How Our Natural Dog Chews Are Made

We want to be completely transparent about every step your ugly chew takes. This page is for the true researcher that wants to know everything we do, why we do it, and what it means for your pet.

It All Starts With Local Ranchers, Butchers and Cows

At the moment all of our products are beef, primarily because Wyoming, Utah and Idaho have a lot of cows.

At the moment all of our products are beef, primarily because Wyoming, Utah and Idaho have a lot of cows. Most of our cows are raised on small family farms in Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. No factory farms here. The meat from these cows goes to local restaurants and family freezers. We’ve partnered with multiple butchers to take the hides, ears, and trachea to make dog chews. We pick them up each day to make sure that they stay fresh, and transport them to our facility.

Cleaning Them Up

Some other dog chew manufacturers keep their hides fresh by soaking them in salt or lime or bleach.

We always knew that wasn’t what we wanted to be. We want to keep our chews as clean and natural as possible, which is why we take them immediately from the butcher to cleaning. There are two important parts of the cleaning process: washing and fleshing. Fleshing is the removal of excess fat and meat from the hide. One reason we flesh the hides is for caloric impact. If we left meat and fat on the hides, they could easily be several hundred calories each, which makes them incredibly unhealthy for a simple chew. The main reason is because both meat and fat will spoil and go rancid without some form of preservative, and we don’t want your dog to get sick. Washing, is of course used to clean the hides. These are cows that graze mountain pastures, so their hides often carry dirt, grass, leaves, manure, etc that needs thoroughly washed.

We don’t use any chemicals or soaps in our washing or fleshing. We just use water at various pressures and angles for a long time to make sure the hides are left fresh and clean, ready to be transformed into chews.

Cutting, Forming, and Drying

Once the hides are all clean, they are hand cut (using a knife!) into approximately 4, 8, and 12 inch strips. Technically we cut them a little longer than that to account for the size they lose when they dry.

Then they are rolled and put out onto racks in the direct sunlight to dry. This step is super important, because we want to keep our dog chews additive and chemical free. But we also don’t want your dog to get salmonella or E.coli or some other nasty bacteria. Luckily, studies have shown that direct exposure to the UV radiation in sunlight kills these bacteria. Each chew spends at least three days in direct sunlight, being rotated to make sure the entire chew is disinfected and dried. While this process is time-consuming, it allows us to create an all-natural chew without any chemicals, additives, or preservatives, while still providing a near infinite shelf-life to the final product. 

To store they are kept in a cool/dry drying room.

Delivering Them To You!

This was a remarkably difficult challenge for us to overcome. We wanted to be able to ship chews to every state, but this whole thing started because we wanted to save good hides from the landfill.

It didn’t make much sense to save the hides from being wasted just end up wasting a bunch of plastic, styrofoam, and cardboard instead. We wanted to keep our commitment to being a zero-waste, natural option. Luckily, we were able to find a package supplier that provides biodegradable, compostable packaging. The packaging you receive will be pretty simple. It won’t be filled with a bunch of promotional flyers or packing material. Just a big pile of dog chews.

We’re pretty proud of this, because pet treat regulations make it surprisingly difficult to do. But regardless of how you feel about politics or climate change or environmentalism, I think we can all agree that dumping a little less plastic in the oceans is a win for everyone. We like dogs, but we like sea turtles too.

Based on 228 reviews
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(195)
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Chips, Chunks, & Scraps
Cassidy (Detroit, US)
My pibbles FAVORITE treats!!!

My pup loves the hide rolls for a longer-lasting enrichment chew so I wanted to give the chips a try. She absolutely goes crazy for the chips and they make a perfect snack sized treat for special occasions. I love supporting family-owned businesses and when a shipping problem occurred with my order they were so kind and helpful in getting my package to me. This is one of my favorite shops and I highly recommend giving them a try!

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Ugly Chews Gift Card
Alieth Parets (Fort Lauderdale, US)
First time trying Ugly Chews

This was our first time ordering from Ugly Chews and my dogs loved it! They were so excited when I opened the box and let them smell it. We will definitely be repurchasing!

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Freeze Dried Liver Bites
Cynthia Marie (Cleveland, US)
Loved them!

My 4 dogs just loved them! I also liked that these treats didn’t smell bad at all. I would definitely recommend them! I look forward to trying other products too!

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Hannah Metzger (Lynchburg, US)
Best chew ever

So far he’s gotten 3 30 minute sessions with this. The only caution I’d give is if your dog is very pry driven like mine you need to make sure you trade out when you need to take it away. He’s very possessive of these.

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Ugly Chews Gift Card
Jacquelyn Ostin (Arvada, US)
Hide rolls

My dog could not WAIT to get into these. She can be a little selective with fur-on treats but she took to these instantly. Definitely will be ordering more

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Samantha Woods
He loved it!

Our little guy went to town on these chews. True to their name they are VERY ugly, but according to the dog it only makes them taste better.

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Michelle Murrill (Azusa, US)
My pups loved them

My pitty and little mutt loved the chews. My only complaint is the tufts of hair around the house and my pit hacked up a hairball like a cat. Hahaha. That’s the only reason I gave them 4 stars.

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Nicole (Boonville, US)
Dog loves them, but not “long lasting.”

My German Shepherd/Pitbull mix absolutely destroyed half a chew in about 10 minutes. The rolls also look much thinner than the advertised photos show, even though I ordered the largest size. He sure loved them but for the price I was very disappointed he was able to get through it so fast.

