Tag: anxiety

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

Here at Best Bully Sticks, we know that not all aspects of dog ownership will be enjoyable for you or your pet.  One of those could be bath time.  If your dog is anxious about getting a bath and is a pain to clean, chances are you aren't enjoying the struggle involved either. If you've owned your dog from puppy-hood the process of making bath time stress-free may be a little easier, but no matter the age, your dog can still learn to like baths.  Here are a few ways to ease your dog into coping with bath time.

Creature Comforts: Creating A Comfortable Environment For Bath Time. If you think your dog is generally okay with baths, here's a sure-fire test. If your dog doesn't take food or a treat from you while in the bath, it means your pup isn't comfortable.  There are a couple reasons why the physical environment of your bathroom isn't calming to your dog.  One of the best ways to enhance a dog's physical presence in the tub is a non-skid bath mat or even a towel.  If a dog doesn't have traction, they won't feel physically at ease in any situation. When bathing your dog, remember that hot water doesn't always equal cleanliness.  A lukewarm temperature will be comfortable for your dog and won't dry out their skin as hot water would.

Chaotic To Calm: Changing Your Dog's Perceptions About Baths. After you make the dog physically comfortable in the bath, the next step is emotional comfort.  Anxiety about baths can change if a dog is eased into relating the bathroom to a place where good things happen.  Anytime you are in the bathroom, lead your dog in and give them a treat. Next, step into the tub and give your dog a treat. Even try feeding your dog in the bathroom and slowly move their food into the actual tub as they become more comfortable.  For dogs who get bathed in sinks, it's the same idea. Work to slowly move toward the sink, putting your pup down and giving them a training treat each time you move a step closer.  Reiterate this practice until the dog is calm.

Water, Water, Everywhere: A Word On Water. When your dog gets comfortable with the idea of being in the bath, try turning on a small amount of water. If you begin squirting, spraying or dumping water on your dog, the fear of baths will return.  Pour just enough water to get your dog's feet wet and see how they react. If it's positive, very slowly add a little water to wet his legs more, then the body.  Again, go slowly with the head, ears and neck of your dog. During this first session, you might not even want to use shampoo.  The goal is just to keep your dog calm during this process.  If you did shampoo, it would mean rinsing and thus adding considerable time with water in the tub.

Slow & Steady Wins The Race: Being Patient With The Process. Conditioning your dog to thinking more positively about baths will take time.  Remember that this may not be an overnight change, but if you are persistent, you will reap the benefits of a stress-free doggie bath. Two of the biggest things to remember: go very slowly & reinforce with small dog treats (positive reinforcement.)  A clean dog just might truly become a happy dog.  Happy training!

Is your dog pacing nervously, barking excessively, chewing objects, whimpering, urinating or defecating in the house or persistently licking paws? Then your dog may be experiencing anxiety which can be triggered by loud noises, stress, grief, moving, separation or fears. Herbs can be just what mother nature ordered, especially if you have a dog suffering from continuous bouts of anxiety. There are many all natural herbs that we have found to help with calming an anxious and nervous dog. Here are a few safe, all natural, anti-anxiety herb remedies that may offer up some stress relief. These herbs can be found at most natural health food stores.

1. Chamomile. Give  your dog chamomile tea, or mix chamomile in with their food.  Chamomile will calm your stressed & anxious dog and act as a mild sedative.

2. Oats. Oats are not only healthy for your dog but a great natural and safe remedy to help calm your pup.  Mix fully cooked oats with your dog's food.

3. Lavender. The scent of lavender works wonder to sooth and calm a anxious dog. Put lavender essential oil on a cotton ball or cloth and put it in an area where your dog is frequently, but out of paws reach.

4.  Bach Rescue Remedy. A blend of herbs,  is a safe, gentle, all-natural form of healing that can reduce your pet's stress.

5. Valerian. Safe herb that you can use to calm dogs who have trouble with extreme excitability, anxiety and tension. You can purchase Valerian in tinctures, teas and capsules. Take the tincture or powder from the capsule and mix it into your dog's food or  brew a tea for him to drink (make sure tea is cooled down before serving).

As always consult with holistic vet for proper dosage amounts & advice.

