The short answer: which chew suits which dog?
There is no single best chew. Every chew on this list trades one thing for another: chewing time against tooth safety, smell against appeal, a single ingredient against a lower calorie count. The right choice depends on how your dog chews, how big it is and what your household can live with.
- Gentle or small chewers: a bully stick, collagen stick or tendon, sized so it cannot fit fully in the mouth, given in short sessions.
- Power chewers: a thick bully stick in a holder, or a beef cheek, with close supervision. Be careful with very hard chews.
- Homes sensitive to smell: a collagen stick or a yak chew smells far less than a bully stick or gullet.
- Dogs watching their weight: whatever the chew, count it in the daily food, and favour chews you can portion into short sessions.
- Dogs that gulp the end: any chew with a holder, or a chew that stays large, and always remove the last piece.
The table in the next section puts all eight side by side. After that we go through the comparisons people search for most, starting with bully sticks against collagen sticks.
The comparison matrix
This table compares chew categories, not brands, and products inside each category vary. Hardness is described using the thumbnail test explained below. Chew time is relative, because it depends far more on the dog than on the chew. Calories are only listed where an independent measurement exists.
| Chew | Made from | Hardness (thumbnail test) | Swallow risk | Smell | Typical chew time | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bully stick | Dried beef pizzle, a muscle. One ingredient | Usually dents under a thumbnail and softens as it is chewed | The last 1 to 2 inches | Noticeable, stronger when wet | Short to medium | 9 to 22 per inch in a study of 26 sticks |
| Collagen stick | Collagen layer of beef hide, cleaned and rolled or pressed | Firm, softens with chewing | Softened end and pieces pulled loose | Mild | Medium | Varies by product |
| Yak or cheese chew | Hardened cheese from yak or cow milk | Very hard, often fails the test | The small hard end | Low | Long | Varies by product |
| Beef cheek | Dried cheek muscle, often rolled | Firm, softens with chewing | Rolled layers can come loose in chunks | Moderate | Medium | Varies by product |
| Beef tendon | Dried beef tendon | Firm and fibrous, softens | Softened end, stringy pieces | Mild to moderate | Short to medium | Varies by product |
| Gullet | Dried beef esophagus, sometimes braided | Light and crisp to firm | Braided ends can loosen | Moderate to strong | Short | Varies by product |
| Rawhide | Inner layer of cow or horse hide, processed | Hard when dry, turns gummy | Large softened chunks | Low | Medium to long | Varies by product |
| Antler | Shed deer or elk antler | Very hard, usually fails the test | Low for swallowing, higher for teeth | Very low | Very long | Varies, little is eaten |
The thumbnail test comes from veterinary dentistry. As a Vet Times review of tooth fracture risk explains, if you cannot press a dent into a chew with your thumbnail, it is too hard for a dog's teeth. That review also notes there is no formal hardness standard for chews, so the test in your own hand is the best guide you have. Run it on the specific chew you bought, because hardness varies within every category.
Bully sticks vs collagen sticks
Collagen sticks have become the most talked-about alternative to bully sticks, and the comparison is closer than most product pages admit. Both are beef by-products, both are single-animal chews, and both soften as a dog works on them. The difference is in what part of the animal they come from and how they are made.
A bully stick is beef pizzle, a muscle, simply cleaned, stretched and dried. A collagen stick is made from the collagen-rich layer of beef hide, which is cleaned, then rolled, pressed or shaped. That shared origin in hide leads to a common question: is a collagen stick just rawhide? Not quite. It comes from a similar part of the animal but is processed differently, and many products are made to break down more easily than traditional rawhide. That varies by product and we cannot verify every brand's digestibility claim, so treat it like any chew and supervise.
| Feature | Bully stick | Collagen stick |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Beef pizzle muscle | Collagen layer of beef hide |
| Smell | Noticeable beef smell, stronger when wet | Mild |
| Texture as chewed | Softens and frays at the chewed end | Softens and can turn gummy |
| Appeal to most dogs | Very high | High |
| Calories | Measured: 9 to 22 per inch | Varies, check the label |
| Main watch-out | Swallowing the last piece | Swallowing softened pieces |
One point applies to both. They are beef. In a 2016 review in BMC Veterinary Research, beef was the most commonly reported food allergen in dogs with skin reactions to food, involved in about a third of cases. If your dog has a known or suspected beef allergy, switching from a bully stick to a collagen stick does not avoid beef. Talk to your vet first.
