I need a new treat for my two huskies. They get the runs from any treat covered or basted in flavoring so it has to be really plain or all natural. I used to give them RAWHIDES but stopped because I found out they were dangerous!

So any suggestions on what type of treat to buy them that will keep them occupied for awhile?
I heard bully sticks or Himalayans are good? But what brand is best? And are things like this safe to buy at petsmart???

Thanks any suggestions welcome!

My personal favorites--

Bully sticks
Cow hooves
Duck feet
Beef tendon
Beef trachea-some stores baste theirs, but my store does not. I wouldn't buy it basted
Beef ligiments
Tripe
Antler velvets
Himalyan chews
Elk or Moose anter-I don't suggest deer because it is really hard and breaks fairly easy
Kneecaps
And my store recently started carrying... RABBIT FEET AND EARS! They have the fur on them and everything still. Super creepy, but the girls LOOOOVE them.

And of course, the amazing KONG. You can fill that bad boy up with almost anything; freeze it overnight and you can occupy your pups for a good hour or so.

Oh and the only thing from this list I would buy from Petsmart would be the KONG. The reason being the only thing from this list that Petsmart carries is bully sticks and antlers. The antlers they carry are WAAY expensive and horrible quality and I wouldn't trust buying bully sticks from them. I think they baste them in something because the ONE time I bought a package it stank to high heaven. Naturally, bully sticks will have a little bit of a "stench" but not enough to make my whole house reak for a month.

I also buy most of my Himalayan Chews and antlers on line. If you haven't heard of www.coupaw.com or www.doogyloot.com you need to join NOW. They send out emails at least every week and they run ridiculous specials on really awesome stuff...like H.chews, antlers, and bully sticks, just to name a few. The only place I buy my antlers however is from a destributor that runs their business from facebook. If you have an FB, check them out. Montana Antler and Dog Supply...they run specials all the time and their product are second to none. For real. I just bought a 3 pack of 9" tines for $38 dollars. Super awesome pricing and the best customer service.

Okay I think that's it..lol. I ramble a lot.

That's a great list! I need to find a store to buy these at other than petsmart then. I just don't know where to begin...

I have several kong toys but which specific one are you talking about that you freeze?

Our favorite chews around here are similar to the above list-

Moose and Elk antler chews
Bully Sticks
Pork or Beef Femur cuts (from a butcher raw, not pet store) these can be stuffed with various treats and frozen and re-used for months/years. Our last ones lasted over 2 years
Beef Ribs (from butcher)
Pork knee joints

Most of our chews come direct from the butcher vs. store only to guarantee they are raw and fresh vs some of the stuff sold in stores.

Just the plain normal kong. I usually put PB and add whatever I want. Sometimes cottage cheese, sometimes kibble, sometimes cranberries...whatever I'm feeling for that day.

I don't know if this link will work, but this is the facebook page to The Green Spot. Check out their pictures and videos on here for more info and to see what kind of store I am talking about.

https://www.facebook.com/TheGreenSpotOmaha

The link did work-thanks
Do you out the pups frozen treat in your freezer or do you have a separate place that's not with your personal food? Lol cause I'm not sold on the idea of it right next to my own food

I usually put the one's I'm freezing in a plastic 'tuper-wear' container in the freezer since I don't have a designated dog freezer.

We got an awesome deal on beef ribs.. My dogs love those They're raw and I give them still pretty frozen. They work them real well and once it's just plain bone and they're gnawing the ends I just toss them.

Bully sticks are nice.. I do partially frozen trachea too (we buy them raw as well) and marrow bones are a hit.

We have just one antler that kind of off and on gets chewed on.

Hmmmm... I think I'll give bully sticks a try. What are they made of? And any idea where I can buy them in so-cal?? Lol
Oh, and have they ever made your pups sick?

Bull penis !

And no, my girls have never gotten sick off of them.

But I don't feed my girls the same kind of kibble for more then two months, or I switch up the flavor but keep the same brand. My girls can eat almost anything without getting queasy.

Hahaha no way. Really? Bull penis? Never would have guessed that. And it's tasty to them? Crazy!
Well it seems like a very popular treat so I think I'll have to give it a try anyways lol!

You can find bully sticks at Persmart, Petco or any local feed store.

Stupid iPhone autocorrect...meant to write Petsmart.

Thanks !

This is all great info!!! Thanks for the advice everyone!

