Dog News

April is ASPCA Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and the team here at BestBullySticks thought we should not only highlight the importance of this holiday, but also share a few ways you can lend a hand.

Acts of animal cruelty often go unnoticed by observers and owners alike. President of the American Animal Hospital Association (AHAA) DVM Gregg Takashima notes that in his twenty-five years as a veterinarian, most abuse cases he’s seen are the result of owners who have inadvertently neglected their pets simply because they don’t know any better.

Education and Activism

While animal cruelty strikes in variety of ways, they can all prevented through education. The first step to education is setting a good example as a pet owner. As a model caretaker, your actions will influence others. Community role models for pet care not only help curb instances of abuse among current owners, but future ones as well. Teaching children about responsible pet ownership at an early age will make them lifelong advocates in the fight against animal abuse.

Grassroots forms of activism like community education is of tremendous help to the cause. Consider looking into local volunteer opportunities as well. From raising awareness to caring for the abused, these opportunities are    widely available across the country. Contact your local SPCA to find about volunteering in your community. Read more

What’s a dog’s favorite thing to do other than eating and sleeping? (And maybe belly rubs?...) PLAYING! Your dog’s energy level and tenacity while playing can be quite amazing. Best Bully Sticks knows nothing gets between your dog and his toys, but sometimes that means destruction. Dog playtime can get a little messy and sometimes dangerous with stuffing and bits of plastic.

Best Bully Sticks has a ton of great environmentally friendly dog toys to share with dogs everywhere. We don’t just carry any willy-nilly toy on our site and our most recent addition to the toy line is definitely Grade A! Check out Ruff Dawg Rubber Dog Toys! Whether you have a sheltie or a shepherd, a boxer or a bichon-frise, Ruff Dawg has the right toy for your dog. These 100% superior-grade, rubber-retrieving toys are made in the USA and are great for any size pooch. Founded in 1999 by dog enthusiasts, Ruff Dawg is your source for premium dog toys.

BBS carries a Ruff Dawg becaue we know you want to give your dog a great playtime, while still being economical and environmentally friendly. We take all the guess work out finding that perfect toy by offering Ruff Dawg.

Ruff Dawg’s Fetch Ball comes in vibrant colors and we offer two sizes for dogs above and below 60 pounds. The regular Fetch Ball measure 2.5” in diameter and the XL Fetch Ball measures 3.5” in diamter.  Both of these great balls float in water, are near indestructible and might just become your dog’s favorite ball!

Ruff Dawg Toy Bones come in three sizes to fit your dog—Mini (3”), Regular (5”) and XL (9”). These bone-shaped rubber toys are great fetch and pull toys that are truly tough! However, these bones are a play toy, not a chew toy.

Flying Fish and Minnows are great water retrieval toys for your dog! The brightly colored, fish-shaped toys are floatable and fun! The Flying Fish is the large version for a bigger pup and the minnow is the small variety. These fish even include a hole to attach a rope for easier retrieval for you!

For the ultimate way to “catch some air” try out Ruff Dawgs line of K-9 Flyers! These flying discs are flexible rubber that come in vivid color combinations and really soar. If your dog is a Frisbee lover, then this toy will easily become his favorite and longest lasting disc ever! K-9 Flyers come in standard sizes as well as a Junior size for smaller pups.

Just to prove how tough these toys are, especially the K-9 Flyer, check out this amazing video! Three dogs taking on 1 K-9 flyer? Does this Ruff Dawg toy have what it takes?

Check out the rest of the Ruff Dawg line including Rocks, Supertugs, Fetch Sticks, Fetch Twigs and more at Best Bully Sticks.com! We even have a complete line of Frisbees for Dogs!

In 1999, Pet Sitters International figured out a fun way to bring your furry best friend to work, while raising awareness for adoptable dogs across the nation.  Slated for this Friday, June 22nd, Take Your Dog To Work Day has now expanded to the full week leading up to the event (June 18-22).  TYDTWDay has been going strong for over ten years and Best Bully Sticks wants to help you plan a successful dog-friendly day at work. Even if you can’t plan an event for this week, use these tips to plan your own TYDTWDay!

The Checklist of Approval
Before you load up Fido for a full day’s work at the office, you’ll need to go through the proper channels of approval to make sure TYDTWDay is even welcome. You’ll need to ask:

1. Human Resources: Start with HR to see if there is a TYDTWD event being planned already or if there might be restrictions against it. If not, show HR the takeyourdog.com website to see if there might be any objections to this type of event. If not, ask HR the right channels you would have to go through to begin approving this type of event. (Your BOSS!)

