the first time. Steady gnawing is what you want. A dog who tries to crush it is not a good candidate.
• Take it away when it wears down small enough to swallow.
• Supervise, every time.

For the overwhelming majority of dogs it is a brilliant chew. But I sell soft chews too, and if your dog is a cruncher rather than a gnawer, buy those instead. A puffed pig snout or a paddywack is the sensible place to start.

What age can a dog have one?

Six months, and I will not budge on this one.

You will see horns sold as suitable from eight weeks. I think that is far too young. A puppy's adult teeth are still coming through, and giving something that hard to a mouth that is still developing is asking for trouble.

Wait until the adult teeth are properly in. There is plenty else they can have in the meantime, and a paddywack or a pig snout will do a teething puppy far more good.

Do buffalo horns smell?

Almost not at all, which surprises people.

A dry horn sitting in the cupboard smells of nothing. They only develop a smell while they are actually being chewed, because saliva rehydrates the surface. Once it dries out again, the smell goes with it.

That makes them one of the better options if you are squeamish about the more fragrant end of natural chews. Compared to a pig's ear or a piece of tripe, a horn is barely there.

How do you stuff a buffalo horn?

This is the bit people do not know about, and it is the best thing about them.

The hollow end is not a defect, it is an opportunity. Pack it with something, and a chew that already lasts months becomes a proper enrichment toy.

1. Spoon our turkey or duck pâté into the hollow end and push it down.
2. Freeze it for a few hours.
3. Hand it over and get on with your evening.

Frozen pâté takes a long time to work out, and it keeps a dog interested in a horn they might otherwise have got bored of. It is also a genuinely useful trick if you need forty minutes of peace, or you are leaving them for a bit and want them settled.

Looking after it

Do not leave it lying around. This is the single best piece of advice I can give you about horns.

Give it to your dog for an hour, then wash it, dry it and put it away in the cupboard. Two things happen. It keeps its novelty for months rather than becoming just another thing under the sofa, and it stays fresh instead of sitting there damp.

A horn treated like that will outlast almost anything else you buy them.

The short version

Buffalo horns are for adult dogs over six months who chew steadily rather than crunching. They last months, barely smell, and at 91.4% protein and 1.6% fat they are the leanest thing we sell. They can be stuffed and frozen when the novelty dips.

They are not for puppies, and they are not for a dog who tries to crush everything. If that is yours, email me and I will point you at something better suited. I answer every message myself.