Archive for September 2012

Happy Autumn, Bully Fans!

What are your Fall plans with your dog this season?! Tell us in the comments section below!

It’s time again to delve into the great world of Dog Sports with BestBullySticks.com! We won’t go too heavy on the sports commentary here, but we will let you in on one of the most exciting canine competitions out there: Flyball!

What it is Flyball?
Fast paced, “Edge of your seat,” nail-biting excitement. If you’ve never heard of Flyball, you’re in for a great time. This sport might be a new favorite!

More specifically, Flyball is a two-team dog sport where teams compete in a hurdle jumping & ball fetching relay race. A dog must run and jump quickly over a series of low hurdles in a line, step on a spring-loaded pedestal releasing a tennis ball, catch the ball, then return back over the hurdles to the starting line with the ball in tow. We’ll talk more about the specifics later, so let’s talk about how this crazy dog sport got started!

History
Flyball was started in Southern California in the late 1960s, early 1970s, and since then the sport hasn’t really divulged from its origins. The architects of the sport combined scent-based hurdle racing with a retrieval of a tennis ball, which was carried back to the starting line. The actual box apparatus that releases tennis balls wasn’t added until later.

The first Flyball tournaments were held in the U.S. in 1983, but since this sport has spread to the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada and South Africa. These European countries have especially jumped on Flyball and hold an International European Flyball Championship each year.  

Field & Play
Now let’s talk about specifics!

Is Your Dog Right for Flyball?
The all-important question. The “players” of this dog sport tend to be Border Collies, but one of the beauties of this sport is that any dog can play. Mixed breeds are common because there are the most commonly owned dog. Labs and Australian Shepherds are also great at this sport. Whippets and Miniature Poodles have even been known to compete in Flyball. As long as your dog has lots of energy to burn, is willing to be trained and you are happy to teach, Flyball is an extremely rewarding and fun way to bond with your dog! Read more

Did you miss any of BestBullySticks.com BARK-tastic blogs this week?  If you did miss any of the Bikejoring/Deaf Dog Awareness/Peanut Honey Surprise/Bluetick fun catch up before Monday with all of this week's great BBS Blogs!

So snuggle up to your favorite pooch (or pooches) and read the BBS Healthy Dog Blog! Happy Weekend Reading! Click the links below to find out more about:

Dog Sports: Bikejoring • Deaf Dog Awareness Week • Peanut Honey Pupcakes • Bluetick Coonhound

Also in your free time this weekend, check out our fun Pinterest Page! We've got TONS of great dog videos, adorable dog photos, funny dog photos, DIY dog project and more!

Straight out of folklore or a country song, the Bluetick Coonhound is somewhat of an American legend. This dog’s resolute look and temperament along with it’s “go-get-‘em” work ethic make the Bluetick a true specimen of a dog and hound. As much as this dog is hardworking, he is loyal and gentle as well. Read more about the Bluetick Coonhound in BestBullySticks.com Breed Spotlight. 

History & Background: Originating in Louisiana, this dog is a result of breeding the French Bleu de Gascogne, English Foxhound, American Foxhound, Cur and Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound. Before they were called Blueticks, this breed was called the English Foxhound in America. In 1945, American breeders broke off from English breeders because they didn’t want to pursue a “hot-nosed” breed but wanted to keep their “cold-nosed” breed with their own distinct hunting style.  This breed was officially recognized by the AKC in 2009.

Famous Blueticks are found in literature but even more so in songwriting. Artists such as Neil Young, Charlie Daniels, Blake Shelton and Emmylou Harris all sing about these Coonhounds. The University of Tennessee’s mascot is a Bluetick named Smokey.

Height: 22-27, Males; 21-25 inches, Females

Weight: 55-80 pounds, Males; 45-65 pounds, Females

Coat: This coonhound’s fur is coarse, short and lies close to the body. A healthy coat is soft and shiny.

Color: Just as it’s name suggests, the Bluetick Coonhound’s color is made up of dark blue and white ticking, creating a navy-like color. More blue than white is preferred in the breed standard.  This hound also has large black spots on its back, ears and sides and its ears and head are mostly black. Some red ticking can be present as well and usually is seen on the feet or lower legs. Blueticks can also have tan points, which appear as dots above the eyes, on cheeks, on the tail and below the tail. Read more

Today’s Best Bully Sticks Weekly Drool Recipe teams up with Sprinkle Bakes blogger and author Heather Baird to bring your pups a delectable birthday surprise. So, shhh… don’t tell them, but we’re making Peanut Putter Pupcakes!

Of course your precious pup is special so why not make them a special treat on their special day? Heather was kind enough to share the birthday recipe she made for her pug, Churro. Whether it’s your dog’s birthday, adoption anniversary or just a fun treat, Sprinkle Bakes’ Peanut Butter Pupcakes are low-fat, dog-friendly treats that are sure to let you dog know they’re loved! Here is Heather’s original post:

It's Churro's birthday!

Well, sort of.

We don't really know when his birthday is.  And we don't know exactly how old he is either, but we still like to celebrate the day we welcomed him into our family. Churro is a rescue -yes, a pound puppy.  His history is somewhat of a mystery to us, but we were told that he came from a pretty bad situation. You'd never know that from his demeanor. He's the sweetest real-life teddy bear you'll ever meet! And he instantly fit right in with Biscuit-the-pug and our three kitty-cats. Words cannot express how gentle and loving he is.  It breaks my heart that there are so many animals of similar docility that get taken to the shelter.  I don't like to think about that too much, but I felt that I must mention it.

Maybe someone out there looking for a furbaby will remember Churro's happy ending and decide to rescue. Read more