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!

Treat Tuesday: Red Barn Bully Sticks

Red Barn bully sticks are the best bully sticks available in my area. Having seen them in person, I am confident buying them online. These are big fat bullies that take a long time for the dogs to demolish. Sisci can't even finish a 12" Red Barn bully stick in a single chewing session. As these are basically the only kind I've seen or purchased in a physical store, I thought these were normal bully sticks. This explains my disappointment when Chewy.com sent us a shipment of American Journey Bully Sticks.

I like bully sticks because they are made of nothing but meat and are therefore fully digestible. Sisci tends to consume about half of one of these, and then she's ready to carry the rest around like a trophy. Brisbane makes it a project to devour his bully sticks, and the only one he had to give up on was a 3-foot-long giant stick. Ru will occasionally gnaw a bully stick, but he doesn't really eat them so they last forever (or until a real dog finds them).

Good For: Occupying a dog that needs a chewing project. Safe chewing for dogs that like to swallow things whole. Dogs that don't tend to like to chew things. Puppies. Dogs allergic to things other than beef.

Not Good For: Long and leisurely power-chewing sessions. Dogs with beef allergies. Not being incredibly stinky and gross. People who don't like the idea of their dog gnawing on a dried bovine penis.

How Much We Like Them: I won't buy any other brand of bully stick online. These are actually made in Paraguay, but Red Barn owns the manufacturing facility there and I'm comfortable with their quality standards. I'd be less comfortable with them using USA beef and shipping it out of the country for processing.

Treat Tuesday: American Journey Bully Sticks

American Journey Bully Sticks are made, sourced, and packaged in the USA, which is a bit unusual. Our favorite bully sticks are from Red Barn, and theirs are made in Paraguay in their own facility. We got these frm Chewy.com because they were such a killer deal, a buck or two per stick. How cool is that?!

Surprisingly, not quite as cool as we were hoping. I am used to buying big fat bully sticks nearly an inch thick that take the dogs quite some time to work through. I should have read the reviews for these ahead of time because I was quite disappointed when they arrived. Super high-quality? Definitely. Domestically sourced, packaged, and produced with maximum integrity? Absolutely? Long-lasting and satisfying? Not so much. They're about at thick as a pencil and serve as more of a quick snack than a lengthy chewing project.

Good For: Briefly distracting the dogs while I leave for work. Keeping very small dogs busy chewing. A quick snack for bigger dogs.

Not Good For: Keeping Brisbane and Sisci somewhat entertained while I am at work.

How Much We Like Them: I doubt I'll order more, but Chewy mysteriously sent me a package of them after a left a review expressing my disappointment. No explanation. Still trying to figure that out. The dogs certainly aren't complaining.

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.