Dog Care 101 Tip #214: Caring for Senior Dogs

As we near the end of “Be Kind to Animals Month,” we at BestBullySticks thought we should set aside some time for a very special group of dogs — seniors. For aging canines, there are special considerations that need to be kept in mind. Keeping a keen eye on behavior and general health in addition to some fine tuning in diet is all that’s needed to maintain healthy living into the senior years. Old age comes at different times for different breeds, though. That’s why we've put together a guide to not only identify aging, but also how to properly care for your dog as a senior.

Expectations

Knowing what to look out for is half the battle. If you’re able to spot signs of health complications early, there’s a good chance the damage can be minimized. Here are some common health issues to watch out for:

Graying: Of course, there’s nothing dangerous about going gray, but it is a good indicator of middle-age and early seniority. It should be noted, some dogs go gray early despite still being quite young.

Vision & Hearing: Inevitably, vision and hearing deteriorate with old age. For vision, some signs to watch out for are increased clumsiness and cloudy eyes. Cloudy eyes, which are often harmless and a normal process of aging, are the product of lenticular sclerosis. This is sometimes confused with cataracts — a clouding of the lens inside the eye — which is very detrimental to sight. If a clouding of the eyes occurs, make sure you promptly pay a visit to the vet. Read more

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BBS Product Spotlight: All-Natural Lamb Weasand

Looking for something different this spring? Why not try one of BestBullySticks’ newest products, All-Natural Lamb Weasands! Sold individually and in packs, these all-natural, single ingredient chews are made from healthy free-range lamb. Packed with tons of flavor and nutrients like glucosamine, these treats are great for joint health and mobility.

Sourced from free-range lamb, these delicious chews are Made in the USA and like all of BestBullySticks’ products. they’re free of preservatives and chemical additives.

BestBullySticks Lamb Weasands are even USDA approved ensuring the highest quality ingredients and safety for your pooch. These great treats are made from the esophagus of the lamb. Simply dried and twisted, these chews are minimally processed to ensure maximum nutritional value and potential health benefits.

Perfect for medium sized dogs, Lamb Weasands have minimal odor and are super soft on the stomach. Dogs with digestive issues, such as senior dogs or puppies will go crazy for these great chews. Similar in thickness to our bully sticks, All-Natural Lamb Weasands have a jerky-like consistency making them great for less aggressive chewers of any size.

BestBullysticks.com is dedicated to bringing our customers safe all-natural dog chews and treats. Offering one of the largest and most unique online collections of dog treats and chews, we’re sure we’ve got exactly what your pup is looking for!

Don’t forget to follow BestBullySticks on Facebook & Twitter to catch the latest news, product giveaways and specials!

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BBS Training Tip #3: Training Methods Part 1

This week’s installment of BestBullySticks’ Training Tips is the first half of a two part series on Training Methods. As pet lovers, it’s our hope that this information will help owners make more informed decisions about how to train their pets. Let’s get to it!

Selecting a Method

Unfortunately, there is no universal “one size fits all” training system for dogs. Choosing the best training method for you and your dog takes a bit of research. Don’t sweat it, though. We’ve cut through the thick of it to bring you the skinny on what’s what in the world of dog training.

If you haven’t already, BestBullySticks recommends reading our previous post on How Dogs Learn to ensure you get the most from our explanation of these training methods and their key concepts. At the end of the day, the most important factor to consider when selecting a training method is how comfortable both dog and owner are using a system.

Despite the large number of training systems out there, in one way or another many utilize the same three key concepts.

“Marker Training”

Built on the ideas of classical and operant conditioning, Marker Training is a way to build association between a command (marker) and a desired result by immediately offering reinforcement the moment a desired action is completed. For example — if you’re teaching a dog to lay down on command, use the marker (in this case the words “lay down”) when the dog lays down on its own, then offer positive reinforcement such as a treat. Read more

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Weekly Drool Recipe: 4 Ingredient Dog Treats via The Striped Flamingo Blog

As a doggy parent, you care about finding the most wholesome things for you dog and of course that includes dog treats! But you don’t always have the time to whip up a fancy batch of treats. That’s why we’re sharing April at the Striped Flamingo’s Four Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe today. April’s dog, Hewitt has food allergies, so she created her own simple treat packed with a lot of flavor, to keep Hewitt happy. Check out April & Hewitt’s Four Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe below!

4 Ingredient Dog Treats [Contains no soy, dairy, corn or animal by-products]
Yields: About 24 1.5 inch treats

Ingredients

1. 2 tbsp natural peanut butter (I use JIF Natural)

2. 2 scoops (using the scoop that comes in the canister or about 1/2 cup total) rolled oats

3. 1/2 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce

4. 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Recipe Note: Make sure you use unsweetened, natural applesauce or check the labels to be certain it doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup. Read more

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Rescue Spotlight: Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network

Running a rescue takes a lot of dedication and organization to boot, but that key factor to many rescues is networking. If any organization is serious about saving animal lives, they’ll tell you that you have to constantly be meeting people and finding the really dependable ones. That’s what one rescue depends on and has built itself into a national, all-volunteer, breed-specific organization. It’s all started with a little Cairn Terrier named Colonel Potter. Read his story and more about the organization he inspired in the BestBullySticks Rescue Spotlight on the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network.

When & Why did you start?

Col. Potter began as the result of ONE little Cairn boy (named Col. Potter) who was tragically killed. As donations in his honor began to come in from Cairn club members  – so many wanted to help – the process began so that the organization was formed and became a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) in October 2001. Since that time, over 3,500 Cairns or mostly Cairn mixes have been rescued and brought into CPCRN (Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network). Many of the dogs that we have helped have been what is considered to be "non-regular" Cairn rescues—those from puppy mills (the breeding dogs) and those who are purchased at auction. We also handle those with some health issues and the elderly. Several have had Heartworm and were treated for this. Some have had some behavioral issues, and are now great little pals in private homes.

What's different about your rescue?

Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network is truly a network of volunteers. We have 600+ members and 200+ active volunteers. We do not have a facility. We were the first non-shelter, all volunteer national online rescue group working across the U.S. and Canada. Our volunteers donate their time, homes, hearts, and money so that CPCRN can be the great organization it is. We are the largest single breed rescue and do not receive any corporate funding. All volunteers, including our Board of Directors and Officers, are unpaid. We have teams for all aspects of the rescue and adoption process: Communications; Home Visit; Foster Home; Match Maker (yes, that is right – matching the right home for the right Cairn); Contracts; Transport; Promotion/Fundraising; Medical; and the first stop for a rescue Cairn, the Intakes Team. Read more

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