Dog Treats

Himalayan Dog Chews

Many of you have probably already noticed the addition of this product to our site and I wanted to tell you a little more about the product and why we have chosen to add it to our line-up of all natural dog treats and chews.

The Himalayan Dog Chew is a long lasting chew that comes in three sizes small, medium, and large. We would recommend the small size for toy breeds like Pugs, Pomeranian, Shitzu, etc....the medium size for beagles, terriers, poodles, etc... and lastly the large size for boxers, labs, and retrievers.The chews are made from boiling yak and cow milk, with lime juice added to separate the curds. Once separated, the remaining cheese is dried (a process taking about three weeks) and then cut into pieces for the chews. This treat is high in protein and is all natural, having no additives or preservatives, and the finished product is just simply put, a very hard block of cheese.

This chew requires dogs to work and grind on it consistently to have small flakes and pieces come off to be eaten. Our experience is that these chews are very long lasting and are a great addition to bully sticks, other natural chews, and Antlerz. We are sure that the Himalayan Dog Chew is here to stay and will make a great addition to the natural chews that we already provide.If you have any questions about this product or any of our others please feel free to contact us anytime!

Antlerz and Bones - Will They Splinter ?

This is my second post for the weekly question and answer series.

 We are commonly asked this question and wanted to share our answer in the blog.  Starting with bones; bones are a common dog chew and can vary from femur bones, shin bones, knuckle bones, etc.....they are safe to eat as a dog chew as long as they are not cooked.  Once a bone is cooked (like in soup) its likelihood of splintering and becoming dangerous is magnified greatly.  However, as long as the bone is a "raw" bone it is safe to chew.  I do recommend watching how your dog chews on the bone to make sure that they are gnawing as opposed to biting on it. 

Antlerz are totally different from bones as they are grown naturally on deer.  They are comprised of many different rings of mineral deposits.  The cross section of the Antlerz looks kind of like a tree trunk with many rings around its end.  The antler wears down gradually over time from saliva and gnawing.  An Antlerz chew should last any dog between 4-12 weeks.  They are an awesome chew and totally healthy and safe for your dogs! 

About the Author

Avrum Elmakis is the owner of Best Bully Sticks, a leading provider of dog treats, bully sticks, antlerz, and other dog chews and treats. They can be found online at: http://www.bestbullysticks.com .

This is the start of a weekly question and answer section where we hope to expand on typical questions that we get on a daily and weekly basis.  We hope that this information will be found informative and urge you to still contact us if you have any additional questions!

Are all bully sticks created equal?  What are the differences?

The first thing that one should consider when purchasing bully sticks or any other all natural dog treats is the country of origin.  Most of the bully sticks found in major pet stores are from India or other parts of the world outside of South America.  The living conditions of people and livestock in these countries is less than appealing and as such we only sell product from free-ranging South American cattle.  This cattle is considered "green cattle" as it is not given hormones or fed feed.  This cattle typically grazes freely on open grass fields and grows naturally.  Many people ask why not make bully sticks from North American cattle?  The reason for this is that it is expensive, and also most of the cattle in the US is kept in feedlots and encouraged to grow at a much faster rate (growth hormones) than free-ranging cattle.

Another difference between bully sticks on the marketplace is whether or not they are vertically drained and then baked.  It is much cheaper to sun dry bully sticks and other natural treats, but it is much riskier as potential diseases and bugs can enter the product much more easily.  All of our treats and chews are all-natural and oven finished, which is more expensive but keeps the quality of the product high.

We are also routinely asked about "odor-free" bully sticks.  Quite simply put there is no such thing.  Bully Sticks are an all-natural beef product and as such should have some odor to them.  If you ate a banana or even a steak your expectation is that it would smell like a banana or a steak..and if it did not you would be concerned.  Many manufacturers currently selling bully sticks wash their products in peroxide (bleach) and other chemicals which are not healthy but cause the product to have no smell at all.  Again, we prefer to offer products which are truly all-natural and as such they may have a slight odor.

Lastly, we recommend asking the store where you purchase treats and chews like bully sticks from if their products are irradiated.  A lot (most) of the bully sticks on the market today are irradiated (treated by radiation to reduce the chance of infectious diseases) ours are not.  All of our products are lab tested in country and in the US by both the FDA and USDA and are approved without problem or disease.  We don't know about you but we would not want our dogs treats or food undergoing radiation therapy to make sure that it is safe to eat.  As long as the correct manufacturing processes are in place a bully stick or any other dog treat should never be irradiated.  It is common for manufacturers to hide whether or not their products are irradiated so make sure to ask!

