Raw bones only. I give mostly beef knuckle bones and some leg bones with the marrow inside. Not too much marrow because it might result in loose stools. Too much bone can also lead to constipation. Otherwise raw chicken or turkey necks are good too but not much gnawing on those. They disappear in a couple of minutes. I try to keep the raw bone eating outside or on an old rug. I also give the straight from the freezer. Less mess this way and the dog doesn't seem to mind.

I use to give my dogs sterilized bones...they will outlast your dog!

Cooked bones are BAD BAD BAD for dogs, you are right they do splinter and can kill a dog! I dont believe in giving any chicken or pork bones cooked or raw, thats JMHO :>)
Christine

I've done the same as glaserberl. When I fed raw I'd sometimes drop it into boiling water for 1-2 minutets. This was just to semi-cook the small amount of meat on the bone which made it a little less messy (no blood), especially if they were eating it inside the house on an old blanket.

I give cooked beef rib bones.
One hour on a rack at 350. I buy them just for the dogs.
They're cheap (ish) and then they get cut apart and frozen.
I also cut off most of the fat after cooking.
These are the ribs meant for people, a slab of 6-8 is about five dollars.
It gives them something to gnaw on, they don't splinter and are just the right size for my 15-18 pound dogs.

When I cut the grass, I have to go through the yard and stack them all in a pile. One of my dogs LOVES this. She will get each one out and chew it some. Just like a toy box....
They last forever it seems.
One every week is the norm.

I never give mine cooked bones, cooking them makes them brittle so they can splinter off sharp pieces and injure the the dog's stomach or gut. I used to give mine raw chicken necks but they did used to gulp them down pretty quick which worried me a bit, so now I prefer the larger beef bones because they can gnaw on them for ages which is good for their teeth but they are too big too swallow for my dogs.

Some people don't like to give raw bones because of the salmonella (and other bacteria) chance. The bones I give my dogs do not splinter but they might in a larger dogs mouth.

Key with raw bones is to avoid weight bearing bones from larger animals, and never any cooked or smoked bones. As others have pointed out cooking makes them makes them dangerous. Raw bones sound crunchy but they're 'soft' and are digested well. Any kind of raw neck or rib (pork, beef, turkey)and any parts from smaller animals like rabbit or chicken are completely safe.

I do not advocate giving raw meat products, including bones, to dogs.

Softer bones or ends of bones, like the joints, that don't splinter are fine as long as they don't upset your dog's stomach. They do to my dog's.

One thing I've noticed with dogs that are regularly given natural bones (as in not rawhide or chews) is that a lot of them have broken off teeth tips. To me, this type of injury is not worth giving bones. I stick with pork hide chews, pig ears, lamb ears, and ostrich and emu tendons, as well as dental kongs, but used to give rawhide up until finding that my dog is allergic to beef.

I would never advocate giving rawhide to dogs that gulp and/or swallow large pieces though, only to dogs that thoroughly chew bitten off pieces.

Anyways, giving my dog the chews that I have has kept her teeth in prime and clean condition. She's going to be 10 and her doctor remarked that she has better teeth than many of the much younger dogs that he sees.

Our dog has been getting raw bones since he was a puppy (vet recommended it). He is now 10 and has no broken teeth. His teeth are not pearly white anymore but according to the vet in darn good shape for his age.
Our Vet used to live in the country and by huge quantities of bones from the meat locker and then cut them in manageable chunks with a band saw. He sold them to his clients for .50 each. Unfortunately he moved to the city and now i have to buy them at the grocery or pet store.
Katharina

Broken teeth? I suspect the dog's teeth were already decayed and would have broken on a stick of celery :) I've let dogs go at old age who still had perfect beautiful white teeth. Bones help to keep their teeth clean. Pig ears and pork hide are very fatty and can cause digestive upset. And raw bones do not splinter. Cooked or smoked bones do.