How are they made?

When cattle are processed for human consumption, the pizzle or penis is gathered with other parts that eventually become treats for dogs. Trachea, gullets, lungs all become chewy treats. Though these parts are clearly spelt out on the packets, they are known as just that - bully sticks.

The penis, which measure about 25 inches is cleaned and hung out to dry so all the fluids drain off. It is then stretched to about 40 inches and then divided into smaller sticks. The standard length sold are 6" and 12" or anywhere between four and thirty inches.
How should you store them?

You can store your bully sticks in zip bags so they can be used and reused again and again. You can also preserve them in the freezer to prolong their life and to increase their hardness. You can give 12" piece to your dog and keep the remaining half chewed piece in the freezer and give it to your dog the next day after it has become hard. The freezer will keep it fresh. You should not store them in open as otherwise insects could attack and contaminate them.

Different types of bully sticks:

They may be curly, braided or full cane bully sticks. They can be even shaped like pretzels or rings.

How are they useful

• They keep puppies and young dogs busy chewing, so that they don't chew on footwear, curtains, newspapers and just about anything they normally like to do. It will keep them busy for hours together as it takes a long time to chew.
• They do not have the danger of bones being embedded in them. They are pure muscle.
• They are made 100% of a single natural ingredient and does not contain fillers. They are a good source of protein.
• Dogs can be disciplined with the help of chewy bully sticks-
• Since they are all natural, they tend to stay longer than other chewy products like manufactured bones.
• They are good for the dental health of the dog.

Why they are not recommended

• An obese dog could get fatter because of the protein content.
• They are packed with calories with 9 to 22 calories per inch of the bully stick. Excessive feeding of these is not good.
• They could be contaminated with bacteria. Pet owners are advised to wash their hands after use. An outbreak of salmonella was linked to contaminated dry pet food in 2010. E. Coli, Clostridium Difficile, Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) were some of the pathogens found in chewy treats.
• While many pet owners are against the concept of pet food because they incorporate the byproducts of the meat industry, they are unaware that bully sticks are also a byproduct.

Where does the meat come from.
The pizzle or penis comes from free range cattle in South America, who are hundred percent grass fed. Most are odor free.
Bully sticks are indispensable yet their use should be under supervision. Dogs are fond of chewing them, and it keeps them out of trouble for a long time.

Raw Food is and will always be much more healthy than processed foods which consist of more grains than meat. If you consult any good veterinarian, they will tell you of all the benefits of feeding your dog raw foods. Hers are some of the many benefits of feeding your dog raw food:

You dog will be healthier
There is no doubt about this, natural proteins and fat consumed by your dog will allow the dog to grow fitter and more healthy. It will give your dog a more shiny and full coat and also helps reduce dog shedding because of stronger coat development. 

Fewer Bowel Activity
This is actually a good thing. You see the more grain you feed your dog, the more bowel action because the dog's system cannot digest all the grain in it's food. With raw meat, more of the food is digested which results in less bowel movement and less clean up for you the pet owner.

Good Dental Hygiene
Dogs are canines, they are carnivores and have strong meat and bone crunching teeth. Their teeth were designed just for that purpose. That chewing of meaty bones and animal flesh is just a simple natural process and will not damage any dogs tooth nor stomach.  Those sharp teeth in your dog's mouth are there for slicing, tearing and crunching through whole foods. Their teeth were not made for slopping up grounded pulp which then sticks to the dogs teeth, eventually causing a host of problems over time. Problems such as gum diseases, plaque and tartar.  Prolonged gum disease in dogs can lead to weaken teeth and eventually tooth loss.
Raw food not only strengthens your dogs teeth, it provides good and healthy gums.

Giving Your Dog Something Different, Something Really Healthy
It is really surprising how we can take our canine pals from meat and then substitute it with grains and expect our pets to be fully healthy and live long. Our canine pals deserve to eat like they use. Raw dog food, so what will be on your pets dinner plate today? Will it be the same dried dog food with more grain than meat? Or will you give the dog something it actually loves, is healthier and provides tonnes of benefit for your pet. 

Dogs have no problem eating scraps. Many times families will have left over foods such as meats, bones, pasta, vegetable etc. Those are some nice treats your dog would appreciate, but most of these scraps usually end up in the the trash can, eventually causing a stink in the kitchen. But if you have a dog there is no need for you to have a stinky kitchen. Simply combine all that left over food into two bowls, one for bone and meat and the other for left over vegetables such as , beans, (pasta) etc. The good thing about leftovers is that many times you don't even have to add much to it because it is enough to give the dog a nice treat, that is if you have a family of five or more eating dinner daily. So since this is just combining basic scraps to give your dog, the recipe is simple as a dog barking.

Ingredients

• Scrap Meats and Bones
• Left Over Pasta, noodles or beans
• Fish Oil

Instructions

1. Separate the bones from the scrap meat, put the bones aside to give the dog after he has eaten the meat scraps and pasta
   
2. Pour at least four table spoon of delicious and healthy fish oil on left over foods
3. Give the dogs the bones after (Exclude all fish bone) Bones should be easy to crack and chew by your dog.
4. Serve the scraps to your dog
5. Combine the meat scraps and pasta in your dogs food bowl
   

Now that you know hoe to create this 5 minute home made dog food, you have no excuse for having a stinky kitchen.