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We are proud to inform our customers that we now have an Extended Validation SSL Certificate. What does it mean to be EVSSL certified?  When shoppers visit a Web site secured with an EV SSL Certificate, high-security browsers will trigger the address bar to turn green and display the name of the organization listed in the certificate as well as the Certificate Authority. The browser and the Certificate Authority control the display, making it difficult for phishers and counterfeiters to hijack your brand and your customers.

NEW! PRICE-MATCH GUARANTEE!

We are so confident that we offer the best prices at bestbullysticks.com that we now match ANY online vendor price on any item we sell!

If you find anything on bestbullysticks.com for less on another website (excluding Amazon and Ebay), let us know and we’ll credit the difference to you. It must be the same item. For bulk items, we’ll try our best to match the price. Email us at bbinfo@bestbullysticks.com with any questions or to take advantage of this great new service.

Refer-A-Friend now offering a 6% discount per referral

Many of you have taken advantage of our Refer-a-Friend/Family Member program, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for that-it’s the biggest compliment you can give us.

Are you new to Refer-A-Friend? It’s simple! Here’s how it works:
*Your friend or family member places their first order with Best Bully Sticks.
*On that first order, your friend or family member types your name and the words “Refer-A-Friend” in the “Comments” section.
*We send you a coupon code for 6% off when their order is placed!

There are no limits to the Refer-A-Friend promotion, so you save 6% off our products every time a new friend or family member places their first order!

Do you have a bone to pick with us?

Our dog chews & bones are all natural, and from either Brazilian or US meat sources. If you have a highly aggressive chewers then you came to the right place. Your dogs will fall in love with our grrreat selection, while you go gaga over our amazing prices! We are constantly adding new dog bones & chews, so make sure to check back often. Better yet sign up for our newsletter and receive the inside scoop on new products, special saving & discounts & stay up to date on Best Bully Sticks happenings for 2010. We have some wonderful things in store worth barking about, so sniff around our site daily!

Offering you more of the best of the best-with your input!

Since you are our most valuable resource and we want Best Bully Sticks to be your go-to source for great pooch stuff, we need your help! Please let us know what you think we should offer, and how you think we can improve our website, for your best possible shopping experience with us. We will carefully consider all ideas.

Give the gift of  a good chew.  Delicious & all natural, the way nature intended!

Please make sure to check out our growing selection of dog treats, dog chews, and of course our  bully sticks . Try our NEW All Natural Free Range Odor free bully sticks!

A picture is worth a thousand words, or shall we say free bully sticks!

Our photo gallery is growing constantly, please submit a photo of your dog enjoying any of our products to enter our twice monthly contest! Each month we will have a drawing on those customers who submitted pictures to the gallery and a winner will be chosen and posted on the site. The winner will win more bully sticks!

Bark the Word! Join the Best Bully Sticks Free Affiliate Program & Earn 6% Commission or 6% Product Discount

Now Offering....The Anxiety Wrap

At Best Bully Sticks we consider your pets part of our pack and family. Like our beloved pugs Sushi & Espy, we only want to give your furry family member the best in healthy, safe pet products.  We are constantly searching for the best of the best so if you have any feedback or product suggestions please let us know. Please be sure to check out our New Products for everything we have added in the last month.

Does your pup seem anxious? Stressed? Scared? Nervous? Don't despair, the Anxiety Wrap is here. We are so excited to offer The Anxiety Wrap offers a holistic approach to calm your dog when it is stressed by thunderstorms, fireworks, car sickness or vet visits. Repeated use can aid in ending shyness and nervousness, destructive chewing, grooming issues, jumping and help release stress and tension in your dog. The Anxiety Wrap uses Maintained Pressure and Acupressure to relieve stress and end/lessen fears and anxieties in dogs. Created in 2001, it was the first of its kind on the market and invented the category of Pressure Wraps. It's the only patented pressure wrap in the industry and comes with 100% satisfaction guarantee and free, on-line support.

The Anxiety Wrap Is Designed To:

- Target acupressure points on the dog's body to aid in the calming effect from the light pressure of the garment.
- Hit sensitive pressure points on the back legs with the "butt straps" to - Help calm and release tension.
- Provide minimal disruption/discomfort to the dog while providing just the right amount of pressure to affect the nervous system.
- Allow the dog to freely urinate and defecate.
- Vary the amount of pressure through various elastic bands so each Anxiety Wrap can be customized to meet each and every dog's individual needs.
- Allow the "butt straps" to be used in a variety of ways - crisscrossing them, using only one strap, holding the tail down, etc. - to vary the effect.