I make home made liver treats Lucian goes crazy and will do anything you ask with no talking back, it is really good for recall if he/she leaves you and won't come when called, they will come running for this treat. I use organic grass Cow liver preferably organic calf liver, I cut it into small slivers and then I lightly dust a pan with organic unrefined coconut oil and bake on broil for 1-2 hours or until dry and jerky like, 4 packs of liver makes a 2 week supply or you can freeze the remaining for 1 month. Lucian sits by the stove while they are cooking. They stink, but keep them in in air tight container and they are wonderful, plus they are natural and if you get the grass fed liver then you know the ingredients in it are perfectly healthy!

Plus you wont spend more than 4 dollars a month making these the liver is super cheap, at least in Georgia they are!

Sheba&Kennedy wrote:

Bull penis !

And no, my girls have never gotten sick off of them.

But I don't feed my girls the same kind of kibble for more then two months, or I switch up the flavor but keep the same brand. My girls can eat almost anything without getting queasy.

They're the urethra, dried, right?

seattlesibe wrote:

Sheba&Kennedy wrote:

Bull penis !

And no, my girls have never gotten sick off of them.

But I don't feed my girls the same kind of kibble for more then two months, or I switch up the flavor but keep the same brand. My girls can eat almost anything without getting queasy.

They're the urethra, dried, right?

http://www.bullysticks4dogs.com/bully_sticks_made.htm

From what I understand..it's just the penis itself. This article is a little icky, so be prepared!

haha, thanks Kelsey. I always thought it was the urethra specifically, but it does look like the actual penis itself, which on a bull is about 24 inches long, is stretched, drained of fluids, dried, and then (braided or twisted optional) cut in our beloved bully sticks.

Random trivia of the day

Ha, of course!!!

Okay, crack a beer, kick your feet up, light up a cigar, maybe play a little banjo.

Here ya go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKcm3dJI1VM

seattlesibe wrote:

haha, thanks Kelsey. I always thought it was the urethra specifically, but it does look like the actual penis itself, which on a bull is about 24 inches long, is stretched, drained of fluids, dried, and then (braided or twisted optional) cut in our beloved bully sticks.

Random trivia of the day

Haha!! Now you can dazzle all of your friends with your new found knowledge!

Just an fyi if anyone has a limited array of pet stores nearby...

My local Petsmart just started carrying Himalayan chews, yay! I used to have to special order them because I dont have any specialty pet shops or boutiques nearby. They have small and large sizes.

My dog loves Himalayans, antlers, but her love of love is Kongs. I'm super cautious about her weight, so I set aside some of her daily kibble and put it in the Kong. I run water through it, then dab some peanut butter at the opening and put it in the freezer. It keeps her occupied for hours and she loves it. Now when she sees it she runs right to the crate.

I know this is sort of old, but I just received my first order from Best Bully Sticks and dear god these things STINK. I bought 5 of the 12" braided bullies and a bull knuckle. I've bought bullies before locally (not Petsmart/Petco) and they have never smelled like this. Mishka is a very happy dog right now but now my whole living room/kitchen stinks. Ughhhh.

Has any one ever had that problem? I didn't get the odor free ones, because like I said, I've never had odor issues before. Is this normal for the regular ones?

simplify wrote:

I know this is sort of old, but I just received my first order from Best Bully Sticks and dear god these things STINK. I bought 5 of the 12" braided bullies and a bull knuckle. I've bought bullies before locally (not Petsmart/Petco) and they have never smelled like this. Mishka is a very happy dog right now but now my whole living room/kitchen stinks. Ughhhh.

Has any one ever had that problem? I didn't get the odor free ones, because like I said, I've never had odor issues before. Is this normal for the regular ones?

Yes, they do stink.  Some batches are worse than others.

I am a huge neat freak and freak out when my house smells like 'dog'.  So, I buy the odor free ones.  Juneau loves them just as much and they don't smell - AT ALL! From my understanding, they're just 'dried out' longer or something like that.  They have a small small small odor if you sniff it within a few inches from your face, but definitely nothing compared to a regular one.

www.bestbullysticks.com has the best prices all around.  They also sell bones, antlers, etc.  

I get the jumbo size and it usually lasts a week for Juneau.  

If you can't stand the odor and want to throw em out, donate them to your nearest shelter or rescue instead.  Or make her eat it outside. lol