Tell me something, do you love your dog? Well, the yes i just heard as blown my ear off. Well, if you really love your dog you should ensure that your dog health is always at 100%. And part of ensuring that you have a healthy dog is to provide the proper nutriments that will allow your pet to grow healthy and strong.  Let me share a little secret about the Dog food we all buy for our dogs. Commercially prepared dog foods did not come on stream until the 1930's meat and grain companies needed to find away to get rid of rejected meat and grains and at the same time make money out of it.  These rejected products were many times contaminated, rancid and rotten. So some smart Alec decided to grind these all together and make the best selling product for dogs, dried dog food. Back then dogs were given foods like cooked meat, bones, rice, noodles etc. Now over 90% of dog owners simply go to the pet store or supermarket to pick up dried dog foods. But i am here today to give you two simple home made dog food recipe that your canine will love you for.

What You Need To Know Before Making Dog Food
Despite how cute and cuddly some dogs are, they are not herbivores. They were born to eat meat. That is what nature intended them to have, no cereal, no wheat, but meat. So with that said, lets look at percentage stock when preparing home made dog food.

• 2/3 Ingredients Should Be Protein. (Chicken, Beef, etc)
• 1/3 Ingredient Should be Grain. (noodle, cornmeal, rice, etc)
  

Now that we have a little knowledge about the nutrition of dogs, lets go ahead and prepare this special doggy home made meal.

Ingredients

1. 2 lbs Chicken Breast
   
2. 1 Lbs Cornmeal
3. 2 Cups coconut milk
   
4. 1/3 Cup Olive Oil

Preparation

• Slice up chicken breast and season with a little salt
  
• Have your frying pan ready to saute your chicken breast
• Add the olive/vegetable oil to the pan and saute breast for about 10 minutes
• Slowly add the coconut milk to the saute chicken .
• Add the cornmeal to the chicken and coconut mix and stir at low flame
• Ensure that the all the cornmeal is covered in milk
• Place the cover on your frying pan and allow the  meal to cook on low flame for about 20 minutes.
• Stir the meal every five minutes to ensure that all the cornmeal is properly cooked.
• NOTE:Cornmeal retains heat and should be allows to properly cool before giving it to your dog.
  
• Pour your home made dog food into the dogs bowl and watch him enjoy the meal.

Our Dogs have to eat, and they have to obtain the proper nutrients which will allow them to grow and stay healthy. We as dog owners would always like to have the best of everything for our dogs, but the economy thinks otherwise. We have to spend what we can afford and many times its just simply not the best. There are tonnes of different brands of dog foods available on the market. All promising the best of everything that will make your dog, skip, smile, pounce and just be "dog garn" happy. But what kind of food does it take for your dog to be healthy ad happy? Well, the answer to that is as simple as ABC. Lets look at a dog's appetite in a logical sense. Dogs are descendants from wolves, wolves are wild animals which hunt for food. Wolves eat meat so therefore they are considered carnivores. Since dogs are descendants from wolves and wolves diet is 95% meat, it can therefore be concluded that the best diet for our dog should also be 95% meat. Even the total build and mechanism of the dog is geared for meat eating. Large canine teeth for ripping into flesh and strong molar for the crushing of bones. We as owners have helped to change the natural ways in our dogs diet by feeding them dog food which is less meat geared and more on the vegetable side. Many dog foods are made of corn, barley, rice and other products which naturally would never have been in the diet of the animal if it was not domesticated. You must always ensure that when you feed your dog, he/she is given enough meat products which is natural to them.

Some dog foods that we purchase off shelves have no meat products in them and are wholly grain with fatty oil and meat flavoring.  Here is a brief synopsis of how many dog food manufactures make their vegetable cow foods which we buy for our dogs:

Ingredients

• Corn
  
• Rice
• Barley

They then take all the above ingredients and grind them to flour like mix.  The ingredients are then cooked and passes through molds of different shapes. Then the processed mold bits are sprayed with fatty oils and meat flavoring to trick your dog into thinking its yummy beef or chicken. A dog eating this kind of meal will lack many nutriments his body will need because of the lack of meat in his diet because not all animals on earth were meant to be vegetarians.

The next time you go out shopping for dog food, don't just pick up a bag of grains and throw it into the shopping cart. There are certain symbols you need to look out for on the dog food bags.

Hypoallergenic Logo: What this green cross means is that Dog food is hypoallergenic. In simpler for, it has a less likely chance of causing your dog allergies because it is free from the grains which causes allergies in your dog in the first place. Ingredients such as wheat, artificial additives, dairy products and maize.

Natural Logo: This logo means that your dog food only has natural ingredients and is free from artificial flavoring, antioxidants and artificial coloring.

Grain free Logo: Simply means that the dog food contains no grain whatsoever. no wheat, no corn, no rice, no barley, etc.

Clear Ingredients Logo: In order to receive the clear logo, foods must state each ingredient clearly and individually and must give a good indication of their percentage meat content. Any unspecified or vague ingredients will mean that the clear logo is not given.

High Meat Content Logo: Now here is a logo we love to see. The logo is only given when the meat content is not less than 30% of all ingredients. If you pick up a bag of dried dog food and the logo is not there, it could mean that the total meat content is not stated or the dog food is less than 30% in meat content.

Shop Dog Food Smart
Now that you know what to look for when buying your dog the nutritious dog foods he/she deserves. Its time to ditch the old bag of wheat and get your dog some real foods, foods with meat.