# Bully Sticks - Peeeeee-Yew!



## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

So I went to my trainer because Jasmin had chewed up my expensive pair of glasses at 2 AM in the morning yesterday. She has been acting up with chewing so I took her to the vets and they said she may have a retained puppy tooth they missed, but they will see if it will fall out by itself this year? 

Anyways, back on topic! I went to my trainer and he suggested a bunch of puzzles so I am leaving one out at night just in case she gets up and decides to do something. Then he went to suggesting chewers and he pointed out this thing called a Bully Stick. Now... in his defense he did tell me about what it was, but I just gave Jasmin one and OMG!!! Such a heavy scent when it gets chewed up... and then the smell lingers in her mouth so when I pick her up and she goes to lick me... nuh-uh not doing it. I know they love the smell, but holy moly... I'm Asian and I can handle heavy fermented smells in my food, but this smell is so not on the same level, haha.

I heard theres scent-free bully sticks, but they use radiation and chemicals to get the smell out and I also heard that the heavier the smell the lesser the quality of the product, hmm. Anyone know more about this information? Also, I know Bully Sticks are high in fat and can upset the stomach, but it does not state how long we should let them chew on it for? I tried antlers, but it gave her the runs unfortunately and I am a bit skeptical to give it another try. 


Dog tax.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Bully sticks are favored by some people but I never did like them. I think one of my dogs fractured her tooth on an antler. I gave my last puppy a lot of gummy bones. I am not sure what I will use with our new puppy Dakota. Right now his favorite chew is a leather toy with a rope on one end.

We crate our dogs at night until they are about a year old. I have multiple dogs and cannot have a puppy bothering the older ones at night. Even if I had only one dog would still crate a puppy until it is all the way through its chewing phase. So I never wake up to potty accidents or chewing disasters. The dog gets used to his sleeping crate and is safer being there. Just telling you what works for me.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Hi Hollyollyc,

I learned the hard way I also lost a pair of expensive glasses, yep my Baby, I miss the little bugger, even bit the lenses in half. So I crate at night until well past the the age of one Beatrice just gained her freedom at night while Pia is crated, and no one is unsupervised during the day until that same age. Beatrice chewed up linoleum tiles at 11 months, there is a jaw growth roughly around the age of one. 

Yeah Bully sticks stink but it something I put up with to save my house. Also Bully sticks can give your dog diarrhea. I probably let them have the girls have them too long to chew on.

I've read here on the forum people recommend dried beef tendons and the like. you can search what chews for my poodle and read the info there.


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

Thanks guys! I definitely have considered crating, but I love waking up to a poodle curled up and laying right up against my chest. But since it is for the better, I could probably hold off on nighttime cuddles for 5 months. Normally she sleeps throughout the night on the bed, but lately she has been getting up to play with her toys.

My only concern is that my boyfriend is up at night at like 3 AM because we have opposite work schedules and she whines when she sees someone and she is locked in her crate. Maybe I could move it into the bedroom and shut the door at night, hmmm....

I have found these scent-free bully sticks that say they don't use chemicals with good recent reviews and I searched the company and nothing seems to come up. So good sign for now. Will give them a try.  It is these bad boys. They said 200% guarantee money back, must mean they will refund me plus pay me for trying the product. :laugh:


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Hollyollyc, there are less stinkier things for chewing that fall into the 'natural' range. Try tracheas, and buffalo or lamb ears and tendons...........
Here's Molly enjoying her buffalo ear, her trachea, and a kangaroo tendon!

All are very digestable too!


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

I like the Free Range Moo brand of bully sticks. You can get them for a good price at bullysticksonline.com. I like the Moo taffy sticks too. 

Here's a description of these bully sticks, taken from the above web site.

What makes Free Range Eco Naturals Moo! brand bully sticks different than the bully sticks I purchase anywhere else?
•Free Range Eco Naturals Moo! brand bully sticks are from Argentina Pampus Angus Cattle.
•Pampus Angus Beef is the story of a healthy lifestyle.
•Moo! brand bully sticks are natural dog treats that come from Angus beef cattle that have been humanely raised in Argentina pastures where nature provides the perfect diet.
•The result is beef that is higher in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Beta Carotene, and CLA, and are yet lower in fat.
•The traceable cattle are raised on ecologically responsible family ranches and are always grass-fed and pasture finished.
•Virtually Odor-Free and free of harsh chemical such as bleach and formeldahyde.
•All natural and fully digestable.
•Great dental chews to help keep your dogs teeth clean.
•Not only are these products USDA certified and inspected, they are also inspected and tested by the FDA and Customs.
•Great for indoor use because they are Odor-Free!!
•Free Range Eco Natural bully sticks are always sorted by weight, so that you always get what you pay for.

