Dog Care 101

Now that it’s warming up, Best Bully Sticks knows you’ll be flocking to the water. Any body of water will be teaming with folks looking to cool down. And why not take Fido along too? A lot of dogs enjoy the cool water too but owners need to be aware of potential hazards of the water. Best Bully Sticks gets you and your dog ready for fun in the surf with these handy water safety tips!

Hang Out With Your Dog
Don’t leave your dog unsupervised. You brought your dog to the pool, lake or “swimmin’ hole” to hang out with you, right? Make sure you keep an eye on your dog. Not all dogs are good swimmers.

Buy & USE A Dog Life Jacket
Your dog might be an excellent swimmer, but he will eventually get tired, or be distraced or get a cramp. Buy and use a dog life jacket so your dog is always protected. Rip currents or undercurrents can also be a problem in larger bodies of water. You’ll always be happy you bought and put your dog in a life jacket.

Fun In The Sun & Surf
Best Bully Sticks offers a lot of great dog toys to bring out to the water. Floatable, durable and loads of fun, your dog will thank you for a great water toy! Check out BBS’s entire line of Balls for Dogs that will be great for the water. The West Paw Huck or Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Medium Orbee are both great choices!

Provide Shade & Comfort
Sun and therefore heat is more intense around bodies of water because of the sun’s reflection and humidity. Make sure you dog has a place to escape to, such as a towel on the beach (hot sand can blister paws), or shade to get out of the sun.

Water, Water Everywhere, But Not A Drop To Drink
Make sure you have fresh, clean water for your dog to drink. Chlorinated pools or lake water can both cause serious health issues for your dog. Chlorine is poisonous to dogs and natural water can contain parasites. Keep a gallon of water and a pop-up bowl for your pup when he’s romping outdoors!

BBS has a great portable water solution. Check out the Handi-Drink Portable Bottle/Bowl for your next trip out to the water!

More Water After The Water
After you and your pup with your fun in the sun and surf, rinsing your dog with clean water is important. This will ensure that your dog won’t keep any unwanted chlorine, salt or water parasites. Make sure to take off and let your dog’s collar dry as not to cause any hot spots.

Do your dogs like to romp in the water? Tell us your favorite water story in the comments section!

Teaching a puppy to “go potty” outside is a normal part of raising a dog. However, what happens when your full-grown, older dog goes back into puppy-mode and decides it’s okay to go in the house again? Best Bully Sticks is going to address some ways you can deal with the behavioral issues that could be causing this puppy relapse.

Potential Medical Issues
Before you address behavioral issues, you’ll want to rule out any potential medical causes. Some of these could include: gastrointestinal upset, change in diet, incontinence, medications, old age or cognitive dysfunction. If your vet rules out these, mostly likely the cause is a behavioral issue you can deal with first hand.

Steps To Take
1. Have A Regular Schedule: Keeping your dog on a regular schedule will help create a time table when certain things happen throughout the day. Food should be given at particular times and be picked up between meals. Taking your dog outside to eliminate should happen at strict times as well such as right when you wake up, when you get home from work and before you go to bed.

2. Keep Tabs on Your Dog: Knowing where your dog is 24/7 is important because you’ll want to be looking for warning signs of your dogs potential to eliminate. If you see your dog whining, circling or pacing, take your dog out immediately.

3. A Pat On The Back: Every time your dog eliminates outside successfully give him a treat and speak kind words to your dog.

4. When You’re Away: When you can’t be around to watch your dog, confine them in an area, like a crate or gated off area, that gives them just enough room to stand up comfortably, lie down and turn around. Dogs eliminate away from the place where they create their den, or home. If your dog is confined comfortably like this, he most likely won’t have any accidents.

5. When Accidents Happen: You have to expect accidents to happen in the house as this training process progresses. If you ever see your dog in the act, make a loud noise, like clapping your hands, to startle your dog, but not scare them. This should cause them to stop long enough to get them outside.

6. Clean Up: You’ll want to very thoroughly clean your home and everything in it to prevent this behavior. Also, steer clear of ammonia-based cleaners. Urine contains ammonia and will just further the behavior. An enzyme cleaner works best. Read more

Best Bully Sticks knows that when it comes to dogs, there’s no such thing as a miracle drug. There just seems to be some issues dog owner’s deal with sometimes. However, there’s been a lot of talk lately about supplements, oils and such. But how do you make sense of it all? This week BBS will take you through the amazing benefits of coconut oil and you just might be surprised at what it will do for your dog!

What is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is produced in tropical regions like Jamaica, the Philippines, Thailand, Fiji and Mexico. There are few different ways in which coconut oil is produced, but we’re going to talk about “virgin” coconut oil, which is made from fresh coconuts. This type of oil is hand pressed using traditional methods of baking to dry, then pressed, then heated to remove all water. The mixture then ferments, which removes the natural oils from the water. Good quality coconut is colorless when liquidized.

Coconut oil’s health benefits are derived from the medium-chain triglycerides present in the oil. Former University of Maryland biochemist and dietary fats researcher Mary Enig, PhD says, “The lauric acid in coconut oil is used by the body to make the same disease-fighting fatty acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid they get from their mothers’ milk. The monoglyceride monolaurin is the substance that keeps infants from getting viral, bacterial, or protozoal infections.” Read more

When the air turns warm, we humans shed our winter coats and don filp-flops, tank tops and shorts with the intention being comfortable outdoors. However, humans aren’t the only ones shedding winter coats. Our pups are getting rid of that winter fur too and want to be outside as much as we do!

Best Bully Sticks knows that warm weather and thick fur don’t mix and so it’s up to you, the loving owner, to help your pup shed their winter coat. Many owners groom their pups themselves, but not all owners have the know-how, tools, experience or even physical ability to groom their dogs properly. That’s where a groomer comes in. But how do you know how to pick a good and trustworthy groomer? Best Bully Sticks will help the tips and tricks of choosing a good groomer!

Grooming can consist of brushing, combing, bathing, clipping nails, cutting out matted hair, cleaning ears and medicated baths or treatments. So, don’t just think of grooming as a hair cut. It can meet a lot of different needs.

Finding a groomer should start with asking your trusted friends, your vet, boarding kennel, dog trainer or local animal shelter who they might recommend. All of these people might have a good “go-to” groomer they trust. Checking the Yellow Pages for “Pet Groomer” or the National Dog Groomers Association of America’s website is a good option, too. Calling the Better Business Bureau for any registered complaints is also a safe step to take. Read more

Best Bully Sticks knows that you love spoiling your dog, but you might want to reconsider feeding Fido those table scraps during dinner. It seems that pet obesity is a growing problem in the U.S., a fact made clear by a recent article published by WebMD, which listed obesity among the top five issues facing pets. There are a number of reasons why owners may unintentionally allow their dog to plump up; dogs may not get daily exercise, they could overeat, or they could be eating food unsuitable for a healthy animal diet.

Pet obesity can cause complicated medical problems if left untreated. It’s proven to be a contributing factor to heart disease, diabetes, respiratory problems and bone and joint issues. An overweight dog is not a happy, healthy pet no matter how many treats you give him.

Unfortunately, many people remain ignorant about what their dogs can and cannot eat on a regular basis. This may simply be because dog obesity isn’t a widely covered issue and owners may not think twice about proper dietary and exercise for their four-legged friends. Let’s take some time to recognizing canine obesity and addressing basic preventative methods so you can enjoy your dog’s company for a long time.

How can you tell if your pet is overweight?
Too many owners confuse a fat dog for a healthy one. As stated before, pet obesity is serious business, so if you have any suspicion that your dog is overweight, check for these few key signs. Read more