So which is better? For a dog that loves strong-smelling chews and that you can supervise to the end, a bully stick is hard to beat on appeal and simplicity. INVIROX bully sticks are a single ingredient, grass-fed Brazilian beef pizzle with nothing added. For a household that cannot stand the smell, a collagen stick is a reasonable alternative. In both cases the rules are the same: right size, supervision, and the last piece taken away.
Bully sticks vs yak chews and antlers: the hardness question
Owners usually move to yak chews or antlers for one reason: their dog finishes bully sticks too fast. Both last far longer. The trade-off is hardness, and it matters more than most buying guides say.
Tooth fractures are common in dogs. The Vet Times review reported a fracture prevalence of 20 to 27 percent, and veterinary nutritionists writing in Today's Veterinary Practice cite figures of up to 26 percent. Hard chews are one of the recognised causes, which is exactly why the thumbnail test exists. A dry yak chew and an antler often fail it. A bully stick at room temperature usually passes and softens further with saliva.
If your goal is a longer chew, there are safer levers than switching to a harder material: a thicker bully stick, a holder, timed sessions and one stick spread over several days. Those options keep the chew soft enough to pass the thumbnail test while slowing the dog down.
Beef cheek, tendon and gullet: the middle ground
These three sit between a bully stick and the very hard chews. They are all single-ingredient beef products, they all soften with chewing, and each has a different profile.
- Beef cheek: dried cheek muscle, often rolled into a thick roll. It is dense and lasts a good while for a medium chewer. The rolled layers can come apart into sizeable chunks, so watch for a dog that tears layers off and swallows them.
- Beef tendon: firm and fibrous, with a mild smell. It suits gentle and moderate chewers well. A strong chewer can soften it quickly and pull off stringy pieces, and the softened end needs removing like a bully stick end.
- Gullet: dried esophagus muscle, light and crisp, sometimes braided. It is a quick chew rather than a long one, which makes it useful as a short reward. Braided ends can loosen into strips, and the smell can be strong.
None of these has an independent calorie measurement comparable to the bully stick study, so check the label for a calorie figure and count the chew in the day's food.
Rawhide in brief
Rawhide is made from the inner layer of cow or horse hide and processed into rolls, knots and shapes. It is long-lasting and low in smell. The concern is how it breaks: a strong chewer can soften and tear off a large piece and swallow it whole, and a swallowed chunk of rawhide does not soften the way a muscle chew does.
We cover the rawhide comparison in detail elsewhere, so we will not repeat it here. In short, if you use rawhide, choose a piece far larger than your dog's mouth, supervise, and take away any piece that becomes small and gummy.
Swallow risk: which chews leave a dangerous piece?
Every chew gets smaller as a dog works on it, and almost every chew problem happens at the end. Which pieces are most likely to cause trouble depends on their shape and texture. A 2025 review of chewing in dogs in Frontiers in Veterinary Science named hardness, smoothness and low dissolvability as the features that make a swallowed chew more likely to lodge.
| Chew | The piece to watch | When to take it away |
|---|---|---|
| Bully stick | The last 1 to 2 inches | Once it could fit fully in the mouth |
| Collagen stick | Softened end and torn pieces | Once it is short or soft enough to gulp |
| Yak chew | The small, hard end nub | Once it is smaller than the mouth |
| Beef cheek | Loose layers and chunks | When layers start coming off in pieces |
| Tendon and gullet | Soft ends and strips | Once short or stringy |
| Rawhide | Softened, gummy chunks | As soon as pieces start tearing off |
| Antler | Splinters and the worn end | When splintered or small, or if teeth look damaged |
Veterinary nutritionists writing in Today's Veterinary Practice put the rule that covers all of them in one line: remove the chew once it is small enough to be a choking risk. If a piece does go down, our step-by-step guide explains what to do in the first hour and what to watch for over the next three days.