Why should I purchase Free Range Eco Naturals Moo! brand products?
•Grass-fed and pasture finished dog chews produced by nature.
•They are manufactured as the world's most environmentally friendly dog treats with the strictest adherence to socially responsible business practices.
•Free Range Eco Naturals is the first 100% GREEN company in the pet industry!
•Your purchase helps support certified non-kill shelters.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

hollyollyc said:


> Thanks guys! I definitely have considered crating, but I love waking up to a poodle curled up and laying right up against my chest. But since it is for the better, I could probably hold off on nighttime cuddles for 5 months. Normally she sleeps throughout the night on the bed, but lately she has been getting up to play with her toys.
> 
> My only concern is that my boyfriend is up at night at like 3 AM because we have opposite work schedules and she whines when she sees someone and she is locked in her crate. Maybe I could move it into the bedroom and shut the door at night, hmmm....


I have a large wire crate in the foyer next to the dining room and living room. This is the crate we use for Dakota if we are leaving the house. The adult dogs get to be free in this same general area.









At night I have a smaller wire crate which he will outgrow by the end of the year. I moved over my side table and placed the crate next to the bed so that I can put my fingers through the sides to comfort him when needed. I can also hear him if he is making noises indicating he needs to go outside during the night. I put a towel/rug over the wire crates so that I can use the top.














So I use multiple crates, which makes it easier than moving them around where you think you need them.

If you crate your dog at night, I would definitely have one by the bed since you plan on having them sleep with you eventually.

PS - By the way, Jasmin is adorable!


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## Wren (Jul 2, 2013)

I use the same bully sticks peppersb uses. The odor free are much better than regular bully sticks for smell.

I've given beef tracheas from bestbullysticks and I think they are way stinkier than the bully sticks and I've seen proof that they aren't totally digestible, if you get my drift.

My favorite (and Jonah's ) treats currently are the plain cow ears. No odor, last a little while, no after effects for Jonah. Do NOT get the smoked ones, they create a mess (stain) on the dog, your floor, etc. and I don't particularly want whatever they use to smoke them in my dog. Bestbullysticks also carries jumbo cow ears and they are really big... special occasion type treats for my dog. A small dog might make one last a few days.


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

@molly I went to the pet store to see if I could pick up an alternative while I wait for my delivery of bully sticks and my vet was on his way home and stopped me when he saw me with the ear. Until I know how she handles these chews he said its best to start with the long strip-types first and unfortunately they did not have delicacies like kangaroo tendon. I had kangaroo once and it tasted like delicious bison (just saying) so I bet Jasmin would die for it. Thanks for such lovely pictures, Holly needs a Molly too. 

@peppersb & @wren Thanks for the heads up! This website is amazing, I think they should have a smelliness scale though, hahaha. I will most likely be avoiding beef trachea pee-yew. I think I will order a bag of the Bully Bites. Its amazing to see a 1.5" bully stick which might be better suited for Jasmin since she is 5 lbs. and they suggest a piece slightly bigger than your dog's mouth.

@minipoo, Thanks for the compliment! The small crate is too cute and what a nice system you have going. The crate I have is a bigger one that I keep her in when no one is at home. It is more 'den' like. I wonder if she would feel more comfortable if she were to be in a smaller wire crate because it would offer more visibility? Hmm... the crate is the one below. Maybe I could look on Craigslist and see if someone has a smaller wire crate that I could use to put next to the bed.










Couple questions if anyone happens to know and would be willing to answer. 

How long do you guys let your poodle chew on these treats before taking them away? I gave her a 5" piece to chew on for a good 15 mins., but was afraid I was letting her chew for too long. She would not stop! Also, I always thought pizzle was a bull's wee-wee. I just read this quote "cleaned and dehydrated pizzles or penises of bulls", is there a difference?


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## Wren (Jul 2, 2013)

I let Jonah chew for 15-20 min. If he doesn't finish whatever he's chewing by that time, I take it and give it back another day.

Let me clarify about trachea's, they aren't stinkier than regular bully sticks, but are stinkier than odor free bully sticks. They are more crunchy than bully sticks. And I don't see undigested parts every time my dog eats one, just on occasion.

Bully sticks are uncooked dried bull penis, not urethra. Here's more info.