This is a great way to ease anxiety and stress, while not having to medicate your pooch.

Sizes:
Mini (Chest Girth: 16-19", 12-16lbs)
X-Small (Chest Girth: 22-24", 26-30lbs)
Small (Chest Girth: 25-27", 31-40lbs)
Medium (Chest Girth: 28-30", 41-58lbs)
Large (Chest Girth: 31-33", 59-85lbs)

Best Bully Sticks Chew-monial!

Our friend & loyal customer Kimberly sent us over a wonderful chew-monial letter & pics of her tail wagging dogs enjoying our hand dipped carob bully sticks . So sit, stay and read awhile because we would love to share it with you. We love keeping dogs chew happy, safe and tails wagging. Our treats will put any dog in a treat induced coma & cause drooling at the mouth. Be fair warned that dogs love the taste & will bark for more, so you may want to order a year supply! Thanks  for sharing your Best Bully Sticks chew-monial, keep them coming our way! If you have a chew-monial to share please email us at bestbullysticks@gmail.com.

Hello Best Bully Sticks,

Hello again! I am FINALLY getting around to sending that picture of all my babies enjoying your new 'chocolate' covered bully sticks. They all wish to thank you very much for them, as they were a big hit!  The gang from left to right is Orion, Napoleon, Bentley (in the back), Marcus, Victor, and Jaeger. In fact holding the sticks behind the camera is how we got them to all look in sort of the same direction. You know we shall be getting more from you guys soon!

Everyone smile for the camera and Say "Bully Sticks!"

The furry gang from left to right is Orion, Napoleon, Bentley (in the back), Marcus, Victor, and Jaeger chomping on carob bully sticks

Regards,

Kimberly & the fur-tastic crew

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NEW! PRICE-MATCH GUARANTEE!

We are so confident that we offer the best prices at bestbullysticks.com that we now match ANY online vendor price on any item we sell!

If you find anything on bestbullysticks.com for less on another website (excluding Amazon and Ebay), let us know and we’ll credit the difference to you. It must be the same item. For bulk items, we’ll try our best to match the price. Email us at bbinfo@bestbullysticks.com with any questions or to take advantage of this great new service.

Refer-A-Friend now offering a 6% discount per referral

Many of you have taken advantage of our Refer-a-Friend/Family Member program, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for that-it’s the biggest compliment you can give us.

Are you new to Refer-A-Friend? It’s simple! Here’s how it works:
*Your friend or family member places their first order with Best Bully Sticks.
*On that first order, your friend or family member types your name and the words “Refer-A-Friend” in the “Comments” section.
*We send you a coupon code for 6% off when their order is placed!

There are no limits to the Refer-A-Friend promotion, so you save 6% off our products every time a new friend or family member places their first order!

Do you have a bone to pick with us?

Our dog chews & bones are all natural, and from either Brazilian or US meat sources. If you have a highly aggressive chewers then you came to the right place. Your dogs will fall in love with our grrreat selection, while you go gaga over our amazing prices! We are constantly adding new dog bones & chews, so make sure to check back often. Better yet sign up for our newsletter and receive the inside scoop on new products, special saving & discounts & stay up to date on Best Bully Sticks happenings for 2010. We have some wonderful things in store worth barking about, so sniff around our site daily!

Offering you more of the best of the best-with your input!

Since you are our most valuable resource and we want Best Bully Sticks to be your go-to source for great pooch stuff, we need your help! Please let us know what you think we should offer, and how you think we can improve our website, for your best possible shopping experience with us. We will carefully consider all ideas.

Give the gift of  a good chew.  Delicious & all natural, the way nature intended!

Please make sure to check out our growing selection of dog treats, dog chews, and of course our  bully sticks . Try our NEW All Natural Free Range Odor free bully sticks!

A picture is worth a thousand words, or shall we say free bully sticks!

Our photo gallery is growing constantly, please submit a photo of your dog enjoying any of our products to enter our twice monthly contest! Each month we will have a drawing on those customers who submitted pictures to the gallery and a winner will be chosen and posted on the site. The winner will win more bully sticks!

Bark the Word! Join the Best Bully Sticks Free Affiliate Program & Earn 6% Commission or 6% Product Discount