This squirrel hemp rope toy is made by hand. These help improve a dog's dental health and provide hours of fun. Our rope toys are meant to be played with, carried around, thrown, tugged, etc, but NOT chewn and swallowed. The strings that naturally form will help to floss the teeth when the dog carries it around and plays with it. It is not food, and not meant to be swallowed or injested. We feel it is a great, natural cotton, healthy toy if played with interactively. Dogs love interaction. Eventually, the rope will unknot and become rope again, it is also fun for the dogs to undo the knots. It's a puzzle for your dog!