Chewing is not a behaviour to stop, it is one to aim somewhere. A puppy with sore gums and an adult dog with an empty hour will both find something to work on, and if nothing suitable is provided it will be the skirting board or a shoe. A rubber stick gives that drive a target built to take it, and it costs a great deal less than a chair leg does.

The stick is moulded in tough rubber with a ridged surface running along its length. That texture does two things at once. It gives the teeth something to catch on, so the stick does not simply slide about the mouth, and the ridges run along the gum line as a dog works at it, which helps shift soft plaque before it hardens into anything worse. The stick shape also reaches the back teeth, where most serious chewing happens.

• Moulded from tough, chew-resistant rubber
• Ridged surface for grip and gum contact
• Stick shape reaches the back teeth
• Suits teething puppies and strong-jawed adults
• Redirects chewing away from furniture
• Washes clean

On supervision and replacement. No rubber chew is indestructible and this one is no exception, so check it over regularly and bin it once pieces start coming away, because swallowed rubber is a blockage risk. Chews are also best given while you are around rather than left in a crate overnight.

Who it's for: Teething puppies and adult dogs who chew hard, in households that would rather the chewing happened somewhere other than the furniture.