Archive for February 2012

Best Bully Sticks knows these homemade biscuits are sure to make an impression.  Packed full of chicken flavor, these adorable treats are great for everyday pup snacks or a puppy play date. We think you’ll have as much fun making them as your dog loves eating them!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup brewer's yeast

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2. Combine flour, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Pour canola oil in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to oil in 3 increments, alternating with 1 cup stock; mix until combined.

3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a 2-inch fluted cutter (bakedeco.com). Transfer to baking sheets.

4. Make an indentation toward the bottom of 1 circle using your thumb, then press dough to make an arch of 4 small circles on top of the thumbprint using the tip of your pinky. Repeat with remaining rounds. Freeze for 15 minutes.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating sheets and lightly brushing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock halfway through. Turn oven off, and let stand in oven for 40 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen

Recipe Tip:

Dog treats can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month.

(courtesy of Martha Stewart)

A few weeks ago, Best Bully Sticks ran a Free Bully Sticks for a Year contest in which we asked people to send in videos of their dogs chewing on a BBS product.  We had a lot of great videos flooding in yet one in particular was receiving a lot of attention. The video was simply called “Bruno loves his Best Bully Sticks.”  Bruno was immediately getting a lot of votes, so after a little research, we learned Bruno had quite an amazing story and his foster family and other volunteers from Castaway Pet Rescue were truly looking out for this special pup.

“Bruno was found in an alley in Chicago with no use of his back legs at 4 weeks old!!!

Someone brought him into CACC and he was to be put to sleep. However Castaway Pet Rescue saw this little man fell in love with his on site and knew they had to save him!"

Here is a video recapping the rest of Bruno’s story.

Karen Erbach is Bruno’s foster mom and because is a professional videographer, she saw our Free Bully Sticks for a Year contest and immediately set to work. Read more

This week in our 101 Dog Tips Dog Safety series, Best Bully Sticks focuses on treating bites on your dog and any reaction they might have. Dogs are naturally curious creatures, so bites may be unavoidable. Bites and stings come from other insects and animals such as flies, spiders, ticks and snakes. Most of these critters can find a way into your house as well, and as unpleasant as that thought is, if you’re dog is bitten you’ll want to know what actions to take to treat your pup.

Insect Bites

Insect bites can range from flies, to spiders, to ticks.

Flies don’t cause much of a problem, but can leave you dog with red sores or scabs. Most commonly, dogs who live near farms or livestock have more of a problem with deer flies or horse flies, which are more painful.  Flies also tend to bite on dog’s ears. To treat a dog with small fly bites, usually a bit of antibiotic cream will help. If the dog’s ears have been bitten, use warm water and antiseptic soap to clean the bites and then use antibiotic ointment afterward to treat the wounds.  Prevention of these bites can include applying a topical insecticide to the dog’s ears, spraying the dog’s outside living quarters with a non-toxic bug repellant and keeping food waste and garbage cleaned up as not to attract bugs.

Spider bites are more severe and usually the culprits are black widow and brown recluse spiders.  Both of these spiders are venomous, but the severity of these bites depends on the location of the bite as well as the species and its size.  Here are signs to identify which type of spider bite and the symptoms.

A black widow spider bite causes immediate tenderness to the location of the bite and numbness and abdominal swelling and sensitivity. Seizures are possible as well as respiratory problems. If you notice any of these and you see a bite, it’s best to call ahead to your vet and then go there as well. Read more

Best Bully Sticks is all ears this week with our product spotlight! Pig ears have been around forever and dogs love them. They are a great way to encourage positive chewing habits and are long lasting. Oven baked and made in the U.S., these are whole dried pig ears and, of course, high quality! All of our pig ears packs are on sale this week and this item ships free! Remember you also can get an extra 8% off on items with regular delivery! Check out BBS’s delivery options under the “Deliver Every” drop down box.

Vicky says “My 1 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier (aka staffy/bully)is OBSESSED with these ears!!! She knows where I stock them and after her morning walk, she'll stare at the container wagging her tail furiously. Won't budge until she gets an ear! No one beats BBS treats.”

Originally: 23.47

NOW: 22.30!

Last week the Breed Spotlight looked at the very unique Xolo and this week Best Bully Sticks looks at another very unique breed, the Norwegian Lundehund.  Just keep reading to find about this surprising breed!

History & Background: The Norwegian Lundehund was used as a Puffin hunter in arctic Norway and has gained many interesting physical traits over time because of this. This dog wrestled and retrieved the birds from the crevices of steep vertical cliffs. When the Puffin bird became a protected species in the 1800s, the dogs were no longer of use to the farmers and breed number dwindled. During WWII two concerned Norwegians saved the breed yet numbers are still limited today.

Height: 13-15 inches (male), 12-14  inches (female)

Weight: 13-20 pounds

Coat: The Norwegian Lundehund has a double coat with a hard outer coat and a dense, soft undercoat. This dogs fur is short on the head and the front of the legs and longer and thicker around the neck and the back of the thighs. Hair on the tail is plentiful and is feathered. The males have even more fur around their neck.

Color: Sandy brown (fallow) to reddish brown to tan with black tips and white markings, or white with red or dark markings. More black comes out in this breeds hair the older this dog gets. Read more