I'm doing lots of reading and I'm nearly ready to start but what on earth are chicken 'backs'? All the books talk about getting them but I can't work out which bit it would be - it can't be the whole carcass because the weights given are too small. Should I just chop off the breasts and give him the rest?
Also, wouldn't the wings be too small for him - a flattie - because they say not to give them as a separate bone to larger dogs. Is it OK if they are attached?!

We get our chicken carcasses from a local butcher who orders them in from the poultry processor. They are basically what is left after the breast/leg/most wings have been removed for human consumption(not whole chickens). We pay £8 for about 28 carcasses. By backs they generally refer to the spine and a little bit either side. They are good because they often still have the organ meat attatched. I tend to get the carcasses and either feed them whole, or i will chop up a certain percentage with scissors so i have backs seperate, then smash and mince the rest of it, or feed the breast bones as part of a meal. most medium/large dogs can handle a whole carcass. chicken wings depend on how well your dogs chew...if they have a tendancy to swallow them whole i would avoid it and stick with the carcasses/larger bones.
Hope that makes sense

ETA: if you are nervous about the chicken wings - try holding on to them for the first few...the dogs should learn to chew.

I agree with k5kees hold on to the chicken wings until you decided if he swallows them whole or chews them. My gsd had every bit of the chicken , wings things and carcasses but he is "cruncher". i am very pleased to have go fully over to raw it suits the dogs and me ,both of the dogs have the same food that is gsd and a chiuhuhuaXpom they love it
Wish I could get chicken that cheap !!

Eek worried now. I finally braved it and gave my girl a chicken wing (golden retriever). She did do quite a bit of crunching, but seemed to swallow it whole. I am sure that if I held onto it, she wouldn't chew on it as she is a very 'polite' girl and would think it was Mum's. Just how much crunching is deemed acceptable?

my ddb male has 3 whole carcasses for a meal and they are gone in no time, the bones are quite soft so they crunch them very easily (the larger breeds)
Try holding it next time to see if she will crunch or if she is too polite....how sweet, mine would probably take my fingers too if i tried to hold on to it...i did that with young 6 week old puppies and they nearly took my hand off! :)

Sounds like she has crunched it fine, most dogs do,  She is probably smiling at you now waiting for the rest LOL

I really don't like feeding chicken wings. One of my dogs, who also happens to be a Goldie, does swallow them whole and even with carcasses which he is forced to crunch due to the size, the bones don't seem to digest (I can see the evidence!). I prefer lamb ribs, which he still eats at breakneck speed, but there is never any identifiable bony bits in his poo! My lot do get chicken mince which contains bone tho'.

Oh well, as I thought. I tried holding onto the wing and she took hold of it, but when I didn't let go she let go, stepped back and sat. I offered it again and she took hold of it but let go straight away. Third attempt she wouldn't even take hold of it, but sat with a worried look on her face. Plan B, I wacked it with my rolling pin until it was squished then threw it to her cos she loves to catch things, a quick slurp then a gulp and it was gone. I don't think it even touched the sides enough for her to enjoy it. Hopefully tomorrow she will have forgotten that I wouldn't let go and take a squished one off me, then it might actually be in her mouth long enough for her to taste it.

Oh bless her....so very polite :)

Pl;ease do not worry if your dogs do not chew, this is perfectly normal; have you looked at a dog's teeth?  They do not have any flat molars with which to chew, unlike herbivores or omnivores; they do not have jaws that move from side to side, again because they are a carnivore.

Dogs are designed to rip, tear, slice, crunch and swallow.  IF it goes down to big they merely reacquaint themselves with it and enjoy the same meal twice!

ps Although dogs eat anything they are scientifically classed as carnivores. ;)