Calories: why only one chew has a real number
Calories are where chews get compared least honestly. Only bully sticks have a published independent measurement: a study by Freeman and colleagues in the Canadian Veterinary Journal measured 26 sticks and found an average of 15 calories per inch, with a range of 9 to 22. That means a 6-inch stick can carry anywhere from about 54 to 132 calories.
We could not find a comparable independent measurement for collagen sticks, yak chews, beef cheek, tendon, gullet, rawhide or antler, so we have not put numbers on them. Some product labels list calories per piece, and that label is the best figure you will get. If a chew has no calorie information at all, treat it as a meaningful part of the day's food rather than a free extra.
The guideline most vets use applies to every chew: treats and chews together should stay under 10 percent of a dog's daily calories, as the authors in Today's Veterinary Practice note. On days your dog gets a big chew, trim the meal slightly.
How to choose: a quick decision guide
| If your dog | Consider | Be careful with |
|---|---|---|
| Finishes a bully stick in minutes | Thicker bully stick with a holder, beef cheek, timed sessions | Antlers and yak chews that fail the thumbnail test |
| Chews gently and slowly | Bully stick, collagen stick, tendon | Very large or very hard chews it cannot work on |
| Has a sensitive stomach | One new chew at a time, short sessions | Several new chews in the same week |
| Has a known beef allergy | Ask your vet for a non-beef option | Bully, collagen, cheek, tendon and gullet are all beef |
| Lives with people sensitive to smell | Collagen stick, yak chew | Bully sticks and gullet |
| Is on a weight plan | Chews you can portion into short sessions | Long sessions on calorie-dense chews |
Whatever you choose, introduce one new chew at a time, give it in short supervised sessions, and watch your dog's stool and energy over the next day. Rotating two chew types is fine once each one is known to agree with your dog.
When a bully stick is the right chew
One ingredient, grass-fed Brazilian beef pizzle, in packs of 5 to 25 or on Subscribe & Save.
See the bully sticksFrequently asked questions
Are collagen sticks better than bully sticks?
Neither is better for every dog. Collagen sticks smell less and many dogs like them. Bully sticks have stronger appeal and the only measured calorie range, 9 to 22 per inch. Both are beef and both soften as they are chewed, so the same rules apply: right size, supervision, and remove the last piece.
Is a collagen stick the same as rawhide?
Not exactly. Both come from beef hide, but a collagen stick is made from the collagen layer and processed differently, and many are designed to break down more easily than traditional rawhide. That varies by product, so supervise a collagen stick just as you would any other chew and take away small pieces.
What lasts longer than a bully stick?
Yak chews and antlers last much longer, and beef cheeks usually last longer for medium chewers. The catch is hardness: very hard chews often fail the thumbnail test and can fracture teeth. A thicker bully stick, a holder and short timed sessions are safer ways to stretch chewing time.
Are yak chews safer than bully sticks?
Not necessarily. Yak chews last longer and smell less, but they are very hard when dry and often fail the thumbnail test, which raises the risk of tooth fractures in strong chewers. The small hard end can also be swallowed. Test any yak chew with your thumbnail before giving it.
Which chew is best for a power chewer?
A thick bully stick in a holder or a beef cheek, given in timed sessions with supervision, suits most power chewers. Avoid relying on chews that are too hard to dent with your thumbnail. Take away any piece small enough to swallow, and stop if chunks are being bitten off.
Do collagen sticks smell less than bully sticks?
Usually, yes. Collagen sticks have a mild smell, while bully sticks have a noticeable beef smell that gets stronger once the stick is wet from chewing. Storing any chew in a sealed bag and giving it in one spot, like a mat, keeps the smell contained.
