Treat Tuesday: YakyPuffs

I got a free sample of YakyPuffs from the Himalayan Dog Chew company at SuperZoo! These crunchy snacks are basically what happens when you microwave a Himalayan Dog Chew. They are made out of yak cheese, but puffed up into crunchy snacks rather than a dense chew.

Good For: A nice treat for the dogs to crunch when I'm on my way out the door and don't want my hands to smell gross. Dogs with allergies to anything but dairy.

Not Good For: High value training treats. Dogs with dairy allergies.

How Much We Like Them: The dogs all had to think about it for a bit before eating their yakyPuffs, but they did eat them. Even Zip and Ru.

Treat Tuesday: yakyChurro

Yakkety yak, it's the yakyChurro from the Himalayan Dog Chew company, the same people who brought us Yaky Charms and the Yaky Stick! I was given this yakyChurro at SuperZoo, and I knew Ru would love it. The original Himalayan Dog Chew, made from hardened yak cheese, can be a little too hard for some dogs to really enjoy. Tha yakyChurro is made with the same yaky goodness, but with potato starch added to made a softer chew. In addition to the original yak flavor, yakyChurro is available in fish and vegetable flavors.

Good For: Smaller dogs and less enthusiastic chewers. Dogs with allergies to anything but dairy and potato. Dogs that sometimes swallow their chews whole.

Not Good For: Huge power chewers, this would basically be a quick snack.

How Much We Like It: I don't think Ru the chihuahua has ever chewed anything for so long in one go. He ate the entire thing.

Treat Tuesday: Yaky Stick

Another goody from the Himalayan Dog Chew Company, this Yaky Stick was the very first thing Brisbane was allowed to chew following his cancer surgery in March. It's a bully stick wrapped in a thin layer of Himalayan Dog Chew. What could possibly be better?

Good For: Lasting longer than a regular bully stick. Being more engaging than a regular yak cheese chew. Combining the awesome power of cheese and bully sticks.

Not Good For: Dogs with stitches in their mouths from missing teeth. Dogs that bite big chunks off their chews and swallow them whole.

How Much We Like Them: I was slightly disappointed to find that the bully stick is made from USA cattle and not yak. I want yak bully sticks to exist.

Brisbane was thrilled to be able to gnaw lovingly on a bully stick again. The first thing he did was break off a couple inches of yak chew and chomp them down. Then he needed a break because his chewing stamina is severely diminished right now.

So happy!

Product Review: Ruff Roots Dog Chews

Ruff Roots are durable dog chews made by the Himalayan Dog Chew company. Harvested in Italy, these are created from tubers grown on the roots of a certain type of shrub. Ruff Roots are harvested without harming the plants, making them highly sustainable. While these are basically a chunk of wood, they don't splinter like a stick or a two-by-four. Ruff Roots come in four sizes for dogs under 20 lbs, dogs under 40 lbs, dogs under 65 lbs, and dogs over 65 lbs.

Photo by Erin Koski

So...It's Made of Wood?
Ruff Roots are made of wood, but it's a special part of a woody shrub that crumbles rather than splinters. These are usually cut to provide at least one corner that can give your dog that irresistible feeling of chewing on the corner of the coffee table.

At ten months old, Sisci is well past the teething stage, but she still loves to chew on stuff. She's pretty good about limiting herself to dog toys and things that kinda look like dog toys, but she can't always resist the coffee table. I think it's because it's right at the same height as her mouth, makes it easy to absently gnaw on those corners.

Photo by Erin Koski

This isn't our favorite chew toy for a few reasons. It doesn't taste particularly good. It's too heavy and clunky to play fetch with. Still, it's one she enjoys when the mood takes her. I appreciate that it's digestible and not made from plastic or full of questionable ingredients.

Pros: Highly appealing for furniture-eating dogs. Provides an appropriate outlet for dogs who can't resist the corners of the patio furniture. Highly environmentally friendly, sustainable and biodegradable and stuff like that.

Photo by Erin Koski

Cons: Really heavy, not awesome when a puppy brings it over and drops it on your toe. Not a slam-dunk for every dog, some just don't see the point. Makes a crumbly mess when a serious power chewer embarks on a mission of destruction. Kind of expensive for a chunk of wood.

Bottom Line: For serious chewers, this may be the answer. A lot of people say their power chewer has had one for months without tearing it to pieces.

Does your dog enjoy chewing sticks or furniture?

Treat Tuesday: LeanLix Lickable Training Treat

LeanLix is a lickable training treat made by the Himalayan Dog Chew company. It is made from pea syrup and pea starch. We have one that is chicken-flavored, and on that is sweet potato-flavored, and also includes fish powder. There are currently eight varieties of LeanLix treats, seven of which contain chicken powder. Happily, there is an allergy-friendly flavor for dogs with poultry and egg allergies.

I was looking for a low-calorie treat to use for Brisbane's HydroPaws balance training. PetSafe's Lickety Stik treat sounded perfect, but every flavor turned out to be chicken-based. Small bits of microwaved sweet potato worked, but ended up with sweet potato everywhere.

Lately I have been finding more and more products that are basically high-quality versions of widely available, heavily advertised mass-market stuff. If I only shopped in big box stores, I would have no idea that there are so many alternative and allergy-friendly pill treats, licky treats for training, etc.

Good For: Low-calorie training treat. Keeping my hands clean. Fat dogs. Dogs with allergies. Teaching a dog to hold their position by letting them keep licking it as long as they keep sitting pretty, standing, etc. Wearing around my neck via the attached lanyard. Looking like a giant tube of chapstick.

Not Good For: Dogs unmotivated by food.