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Sample of Chips, Chunks, & Scraps
J Smith (Birmingham, US)
Older dog loves them

I have an older dog that's picky about treats. He sniffed his first Ugly Chew for a few seconds, then started chewing. He really enjoyed it, and had no stomach issues. I highly recommend these!

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Wendy Kirkman (Rolesville, US)
The Good, the bad, and the Ugly.

The Good:My dog enjoyed these! There was no smell and no upset tummy.
The Bad: They didn't last long. My dog finished one in about an hour.
The Ugly: They definitely live up to their name. Pretty shocking when I first opened the package.

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Chips, Chunks, & Scraps
Matie Mullendore (Portland, US)
these are gross and my dogs couldn't be happier

My dogs (5 of the 6!) LOVE ugly chews. They don't smell at all. All my friends ask if they smell, NOPE. Bully sticks smell so much but these smell like nothing. How nice is it to use the bits of the cow that would traditionally just be trash. I highly recommend these.

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Lacy (Valley City, US)
New favorite

My dogs absolutely loved these. They took them everywhere with them and really enjoyed them. I was surprised. Usually they end up just leaving half eaten treats all over. These, they guarded with their lives like they were their personal teddy bears. I'm impressed!

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Benjamin S. (Englewood, US)
Max liked it!

Indeed he did! Max loves his ugly chews. Expensive but worth it. No stomach issues afterwards which is a much needed surprise. Lasted about 5ish hours under optimal conditions which is a compliment coming from a Black Mouth Cur.

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Ugly Chews Gift Card
Lily Hak (Oakland, US)
Forever Ugly Chews fans!

We love ugly chews! Archie has a blast gnawing on them and they last him such a long time. The fact that it is 100% natural, puts me at ease!

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Chloe (Austin, US)
Longest lasting chew we've tried

I'm always on the look out for a long lasting, safe chew since I have a 9 month adolescent puppy. We've gone around the bend with the popular recommendations (yak chews, bully sticks, pig/cow ears, beef cheek rolls, etc.). Some work better than others, but these hide rolls are probably the longest lasting for my puppy! They're high value, and she doesn't get bored of it in 5 minutes or finish it in 15 minutes. It's a fantastic price for how long it takes her to go through them. Thus far, one roll can last her about two hours total (we split sessions, so that's just an estimate). I'm also more assured that they're safe for her to consume, although I haven't let her swallow the last bit over worry for choking. All in all, 5/5 for sure. I will definitely be putting these on our regular shopping list! :)

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
karen curatola (Las Vegas, US)
My sister bernedoodles love them

I do admit it's kinda gross in the begining however they love them and no stomach upset (doodles can have belly issues). These are awesome already need to place another order! Job well done

Immediate favorites!

My young bully mix is a powerful chewer, and I'm always on the lookout for new products to incorporate into her care. I learned about Ugly Chews thanks to her foster mom, whose personal dogs are BIG fans of Ugly Chews products. We started with the sample packs of the Chips, Chunks, & Scraps and the rolls - WOW! Celia Boo absolutely LOVES these chews, more than anything else we've tried so far. The chips and scraps are great for shorter, individual chew sessions, while the hair-on-hide rolls are better for multiple sessions over time. I love that these are handmade and commit to using all of the hide, focusing on creating quality products I know are handled with care from sourcing to shipping. We are an Ugly Chews household, and I tell all my fellow dog parents to try them, too.

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Ugly Chews Gift Card
Caylen Jordan (Houston, US)
Thrilled I found this company!!

I am thrilled to have found an all natural, small family owned, single ingredient, holistic, no waste company to support! Buying only the best is always the main objective for our dogs and this beats SO many of the garbage, chemically processed options in stores these days. They really check all the boxes and my senior dog who rarely chews on things anymore LOVES them. Fuck yeah yall, thanks for all you do! Highly recommend!

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Justin Johnson (Roseville, US)
They loved em

My Bull Terrier snatched it and rant to her crate. That's how she rolls no pun intended. My big boy gnawed it for a good while before I took it away. Enjoyed them and didn't want to give them up.

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
@kiloniner.kiko (Kea‘au, US)
He chewed himself into a nap

Just got our first shipment and within a few seconds, all of his other chew toys became irrelevant. Chewed himself into a nap, but had to have his paws on it while he slept.

Finding a natural dog chew that gets this kind of focus is a Godsend.

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Sample of Chips, Chunks, & Scraps
Elizabeth Breyman (Stayton, US)
Being honest

I got these chews thinking they'd last longer than your average chew. My chow chows devoured the medium size ones way too fast for the price of the product. Most likely won't order again.

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Ashley McGee (Denver, US)
Can't stop chewing

Our pup Trout loves his ugly chews. He has spent hours chewing on it.

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Sample of Chips, Chunks, & Scraps
Rebecca Franklyn (Springvale, US)
So glad I bought them!

I wanted to try the sample chips since my pup is picky. She tends to get a chew and walks off crying, while trying to find a place to hide it. Not this time! I let her pick one out and she went to town! She has been happily chewing away for almost a solid hour, and that never happens. I have finally found the perfect chew!

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Ugly Chews Gift Card
Carly (Long Beach, US)
Highly recommended!

Our dog would devour bully sticks and these ugly chews have lasted longer and now a staple in her “chew/treat” drawer. Keeps her very well entertained!

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Hair-On Hide Rolls
Erynn L. (Pensacola, US)
Best chews ever!!!!

Recently stumbled upon these Ugly Chews through social media and had to buy them. If your dogs love bully sticks these are way more durable and good for their digestive tract. My labs love them!

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