Archive for May 2012

Best Bully Sticks loves supporting animal shelters and rescues. (In fact, every Tuesday the Healthy Dog Blog highlights a rescue or shelter.) It’s pretty easy to figure out that our readers and customers genuinely care and hurt for rescue animals. But what happens when rescuing a dog falls into your own hands? Best Bully Sticks knows at some point you'll see a dog in need, whether you’re driving or just happen upon a loose, unattended dog. Today BBS will go over the correct way to handle the rescue of a stray dog.

Your Initial Reaction
Remember that your initial reaction is key. If you’re in your car, do not slam on your breaks. There’s no reason to get in a wreck. If you’re walking by your self, do not startle the dog.  Any dog, no matter how friendly, can act out when scared.

If You Don’t Feel Comfortable
If there is any reason you don’t feel comfortable rescuing the dog, don’t proceed! Whether it’s because you’re alone, you’re nervous or scared, or just don’t feel confident, by all means, don’t try to rescue the dog. Dogs can sense fear and you don’t want to provoke the dog in any way. Call your local SPCA, or 411 number to find out who to contact. Provide your nearest animal rescue organization with as much information as you can: coloring, markings, breed, color of collar, gender and where you last saw the dog and which direction it was heading.

DO NOT
If you decided to help the dog, here are some absolute no-no’s.
-Do not chase the dog. If you run, the dog will run and that could mean out into traffic, or just away where you can’t follow.

-Do not move suddenly or speak loudly. Again, you don’t want to frighten or provoke the dog.

-Do not proceed if the dog becomes aggressive. We shouldn’t have to say it, but it won’t be worth it or help either one of you if you are hurt. 

Securing the Dog
This part of the process is a very delicate one. First, try calling the dog to you and maybe even offer a treat and incentive. If you’re on the road, try slowly opening the door and see if the dog jumps in.  Dogs who are used to riding in cars will be familiar with this. If you don’t feel comfortable riding in the car with the dog, call your local SPCA or Animal Rescue to meet you where you are. If you happened upon the dog in your neighborhood, trying coaxing the dog into a fenced in yard or any closed off area. Read more

Best Bully Sticks is excited to announce a great sale on a great toy! Nina Ottosson’s toys are a great way to engage and challenge your dog. Best Bully Sticks knows that dogs are extremely bright, resourceful animals and we offer Nina Ottosson toys because we believe dogs need mental stimulation as much as physical stimulation.

These toys take treating to your dog to an intelligent level. Basically, you hide a treat in one of the toys and your dog has to figure out how to reach the treat. This is an exciting way to keep your pooch entertained for hours while you watch them figure out how to get to that hidden prize. The idea is that you and your pooch get to spend some fun and enjoyable time together. You demonstrate. The dog watches, listens and learns. And hopefully... finds those treats!

If you're interested in these great interactive toys for your dog, now is the time to buy from Best Bully Sticks.com! ALL Nina Ottosson Dog Toys are now 15% OFF!

Check out the full line that includes the Dog Dizzy, Dog Tornado, Dog Twister, Dog Casino and MORE! 

Saint Bernard’s are known as the rescue dogs of the Alpines, but what most don’t know about this giant breed is their rich and interesting progression through history.  Best Bully Sticks Breed Spotlight takes a look into the life of this gentle giant.

History & Background: The origins of the Saint Bernard are thought to coincide with the Sunnenhund breeds, which are the Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs. All of these breeds are descendants of the molosser breed that was brought into the Swiss Alps by the ancient Romans. In 1707, the Saint Bernard was first recorded by the monks of the St. Bernard Pass. It’s believed the monks and surrounding famers and dairymen used these dogs as livestock guard as well as rescue people from avalanches high in the mountains. With its incredible strength this dog would pull people from the deep snowy drifts and cart them off to safety.

The original Saint Bernard is probably very different looking from the dog we know today. The Saint Bernard has a striking resemblance to the Newfoundland and for good reason. During the winter of 1816 through 1818, many Saint Bernards died themselves from being stuck in avalanches, so the dog were bred with Newfoundlands in an attempt to preserve the breed. 

The Saint Bernard is named after Saint Bernard of Menthon, but was called many other things before earning it’s lasting name, such as "Saint Dogs", "Noble Steeds", "Alpenmastiff", or "Barry Dogs.”

Some famous Saint Bernards include movie characters Beethoven and Cujo, sports mascots including Gumbo of the New Orleans Saints and even J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, owned a Saint Bernard named Porthos. Read more

If you’re a seasonal shopper you know that the freshest fruits and berries are showing up at a farmer’s market near you. However, Best Bully Sticks wants to hang on to those last few ground root veggies that are fixing to pass out of season! Lettuce, potatoes, radishes, onions and best of all: carrots! Carrots are a wonderful source of vitamins and minerals not only for you, but for your dog. Carrots are chock-full of beta-carotene, which is transferred into Vitamin A once consumed. Vitamin A supports health vision, skin, hair, bone development and can even be a cancer preventative.

Here’s a great recipe to treat your dog to some yummy and healthy carrots! The carrots paired with tasty chicken, honey and parsley, you're dog is sure to drool over this one! Thanks to Doggy Dessert Chef for another great recipe contribution!  

Ingredients
1 Chicken breast, cooked and chopped

2 Carrots, grated

2 tablespoons Honey

1 teaspoon dried Parsley

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup Water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

3. In a large bowl mix all ingredients one at a time, kneading well after each addition.

4. Once dough is well mixed roll dough into 1/2 inch balls and place dough balls 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Press down on the tops with a fork to flatten.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until browned at the edges. Cool and refrigerate.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen rounds

Recipe and photos courtesy of Doggy Dessert Chef

That age-old maxim, “April Showers Bring May Flowers” is very true. After Winter, fragrant blossoms are a welcome sight and are very abundant already this Spring! However, May also brings some nasty critters that aren’t welcome at all—fleas and ticks! Ick! But don’t worry! Best Bully Sticks.com is here to help you sort out what flea and tick preventatives are best for your pooch this Spring.

We’re here to say two things:
1. You should always take preventative steps to protect your furry family member from fleas and ticks.

2. If you didn’t know already, BBS doesn’t condone the use of any chemicals in anything for pets because they’re very bad for our four-legged friends.

That being said, how do you treat your dog for fleas and ticks without using a flea and tick medication that isn’t full of crazy sounding chemicals for ingredients? In reality, it’s very simple, but first, let’s go over why chemically enhanced flea and tick preventatives aren’t good for your dog.

One of the first reasons to avoid chemically laden flea and tick preventatives is that it could be very harmful to your dog. The chemicals that act as insect repellents have been known to have some bad side effects, like seizures and poisoning.  The second reason is because these chemical toxins, from dog flea collars or topical solutions, can stay on pet fur for weeks. This means that children are in danger of ingesting the chemicals as well. This has been seen to cause short and long term developmental issues in children.

Watch this video from the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) to learn more about topical flea and tick preventatives and the toxins they could include.

Here are a few simple ways to prevent flea and ticks naturally! Read more