We hope that this clears up any confusion and answers some of the common questions regarding bully sticks that we get on a regular basis.

About the Author

Best Bully Sticks is a leading provider of dog treats, bully sticks, antlerz, Sam's Yams, and other dog chews and treats. They can be found online at: http://www.bestbullysticks.com .

There are any number of famous dogs in entertainment: Lassie, Eddie (of Frasier fame), Benji, Hooch, and Rin Tin Tin, but there is a certain breed of dog that has risen to a celebrity all their own. The animated dog. Here are my top ten animated dogs.

10. – Ren Hoeck – The Ren & Stimpy Show

A staple of Nickelodeon for many years, Ren was the often abrasive, usually neurotic companion of the slightly effeminate, hair-ball producing Stimpy. A take on a Chihuahua, Ren could go from screaming and calling Stimpy an idiot, to shivering in a corner much like a real Chihuahua. An icon for an entire generation of teenagers, Ren leads off our list at number ten.

9. – Blue – Blue's Clues

Children around the world are familiar with Blue for his educational messages and great source of early childhood development skills. The recipient of nine Emmy awards, Blue's Clues was inspired by Sesame Street, and appealed to the same crowd of pre-schoolers. Incorporating sign language, creative thinking, riddles, and both verbal and non-verbal skills, Blue's Clues remains a great source for children of all ages.

8. – Santa's Little Helper – The Simpsons

Often neglected, the Simpson's dog, Santa's Little Helper, is a charming, but poorly trained Greyhound. Having survived where the family's cat has not (currently on Snowball V), this retired racing Greyhound has been a staple of the Simpson household for years. Having saved members of the family on numerous occasions, it's often surprising that Bart was so quick to replace him with the more well trained Laddie (a joke on Lassie). Eventually Bart came to his senses, and Santa's Little Helper has stayed with the Simpsons ever since.

7. – Brian Griffin – Family Guy

The Griffin's dog is noticeable for his wit, intelligence, love of martinis, and ability to speak. While only 7 years old, Brian is only a few credits short of a degree from Brown University, owns a car, votes, and maintains a credit card. While displaying some of the typical canine behaviors (fear of vacuums), Brian's anthropomorphic qualities are what have made him one of the more memorable animated dogs in recent history, catapulting him from tertiary character to one of the most popular characters in the series.

6. – Odie – Garfield

While certainly not the main star of the series, Odie has been a participant (sometimes willing, sometimes not), in many of Garfield's hi-jinks. Though Garfield has usually gotten the better of Odie's good nature and admitted simple nature, Odie has shown surprising ingenuity in getting revenge on Garfield on a number of occasions.

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Every year around the time of the Westminster Dog Show, the debate of adopting dogs from shelters versus purchasing one through a breeder is brought up.  Each side has their argument, but for somebody looking to bring a dog into their life for the first time, it's a question that needs answering.  Which way of finding a dog is better?  Rescue adoptions or breeders?

The first question that you have to ask yourself before even considering to adopt a dog using either method is what kind of dog do you want?  This doesn't always mean which breed to you want (though that can certainly help), but what kind of temperament are you looking for in your dog.  Are you looking for a guard dog or one that will cuddle up next to you in bed at night?  Do you want a dog you can carry around in a bag or one that small children can ride?  With these things in mind, here are the arguments for both the breeder and the rescue adoption.

Breeders tend to get a bad reputation because of puppy mills that have gained notoriety for turning out puppies en masse that are often less than healthy.  While a certified breeder is very different from a puppy mill, looking into a breeder's credentials is a crucial first step when looking to get a dog from a breeder.

One advantage to going to a breeder is that they can give you the dog that you're looking for, usually with documentation to prove the health of the dog.  If you're looking for a Boston Terrier or a Poodle, you can find them at breeders that specialize in these particular breeds, and you can even find breeders that specialize in mixed breed dogs such as Labradoodles (Labrador and Poodle) or Puggles (Pug and Beagle).  The dogs purchased through a breeder tend to have fewer surprises for the new owner, and often come with guarantees to their health and temperament. 

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