Archive for December 2012

A handmade gift is from the heart. So, this Christmas make a personalized gift for a dog you love or a fellow dog-lover. It will leave an impression this season and for many more to come. BestBullySticks.com gives you three easy DIY Christmas Gifts for Dogs and Dog-Lovers.

Holly Ascot
“Deck the dogs with boughs of holly?” This adorable, seasonal dog accessory is sure to get your dog lots of doting looks.

You’ll Need
Tape measure
Felt
Fusible webbing
Iron
Disappearing-ink pen
Fabric glue (optional)
Decorative cord (optional)
Velcro dots
Needle and thread
Jingle bells
Felt Holly Ascot template

How-To
1. Measure your dog's neck.

2. Print Felt Holly Ascot template. To get the right fit for your dog, divide measurement from step 1 in half, and add the resulting measurement to the length of template, extending the straight end accordingly.

3. Fold felt in half, and place template on top, with the straight end of template near the fold. Cut around template without cutting through fold, creating a long, thin rectangle that's roughly twice as long as template. Repeat, cutting another rectangle of felt, and then one from fusible webbing.

4. Lay a piece of felt over webbing, and iron to fuse them. Remove backing from webbing, and sandwich with a second piece of felt. Iron to fuse them.

5. Fold fused fabric in half, and place template so the straight end is on the fold. Trace template onto felt with a disappearing-ink pen, cut out the shape, and unfold.

6. Fold 1 holly leaf in half lengthwise, and press with steam to give leaf dimension. Repeat with remaining leaf.

7. If desired, use fabric glue to attach decorative cord from leaf tip to leaf tip, along center of collar.

8. Stitch on Velcro dots where the leaves will cross each other when collar is worn. Sew on 3 bells. Read more

Some of this product may be expired. Please be aware that even though the product is past it's arbitrary "sell-by" date, the shelf life of the product is a year past it's sell-by date.

Did you miss any of BestBullySticks.com BARK-tastic blogs this week?  If you did miss any of the Dog-Friendly Decorating/Christmas Baking/Italian Mastiff/Rescue Donating/Holiday Winning 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:

Tip #193: Dog-Friendly Christmas Decorating • Peppermint Dog Chews •  Breed Spotlight on the Cane Corso • "12 Days of Appreciation" Rescue Giveaway • BBS Holiday Gift Guide $200 Product Giveaway

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!

A majestic presence and a rich Italian history are wrapped up into the beautiful form of the Cane Corso. BestBullySticks.com highlights this impressive and distinctive dog in our weekly Breed Spotlight. Read on to learn more about the Cane Corso!

History & Background: The Cane Corso’s name is derived from the Latin “Cohors” meaning “Guardian” and “Protector.” This dog’s direct ancestor is the Canis Pugnax, which was a war dog used by the Romans. Corsos were also used as a “catch dog” to hunt and pin large animals such as cattle and pigs and also as a herder and watchdog. In Italy, this dog can be seen in history living along side farmers and rural families for hundreds of years. In the 1970s this dog almost faced extinction but was saved by a dedicated few. The Corso still has a large presence in Italy, today. The modern Cane Corso looks slightly different than it’s pre-70s relatives because of selective breeding used to grow numbers of this breed. In 1987 the Cane Corso made its way to the United States and has been popular ever since. In fact, celebrities such as Tracy Morgan, Patti LeBelle and Lebron James own Cane Corsos.

Height: Males: 25 to 27.5 inches; Females: 23.5 to 26 inches

Weight: 88 to 170 pounds

Coat: Corsos sport a short, hard coat that should have a healthy sheen. The close fitting coat has a light undercoat that gets thicker in cooler weather. The Cane Corso has a perfectly waterproof coat.

Color: This dog’s coloring can range from black, grey, red and fawn. Any of these colors can appear in brindle. The solid colored fawn and red dogs usually have a black or grey mask. White patches appear on the chest, throat, chin and toes. Eye color is related to muzzle color. Dogs with black muzzles have dark brown eyes and gray muzzles have lighter colored eyes. Nose color matches the pigment of dog; black pigment matches a black nose and grey pigment matches a grey nose. Read more

Only 13 Days until Christmas! Do your dogs have a treat to leave Santa Paws on Christmas Eve? Try out these Peppermint Christmas Chews from Bunny Roo Beagle’s blog! BestBullySticks.com thinks these are sure to please Santa Paws or any other pup on your Christmas list this Holiday Season!

Ingredients
2 Cups All purpose white flour
1/2 Cup Dry milk
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3rd Cup Low sodium beef bouillon powder
2 Eggs
1 Cup Warm water
1/2 tsp Peppermint extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Add the eggs, water and peppermint extract. Mix well.

4. Kneed the dough for approximately 2 minutes.

5. Roll dough into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

Bone Appétit & Happy Holiday Baking!

For more great Holiday Dog Treat ideas, check out Peanut Butter Pumpkin Puppy Treats and Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies! These tasty treats are sure to be a hit this Holiday season!