"In the beginning of manufacturing process the bull's penis that is usually 23-25 inches long, is removed and cleaned. It is hung vertically for the fluids contained to fully drain. Without these fluids bully sticks are odor free. At the next stage of processing bull penises are stretched, twisted or braided, dried and then may be smoked for flavor. The result is a 30-40 inches long very hard brown stick which is cut into pieces suitable for dogs of any size. Thus you can buy small bully sticks of 4'', large beef pizzles of 30 inches and any length between, such as 5'', 6'', 7'', 9'' and 12''.

As bully sticks are 100% natural product, thickness, shape and color may slighty vary."

I am careful to wash my hands after touching bully sticks and I keep them in the freezer.


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

Wren said:


> I let Jonah chew for 15-20 min. If he doesn't finish whatever he's chewing by that time, I take it and give it back another day.
> 
> Let me clarify about trachea's, they aren't stinkier than regular bully sticks, but are stinkier than odor free bully sticks. They are more crunchy than bully sticks. And I don't see undigested parts every time my dog eats one, just on occasion.
> 
> ...


I see, I see. So basically the odor comes from time-consuming process of making sure it is cleaned and properly dried. Would explain why lower-grade bully sticks have a strong smell, I assume the manufacturers try to skip or rush steps in the process. I like the idea about sticking them in the freezer as it slows down bacterial growth, especially after taking away a chewed stick that has been slightly re-hydrated from a dog's saliva.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Sorry, I just have to chime in here - I get Timi 6" - 12" bully sticks, and I throw them away when the get down to 1 1/2" - what is great about them is that they can chew on them for hours and maybe gnaw off 1/2" worth, so you don't have to worry about it getting small enough to choke on - I don't know why you would want to give it to the dog starting almost at the small enough to choke size!


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Sorry, I just have to chime in here - I get Timi 6" - 12" bully sticks, and I throw them away when the get down to 1 1/2" - what is great about them is that they can chew on them for hours and maybe gnaw off 1/2" worth, so you don't have to worry about it getting small enough to choke on - I don't know why you would want to give it to the dog starting almost at the small enough to choke size!


oooo.. you have a point. good tip for novice bully stick users. perhaps the smaller bites are meant for bigger dogs, but even then they could choke! so maybe it isn't the smartest for the manufacturers to suggest "slightly bigger then dog's mouth"


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

hollyollyc said:


> oooo.. you have a point. good tip for novice bully stick users. perhaps the smaller bites are meant for bigger dogs, but even then they could choke! so maybe it isn't the smartest for the manufacturers to suggest "slightly bigger then dog's mouth"



Yes, Lou here on the forum puts kongs on the end of her Spoos bullies so that they can't swallow the last couple of inches.
I don't know how the manufacturer can be that stupid, but I sure would not want my dog to be the one that proves what bad advice that is!


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

*My rule of "thumb"*

Several years ago, I was at the U of Pa vet school's emergency hospital with a friend's young golden retriever who had swallowed a piece of metal. We were told that anything smaller than a man's thumb would pass through the golden retriever's digestive system. Since then, I've figured that anything smaller than a woman's thumb would pass through my standard poodles. I get the smaller bullies in part because the really thick ones are thicker than my thumb and that would worry me. (Also, Bob has a distinct preference for the very thin "junior bullies" that I get from bullysticksonline.com.) If I had a bully stick that was thicker than my thumb, or if I had a dog that was smaller than a standard poodle, I would definitely take the bully stick away from the dog before he/she got to the end of it. But with my thin sticks and spoo-sized dogs, I don't worry about it.


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## Typan (May 18, 2015)

Was wondering if anyone has given their dog dried stiffed aorta? I gave my dogs some from a pervious neighbour but i can't seem to find anywhere that sells them in small bulk.


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## hollyollyc (Dec 2, 2014)

Typan said:


> Was wondering if anyone has given their dog dried stiffed aorta? I gave my dogs some from a pervious neighbour but i can't seem to find anywhere that sells them in small bulk.


Hi Typan,

I believe Best Bully Sticks sells them. Here is a link to their stuffed aortas:

Search - Best Bully Sticks


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## Typan (May 18, 2015)

Thanks Hollyollyc

Have already checked with them.... they only sell them singularly.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Yes, Lou here on the forum puts kongs on the end of her Spoos bullies so that they can't swallow the last couple of inches.
> I don't know how the manufacturer can be that stupid, but I sure would not want my dog to be the one that proves what bad advice that is!


