Keeping your cockapoo supplied with healthy good-for-them chewing appliances (also called bones) is quite easy - and you can do it much less expensively than buying stock in your local pet store. Moreover, many of the animal byproducts and parts that are sold for dog chews are somewhat dubious in quality - since processing is limited they have been known to carry diseases such as salmonella - and that can be bad for both you and your dog. The upside of preparing your own marrow bones is not only avoiding this, but they will also help tremendously in keeping your dog's teeth free of tartar, depending on how aggressive a chewer it is.

        The easiest and one of the highest quality sources of bones is  your local butcher or meat counter - beef marrow bones. They usually are quite inexpensive, something like a dollar a pound... you can get three or four bones for about two bucks. If your market meat counter does not have them packaged in the racks, ask the butcher - if they do not have any at the time most will save some for you. Size will depend on the size of the dog.... but you don't want thin slices less than at least a few inches or there is a chance they will crack apart or get stuck on a jaw. Be sure that the size of the hole in the middle is not such that your dog's lower jaw can get caught in it.... this is very unusual but a possibility with any bone from an where. If the bones are not of a size  you think your dog can handle just ask the butcher to cut them for you.

        The bones have to be cooked - there are two ways. You can either boil them (and you get stock in the process) or roast them....  from Patty, a breeder in Vermont "... I buy the  soup bones  from the grocery store they are about 2 inches long with marrow inside, and put them in the oven for about an hour (around 350 degrees) to cook the marrow and sanitize the bones, then cool them down and hand them out. The dogs just love them. After the marrow is gone I put them back in a pot  to boil them clean and then you can stuff them with peanut butter or cream cheese. Can  also run them through the dishwasher to clean them. "  Or - you can boil them. Cover with water and bring to a boil for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from water and drain them on paper towels... when cool, remove the fat and gristle. You will probably also want to scoop out the stuff from the middle as it tend to be more fat than marrow (if it is white it is fat).....  and trim some or most of the gristle from the outside. The advantage to boiling is that you will have a fairly rich stock or broth remaining in the pot.. chill it and skim the fat off - then either use for your own soup or as a special gravy on your dog's dindin. Extra stock can be frozen... freeze in ice cube trays for a special treat for your pooch.

        Extra bones should be frozen - then just pull one out when it is time for a fresh one. Depending on how you prepared them and how closely you cleaned them, be careful in the beginning as to what surface your dog is on when they start in on one.... there could be some grease until it gets licked clean somewhat.... that can either stain a carpet or make a smooth floor slippery.  Bones that have been through a chomping session can either be discarded, or reboiled in some water or stock to be "recharged".... and they can also be stuffed with peanut butter or other goodies to rekindle the interest.....