How Much We Like It: This is the strangest thing I have ever had the retail person at work special order for me.

Product Review: Pawbunga Ruffhides

Pawbunga's Ruffhides are a clever solution to some of the problems with edible chews. These rubber chew-holders are designed to contain a rawhide, bully stick, or Himalayan dog chew. The toy keeps the slobbery mess off the floor, and prevents the dog from eating their treat too fast. Ruffhides are dishwasher-safe and made in the USA. They are available in three colors and three sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Our Ruffhide came from the Scout's Honor promise from BarkBox. When we didn't fall in love with our flat penguin toy, they let us pick this out instead. Since my dogs are fans of the Himalayan dog chews, I thought they might enjoy this.

The Ruffhide isn't for every dog, and it's not for every chew, either. It makes the chew harder to access, which can make an unmotivated dog lose interest. A serious power chewer might be able to demolish the rubber or break the chew up and pop it out in just a few minutes. However, for a motivated dog, the Ruffhide can be amazing. 

The Ruffhide is designed with big flared ends to make it more difficult to chew efficiently. Ours is the classic 5" size for dogs under 40 pounds, and it much too large for Brisbane to get his jaws around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Briz likes Himalayan dog chews, but not enough to spend the time working on the one in our Ruffhide. The foster puppies, on the other hand, have been hard at work on it. When we're ready for a new insert, I'll try a bully stick. Pawbunga makes rawhides, bully braids, and Himalayan dog chews that are just the right size to fit inside Ruffhides. I suspect I could just jam a 5" bully braid in there though. If my dogs were really interested in popping the chew out I'd stick with the Pawbunga refills.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Can make an edible chew last for hours or even days. Turns a bully stick from a snack into a project. Keeps nasty slobbery chews off the floor. Pawbunga offers a one-time replacement if the dog destroys it within the first month.

Cons: May not stand up to massive power chewers. Can make chewing so difficult that the dog abandons the whole project.

Bottom Line: Worth a try for dogs that really love their bully sticks, yak chews, or rawhides. 

I Microwaved a Himalayan Dog Chew...

The packaging for our Himalayan Dog Chews says that it can be microwaved when just a tiny piece is left. Nuke it for 45 seconds, and then another 30 seconds if it isn't fully puffed. It's basically a giant Yaky Charm. I've been waiting for Brisbane to finish a Himalayan Dog Chew for weeks now, and it finally happened.

Before.

After 45 seconds.

After 30 more seconds.

The resulting puff was light and crunchy. Brisbane found it delicious.

Treat Tuesday: Yaky Charms!

I did it, I finally bought some Yaky Charms for the boys. They are just as marvelous as I imagined. Yaky Charms are made from yak milk, cow milk, lime juice, and salt. They are allergy-friendly dog treats for anyone who doesn't have issues with dairy products. The best part of Yaky Charms is, of course, that they come in a microwave popcorn bag so they can be popped in the microwave.

Note: Yaky Charms do not pop nearly as loud as popcorn, the sound is really quite faint, so don't turn away from the microwave and plan to just listen for the popping.

Good For: Capturing that biodegradable styrofoam packing peanut texture. Weirding the dogs out the first time they encounter them, "Wait, this is food?" Teaching dogs with poor eye-snout coordination how to catch. Making me giggle with glee every time I see them. At $3 a bag these are a really good deal, too.

Not Good For: Suspicious dogs who fear change. People who can't microwave popcorn without scorching it and also mind their kitchen smelling like burned yak.

How Much We Like Them: Enough that I can barely keep my awkward geek self in check. I want to tell everyone about Yaky Charms. I want to say the name over and over. Yaky Charms. Yaky Charms. Yaky Charms. The dogs like them, too.

Treat Tuesday: Himalayan Dog Chews

Himalayan Dog Chews are made out of yak. Got a dog with allergies, that can't have traditional chews like rawhide and bully sticks? Give them yak instead. Yakkity yak. I love yaks. The people at the Himalayan Dog Chew company also love yaks, so no yaks were harmed in the making of this edible chew.

The Himalayan Dog Chew was developed from a recipe for a yak cheese snack made by people in the Himalayas, where yaks are the backbone of human society. Seriously, traditionally people there ate yaks and yak milk, and made clothes, tools, and tents out of yak parts. They even have yak races. With decorated yaks. I swear I am not making this up.

The first time I got a Himalayan Dog Chew for Brisbane was about eight years ago, when I first spotted them in a store. I brought it home and handed it to him, and he devoured it within minutes. I thought it was a pretty huge waste of money. Still, I thought I'd give them another try, and I'm glad I did. I gave them to Brisbane and Ulysses and ten minutes later I saw that they weren't chewing and assumed they had already gobbled down their yak. Ten minutes after that I saw them both chewing again, they had each hidden their yak chews for safekeeping. While I keep the yak chews picked up most of the time, they have yet to finish them even when left all day long in a crate with nothing but yak for entertainment. Even Ru loves his yak chew. These occupy a unique space on the chewing spectrum for my dogs, they are higher value than a rawhideor antler and lower than a bully stick, they also last longer than a bully but not as long as a rawhide or antler.

Good For: Lasting days longer than a bully stick or venison crepe around here. Being novel enough that dogs with massive allergies can still enjoy them. Being totally digestible.

Not Good For: Dogs that like to swallow things whole. Dogs with dairy allergies.

How Much We Like Them: I want to say we will always have them around, but the truth is that they still haven't finished the first ones I gave them. The package says to microwave the small end pieces so that they puff. I am ridiculously excited to see this happen, I just wish they'd finish the damned things so I can nuke them.