Thank you for sharing this info, it made me feel good that I can be of help  <3 

I feel better using the Kong as a safety device for the bully sticks. Sometimes I have to jam 2 small pieces all the way in side by side so that it makes a tight fit that my dogs can't (or won't) insist on pulling it out. I also supervised so much in the beginning that they totally learned to spit it out and show me when it got too small LOL it's hilarious how when they "do good" they EXPECT reward and are like "I could have totally swallowed that but since I'm a good girl and told you instead, gimme a little piece of steak. now! " hahahaha I happily comply :-D

The way she tells me is by dancing around wagging her tail like crazy and staring deep in my eyes, pawing on me Etc . Even barks if needed! Lol .. Until I say: ok ok ok ! I'll give you a treat coz you're a good girl hahahaha


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

This is only letting me upload one photo at a time, so I'm going to try again and by the way I'm using Siri to type this so I hope it makes sense cause it's too cold for me to type my fingers were almost frozen I couldn't feel anything hahahaha 

About the safety of bully sticks you can also buy a ridiculous 3 feet long one and that way it's not get too small that quick LOL
(Picture attached. Apollo didn't know what to think of it haha) 

By the way do any of you know of an alternative to bully sticks? Lou and Apollo devour them so quickly nowadays that it has become really expensive. 
hubby is like: 
"$30 a day I don't even eat that good!!" 

Do y'all's spouses get jealous of the poodles sometimes? Hahahahaha 

I wanted to try the Himalayan yak chew, but I'm afraid that it's too hard, and that it could crack a tooth or something because they have become heavy chewers... 
I won't do antlers because they just don't look delicious LOL I'm pretty sure my pups won't like it.. And it definitely looks way too hard. 

I also heard of tendons but I think those are crunchy aren't they? Which defeats the purpose if they crunch it would be eaten way too quickly. 

I'm just wanting to give something that they can chew on for a longer period of time because they truly enjoy it

Please let me know if anybody has ever heard of a dog that had a tooth cracked because of the Himalayan yak chew or if it's just me being a worry wart again 

Oh and any other suggestions are appreciated. 

Hugs to all


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Lou....Try beef or Buffalo tracheas or buffalo ears (NOT pig ears, they are too fatty greasy!)...they are just as tough to chew and are much cheaper online .... tracheas come in lengths up to 18" long but you will find that the 12" ones are easier to find than the 18" ones. Oh yes.....they are fully digestible, and tracheas also are a good source of chondroitin for healthy joints (hips)
Yak cheese is good too....but expensive and not long lasting in my house at all! Molly is little and I bought her a 'medium' one and it only lasted a hour!


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you!! Nice to see ya! We miss you and Molly's awesome stories and pictures! 

I've tried giving them tracheas they disappear quick, a couple of bites lol 

But here's something I tried yesterday!! Someone recommended freezing stuff ... So ... 

I froze some goodies in water/beef broth mix, 
Cheese slices, pieces of steak, peanut butter... Etc

They loved it!!!!!!! And it slides away from them so it's not that easy to devour quickly lol! 

I have a video, I'll see if I can upload it to YouTube, but here's a few pictures of my treat/chew creations lol I used snack-sized ziplock baggies. 
Fun fun fun


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I HATE WHEN I TYPE A HUGE MESSAGE AND RIGHT BEFORE I HIT SEND I ACCIDENTALLY SWIPE LEFT AND IT DISAPPEARS!!!!  

Well I'm not gonna type it again LOL

here's a video of them chewing this new:

Himalayan yak cheese "bone" 

IT SEEMS GREAT! THEY MOSTLY LICK AND GRIND IT, THEY DO NOW GO AT IT HARD SO I THINK IT WON'T HURT THEM IN ANY WAY  

http://youtu.be/cqMgD50jTGQ


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Update!! If you microwave the Himalayan yak cheese treat it goes from being really hard to puffy and kinda crunchy instead! Very intriguing. I waited a long time for it cool to be safe


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

Lou said:


> Update!! If you microwave the Himalayan yak cheese treat it goes from being really hard to puffy and kinda crunchy instead! Very intriguing. I waited a long time for it cool to be safe


Lou, You are back!! Been thinking about you and how much I have missed your posts about Your kids!

Welcome Home!

Cathy and Poppy


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

We give Callie and Molly bully sticks from bestbullysticks company. I buy the thick 12" odor free. They are all natural and seem to keep the girls teeth nice and clean (along with brushing them of course.) We give them the sticks during dinner time and they get to chew on them for about 30-45 minutes. Then we trade for a little cookie. Because they are thick and long the girls don't eat a lot at one time and its impossible for them to bite off a piece and choke on it. I throw them away when they get down to about 3 inches.

I also give them beef kneecaps, but I remove any large pieces of hard skin and fat first. Otherwise, Molly will sometimes swallow too big a piece whole and later throw it up. She can't digest those hard pieces Once they are removed, I think they are a little safer because they don't splinter like a shin bone.


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