Dog Care 101

It’s a picturesque scene: a child and their dog, growing up together and forming a lifelong bond. It’s a great experience for children and families alike, but this experience isn’t right for everyone. Best Bully Sticks knows that thoughtful and dog-loving parents want to give their children a four-legged companion to excite and enrich childhood, but as parents, you’ll want to consider carefully how brining a puppy into your child’s life will affect your entire family. Today BBS will guide you through some considerations for choosing the right dog for your children.

Lifestyle & Environment
The first aspect to start considering is your day-to-day life and schedule as well as your environment. Do you live in a rural area where your kids stay at home? Do you live in an apartment and your kids are at sporting practices three days out of the week? These will help you determine how much time you and your family will have to put into training and caring for a new puppy.

Other things to consider are health issues and personal preferences. Do any of your children have allergies? Does your child want a particular type of dog? Do you mind grooming or would rather have little to no maintenance at all? Will the puppy be an inside dog or an outside dog? Here is are some of the preferences you’ll want to consider:

-Grooming
-Exercise / Activity Level and Energy
-Size
-Physical Characteristics
-Temperament
-Assertiveness
-Pure breeds vs. Mixed breeds
-Buying from Breeders vs. Adopting from Rescues
-Budget

Research
If you have determined what your schedule allows and you have preferences nailed down, then start researching. You’ll want to pair your lifestyle, environment and preferences with a dog that is compatible with these factors. Adding all of these up should lead to a narrow field of contenders. Read more

Dog beds can be expensive. And Best Bully Sticks knows that even if you have the means to buy one, some dogs just have a “tear-it-up” gene in them. So, why not make a cushy, sturdy dog bed that you can easily make at home? Other than a little easy sewing and some scrap materials, this bed only takes time. Making pet products at home gives you a sense of accomplishment, more money in your pocket and a stylish looking place to rest for Fido. Today, BBS will show you how to make a trendy vintage suitcase bed and a patchwork sweater bed.

This is the last part of Dog Care 101's DIY series. If you haven't seen BBS's other trendy and easy craft projects visit our DIY tutorials on Dog Soap & Tug Toy as well as a Doggy Ball Cap!
 

Trendy Vintage Suitcase Dog Bed
There are some really great elements of this uber stylish dog bed, but maybe the best is that you can most likely make this bed for under $20! BBS will demystify the complicated look of this great bed so you can dazzle all your friends with your craftiness!

Materials:
Vintage Suitcase
Hammer
Screwdriver
Pillow (that fits your suitcase)
Pillow Sham

Directions:
1. Open the suitcase and examine how it is hinged together.

2. If it is screwed together, then you just need to unscrew the top half of the suitcase from the bottom half. If it is attached by some other means, then you will have to break out the hammer. You might need a “handy-man” for this step if you don’t have the muscle power yourself!

3. Discard the top half of the suitcase.

4. Cover a pillow with the sham of your choice. If you have an old, unused sham at home, it would be perfect to use!

5. Place the pillow in the suitcase and tuck the corners in. We lucked out because our suitcase was the perfect size for the pillow we used. If this is not the case, you can make your own custom pillow. Read more

Last week Best Bully Sticks introduced the idea of do-it-yourself projects for your dog. Making affordable and unique products for your dog is a great hobby, so BBS thought we would show you just how fun it could be!  Herb & Peppermint soap and a T-shirt Tug Toy were last week’s projects. As part 2 of this 3-week DIY series, BBS is moving into the world of sewing with a summer-friendly clothing accessory for your pooch! Doggy Baseball Caps are a great way to keep the hot sun out of Fido’s eyes and these caps are just adorable! 

You’ll Need
Fabric
Pattern
Scissors
Sewing Machine & Thread
Straps (for securing cap & adjusting size)

Patterns
All patterns are the correct size when printing.

XS-S Pattern

M-L Pattern

XL-XXL Pattern

Tips & Tricks
Remember that you have to cut the two patterns with the fabric folded in half, so you can get the entire two patterns: cap and visor.

When sewing the top cap piece to the visor, it makes the rounded form of the head in the back.

Sew some strips to adjust the cap to your dog the head size.

For a more professional finish, make a lining for the underside of the cap’s visor. Print and cut two visor patterns for this.

To get the visor to be rigid, paste a piece of cardboard, thin, flexible plastic or other rigid material between the fabric layers. A thick fabric might also work well.

Hopefully, this simply sewing recipe will be a useful summer accessory for your dog! Thank you to Free Dog Clothes Patterns for this great Doggy DIY Project and photos!

Stay tuned next week when BBS covers DIY Dog Beds! 

Best Bully Sticks knows that trends come and go, but one thing remains constant: saving a buck here and there is always a great thing. In today’s culture, one trend that is making a comeback is the concept of making our own household goods from “scratch” instead of buying from a store. Do-It-Yourself culture is returning and Best Bully Sticks hopes it’s here to stay! It might take a little more time, but in the long run a unique, cost effective, and homemade product is worth it. This week BBS will show you some of the neat-o Doggy D.I.Y. projects you can make for your pup!

