Tag: All Natural Dog Treats

Tenacious. Historic. Loveable. And just darn cute. Best Bully Sticks brings you the Rat Terrier this week in our Breed Spotlight! This dog is 100% American, with a can-do American attitude. We hope you’ll enjoy reading about this feisty little pup!

History & Background: If you haven’t guessed yet, this terrier’s name is derived from its earliest occupation, hunting “varmits,” which is sometimes referred to as “ratting.”  This dog is distinctly an American breed that English immigrants created by mixing breeds like the English White Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, and Whippet. A staple “farm dog” during the Dust Bowl era, this dog hunted small game that included squirrels, rabbits and other small creatures.  One of these tenacious little dogs is said to once have killed 2,500 rats in an infested barn in 7 hours.

This dog was a very cherished dog on farms across the United States. The Rat Terrier’s more famous owners include Shirley MacLaine, Eleanor Powell, John Sandford & William Faulkner. A Rat Terrier was even mentioned in Harper Lee’s famous 1960 work, To Kill A Mockingbird. Needless to say, over the years the loving companionship this of this dog may have won out over its utility.

Height: 10-13 inches (toy), 13-18 inches (standard)

Weight: 10-25 pounds

Coat: This dog has a short, close coat that is very soft and shiny. Some Rat Terriers might have a bit of a wave in their fur on their back. Read more

Every time you bake up delectable dishes, you can usually expect your dog will want a little too. Best Bully Sticks thinks it's time to indulge them! We're not suggesting giving your dog your human meals,but Best Bully Sticks figures it's time to turns the tables. Today we're giving you a muffin recipe for you dog that you might be begging for by the time you’re done! These easy muffins are perfect for a Spring Saturday morning and most of the ingredients you probably already have on hand.  Just imagine a breeze coming through an open window on a sunny spring morning while your pup and you enjoy baking time together!

Ingredients

1 egg
2 tablespoons honey
2 bananas, mashed with a fork
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees .

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, honey, bananas and peanut butter. Stir in 3 cups water; whisk until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon; add to the egg mixture.

4. Spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray; fill each cup three quarters full. Bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Recipe Note:
You can also use a mini muffin pan for bite-sized treats. Bake these for about 20 minutes. 

(recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray)

If you didn’t know already, Best Bully Sticks is all about using the fewest, yet highest quality ingredients possible for all of our treats, chews, toys and supplies.  A wonderful side effect of having all-natural conscious customers, is knowing that most of those customers also care about the environment, and so do we. Best Bully Sticks has made a continued effort to be as environmentally responsible with the way we run our company. In honor of Earth Day and the events surrounding the “green” weeks around the nation, we decided to tell our readers and customers about the “Green” Best Bully Sticks.com. 

1. We recycle all our cardboard boxes! In all honesty, Richmond, Virginia is a city that hasn’t had the best recycling track record, but new initiatives in the city are making recycling easier for all individuals. One of these includes an expanded Waste Management team. A truck comes by our warehouse every week pick up all of our discarded cardboard. And we go through A LOT of cardboard every week.  On Earth Day, this past Sunday the 22^nd, we pledged we would recycle 90% of all our cardboard boxes!

2. We recycle office paper, bottles, and cans! Our office staff recycles all our scrap paper that would otherwise fill our trashcans. We also recycle our soda cans, juice bottles and any other aluminums and plastics. Every Friday we take the bins the recycling center down the street to responsibly dispose of our waste products.

3. Our work pods are made from recyclable materials! Best Bully Sticks employees work at Herman Miller workstations that are 59% recyclable.  Our workstations weigh 1/3 less than a traditional workstation system and contain 27% pre-recycled materials. The workstations even break down to small parts, which make it easier to recycle down the road. Our desk systems can even earn LEED credits.

Best Bully Sticks values environmental responsibility and we are always trying to think of new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle in our offices. We want to help make the earth a cleaner, healthier place so we and our dogs can enjoy the earth longer!

What do you do to support the environment? Comment below and tell us how!

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

Best Bully Sticks is excited because it’s springtime and that means berries! It also means spending lots of time in the sunny outdoors with your pup. So when those fresh blueberries, strawberries and blackberries make their way into a farmer’s market near you, make the most of both of worlds with these easy, healthy and yummy treats for your pup! Dogs love yogurt and berries, so you can't strike out with these treats. You might even sneak a few for yourself.

Thanks to Doggy Dessert Chef for contributing this recipe to our blog!

Ingredients
1 cup pureed Berries (Blackberries, Strawberries or Blueberries can all work!)
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
1 2/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2/3 cup Oats Read more