2. Your Boss: Each boss is different, but one thing all bosses have in common are the need for contingency plans. You’ll want to be fully prepared when asking your boss about a TYDTWD event. Your boss will be impressed and ready to make a decision. Remember; think about the questions your boss might ask about dogs being in the office. Consider these things:

Plan ahead what you will say. Have you ever had to give a presentation at work? Put TYDTWDay in the same context.

Consider contingency plans. Where will the dogs stay? Where will the dogs eat? Where will the dogs go the bathroom? What if dogs are aggressive? Think of all of these things and have ready answers for your boss.

Suggest having a pet sitter or designated pet handler there for the day. This can be a hired professional, or just a dog-friendly and eager intern! Show your boss this can be a great way to allow work to happen because the dog’s needs are being taken care of. Read more

We know that Best Bully Stick's customers and readers have the sweetest, cuddliest dogs on the planet, however, we don’t want to skirt around a serious topic either. Any dog has the propensity to bite in certain situations but Best Bully Sticks wants to educate all our customers and readers on how to lower those chances. 

May 20-26, 2012 is International Dog Bite Prevention Week and was established to help all dog owners and the public know the facts about and guard against dog bites. The American Veterinary Medical Association has released some statistics that might be surprising.

• Over 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year
• 800,000 of those people received medical attention
• Children are more likely to be severely injured & 400,000 receive medical treatment each year
• Most children bitten are interacting with familiar dogs or during everyday activities
   

There have been a lot of tragedies that are hard to ignore, but most of these situations are easily preventable. Here are a few tips to protect and prevent against dog bites.

1. Recognizing Canine Body Language. It may be easy to forget that dogs are communicating with us at all time, but it’s all in their body language. Here is a handy canine body language chart courtesy of http://www.dfdk9.com/. Recognizing the warning signs is the first step in preventing something horrendous from happening.

2. DO NOT EVER leave a small child alone with a dog. While it’s very probable that nothing will happen when you walk away, it’s better just to not leave your baby alone in a room with a dog.

3. Teach Children How To Treat Dogs. We all know kids usually don’t listen well, so make sure to consistently repeat to children how to treat, handle and act around a dog.  The video below outlines some great guidelines for teaching your children with the W.A.I.T acronym. Here are some great coloring sheets that are a fun way for your kids to begin learning about dog safety courtesy of Chris Crawford. 

There are also some very easy steps to lessen the probability of your own dog biting. 

• Make sure your dog is very well socialized with other animals, people and small children.
• Don’t put your dog in a situation where he feels threatened or teased. 
• Train your dog. Your dog understanding the commands, “sit” “stay” “come” and “no” are highly important to your bond with your dog. This will help your dog know what is expected out of him. 
• Make sure your dog gets plenty or exercise and mental stimulation and use a leash in public.
• Keep your dog healthy and up-to-date on all shots, including the rabies vaccination. 
• Spay or neuter your dog.
• If you have a fenced in back yard, make sure it is properly secured.
   

Again, Best Bully Sticks hopes you, your family or your dog never have to deal with this topic, but to help this issue we feel it is the duty of all dog owners to be prepared. Learn more about Dog Bite Prevention Week at AVMA.org.

April is Heartworm Awareness Month & Best Bully Sticks wants to make sure you’re protecting your pup from these nasty pests! Here are a few quick tips on how to address heartworm prevention and make sure your furry family member is getting the protection they need. But first, let’s look at what heartworms are and how your dog can contract them.

What Are Heartworms?

Mosquitoes are the carriers of heartworm larvae, called microfilariae. The mosquitoes pick up the larvae when they feed on an infected animal who already has the microfilariae in it’s bloodstream and then pass the larvae off on the next feeding host, which in some cases can be dogs. If your dog isn’t on a consistent dosage of heartworm meds, then the larvae mature into heartworms and will work their way to the heart and lungs. This process can take up to 6 months with no detectable signs and heartworms can reach up to 12 inches in length live up to 7 years in your dog’s organs.

Prevention

1. Prevention Starts at the Vet’s Office: Make sure you talk to your vet about which heartworm medication will be right for your dog. There are a few different forms of heartworm medication that are available, such as oral, topical and injectable preventatives. They will all have their pro’s and con’s, so talking to your vet is always the first step. Read more