Doggy D.I.Y. will be a three part series. This week we’re covering a couple simple projects: a dog-friendly soap & a quick and easy tug toy!

Herb & Peppermint Soap
Bathing your dog is essential for a lot of reasons; keeping flea and ticks away, a better smelling and feeling Fido and a happier, more comfortable pet just to name a few. This D.I.Y. soap recipe is full of beneficial ingredients to keep your dog healthy and pest free, like herbal shampoo and peppermint oil. This soap can substitute for any current dog shampoo or soap you’re using. Plus, it’ll make Fido smell GREAT!

You’ll Need:
4 oz melt and pour base or soap flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons of herbal shampoo
10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil
Soap molds

Process
1. Melt your soap down using a double boiler method.

2. Once your soap is melted add the shampoo and essential oil.

3. Make sure you don't stir too vigorously or the shampoo will become frothy.

4. Keep stirring until completely mixed and then pour into your soap molds.

5. You can use some dog-shaped molds or bone-shaped molds for these soaps.

T-Shirt Tug Toy

Some dogs that are of the aggressive playing persuasion can chew up toys like it’s going out of style.  Buying new toys for your dog might be a permanent line on the shopping list. So why not save a little cash while recycling some of your old t-shirts? This T-Shirt Tug Toy D.I.Y. is so easy that your kids or grandkids could put it together! Check out this great toy your dog is sure to love!

You’ll Need:
20 1 inch x 20 inch (2.5cm x 50cm) Recycled stretch knit from pants or tops in assorted colors. (You can use recycled stretch knit from old t-shirts or pants or if you like or you can use new fabric.)

Process
1. Cut the fabric into 20 pieces that measure approximately 1 inch x 20 inches (2.5cm x 50cm) for a large dog. For smaller dogs reduce the length and quantity but not the 1-inch width.

2. Lay your pieces together in 2 sections of 10. Twist the 2 sections together and tie a large knot at each end as shown in the picture. Your knot should be tight and secure. There is no need for gluing or sewing.

3. Alternatively you can plat your strands together or add extra knots depending on your dog’s desire.

Check back here next two Mondays for 2 more Doggy D.I.Y. Projects!

For more Doggy (& a few cat) D.I.Y.’s check out Best Bully Stick’s Pinterest “Pet DIY” Board. We feature lots of great exclusive content on Pinterest and this board is all about “doing-it-yourself” for your pets! Tutorials include everything from a pet ramp, doggy origami and even instructions for assembling a doggy cake! Check out our Pinterest page for more great content!

Last week Best Bully Sticks talked about reconciling the relationship between your dog and your garden. If you love both, but your dog seems not care for your garden patch or flower beds, read Gardening With Your Dog Pt. 1 from last Monday. After you’ve worked hard to create a beautiful and blooming garden and instill respect in your dog for that same garden, don’t let it go to waste by putting your dog in harms way. 

An overly curious dog or an accident in with garden equipment can be hazardous! Here are some quick tips on keeping your pup safe in the garden. And remember; if you’re not a green thumb, still pay attention to these tricks and tips. You never know when Fido will be around a friend’s garden or what he could possibly pick up in the outdoors.

Poisonous Plants
Obviously, plant choice is a big decision in your garden, however some plants are very toxic to your dog.  Sago Palm and other types of palm in the Cycad family as well as mushrooms can cause liver failure in dogs. Rhododendron, Azaleas, Foxglove, Lily of the Valley, Oleander and Rosebay all affected the heart. The ASPCA has a full list of names and photos of plants to avoid.

Chemical Fertilizer & Insecticides
Chemically laden fertilizers and pesticides are usually an easy and quick fix to feed, weed and kill bugs, but a there is no easy and quick fix for a dog who has serious intestinal or digestive issues or worse. All gardens need to be fed and treated, but whether a dog accidentally or intentionally gets into garden chemicals, it’s never a pretty picture.  The first step in avoiding this common mishap is simply reading the manufacturer’s instructions. These will let you know how long the chemicals are in the environment. It could be only a few days or even weeks, but either way your dog could be affected. Making these fertilizers and insecticides inaccessible to your dog is a good measure to take. If you do use these chemicals, leave your dog inside when applying them to your garden.

Compost
Compost is a wonderful, natural alternative to using chemical fertilizers. Composting natural kitchen waste (egg shells, coffee, fruit and veggie scraps) is a great way to give your garden vital nutrients while also creating less waste. However, make sure your dog doesn’t take your compost bin for a “second-helping” bin. Make sure your compost is where your dog cannot get to it, simply for the reason that certain people foods aren’t good for Fido. Read more