# bully sticks



## raps702 (Dec 19, 2010)

I started giving Axel "bully sticks", I read somewhere dogs seem to like them, anyway I found them at the petstore (expensive), and I noticed they really stink, Axel really likes them, however I think I may stop giving him them just because of the smell. Anybody else have any experience with bully sticks?


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## treetops1974 (Jan 10, 2009)

Our V loves a good bully stick from time to time. My sister found a non-stinky kind - our local pet store sells them out of a box (loose) - and they don't smell.


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## labar349 (Oct 14, 2010)

By any chance do you know what kind the non-smelly ones are? My V loves the bully stick once in awhile but they do stink Thanks!


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## treetops1974 (Jan 10, 2009)

Hey labar,

My sister buys them from petco.com ... here's the link http://www.petco.com/product/111508...lly-Sticks-for-Dogs.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

She lives in Raleigh NC and they don't carry them in the store - she has to order them online


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Flossies by Merrick seem pretty similar, though a bit more expensive. Kobi got a bully stick the first day I had him and he loves it. However, that was not a pleasant smell for a 3.5 hour drive back home! I'd probably try getting some more if I saw them somewhere. He is set on Flossies for now though (he has enough that he gets bored of them)


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

The pet store owner told me what these are. I was surprised! I'll bet most of you wouldn't buy them if you knew.


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## treetops1974 (Jan 10, 2009)

Linescreamer - I wish I could say that bully sticks are the most offensive thing my dog has put in his mouth ... but I can't


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Linescreamer said:


> The pet store owner told me what these are. I was surprised! I'll bet most of you wouldn't buy them if you knew.


I might have paused the first time.... but I bought one without knowing what it was. Kobi liked it, so I figured why not buy more? It's not something I buy regularly though. I just bought his second one today. I went for the 12" one. He likes the big long bully stick


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## clover (Jul 5, 2010)

Linescreamer said:


> The pet store owner told me what these are. I was surprised! I'll bet most of you wouldn't buy them if you knew.


Ha! This is the only thing that has worked to make our nutty puppy stop barking! I'm not sure I would have bought one had I known what it it either but it was a gift and I guess in the end I'm a total sell-out. The silence feels too good


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## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

Linescreamer said:


> The pet store owner told me what these are. I was surprised! I'll bet most of you wouldn't buy them if you knew.


I was surprised no one had mentioned it yet. I wanted to post and ask if they were what I thought they were, but I didn't dare. I think that's why I've never wanted one for Rosie.


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## scooby (Mar 23, 2009)

I need to know 'what are they??? ???


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

scooby said:


> I need to know 'what are they??? ???


They are the bull's "stick", aka his penis.


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## scooby (Mar 23, 2009)

OMG i though Scooby eating dried tripe and pigs ears was bad thats disgusting thankfully not on sale in the UK, I think my hubby would sit crossed legged at the thought of watching the dog eat 1 !!!!!!!!!! 
Thanks for enlightening me Kobi


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Well they are processed and dried. You would never guess by looking at it that it was in fact a bull's penis. 

I had no idea, but I looked it up when I got home because I was curious why it smelled so bad! I'm not sure the smell and the content are related, but I learned a lot that day!


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

From what I've learned/experienced there's the bull penis which is really stinky and usually referred to as pizzle and then there's one that looks similar but doesn't smell as awfully strong and that's stretched tendon. I live in Toronto and get them from Global Pet Foods. The only way I can tell the difference though is to hold the wrapped (yes, packaged) stick and slowly bring it to my nose. Lol. If I can smell it as soon as I pick it up, I'm not buying it.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

I don't think the dogs care where they came from. 

I do wonder if they are actually from "bulls", or if they come from steers. Keeping a cow intact until slaughter could get a pretty interesting.


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## labeda14 (Nov 14, 2009)

learn something new every day! although, i have to agree with treetops--i wish i could say that was the most offensive thing maggie has put in her mouth....but, alas, i cannot.


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## madaboutvizslas (Nov 12, 2008)

In New Zealand it is big business exporting deer pizzle to China as an aphrodisiac. Apparently they stew it in whiskey and drink the juice (or something like this).

Maybe we should call that variety Stag Stick? I haven't seen any pizzles of any species available at the pet shops here but I am sure the V would love it. I have seen dried pigs ears and she love those.


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## Mercutio (Jan 18, 2010)

I'm all for using every part of a slaughtered animal so it doesnt worry me.

Although like treetops i don't think that's the worst thing Merc has ever chewed on and like scooby I've never actually discussed it with my husband... 

I also wonder whether the ones I've seen here are actually tendons though.


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## Cavedog (Oct 21, 2010)

My dog loves Bully Sticks, but when I told my wife what they were, she was not thrilled. I told her to look on the bright side. Any bull penis that becomes a dog treat will not end up in your hot dog. Her response.... "EWWWWW!" ;D


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## IagainstI (Apr 22, 2011)

I am bring back lots of old threads today, sorry. My dog loves bully sticks but they are so expensive and they don't last long. Are there any more affordable options?


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

IagainstI said:


> I am bring back lots of old threads today, sorry. My dog loves bully sticks but they are so expensive and they don't last long. Are there any more affordable options?


Harvest your own? ;D

I had a package of these once... I think there were 7-9 sticks in there, I can't remember exactly. That's about $3 per stick on the high side. Of course they only last half an hour for an adult V but they are GOLD for that 30 minutes:

http://www.amazon.com/Large-Bull-Sticks-1-Lb/dp/B0009XSXZM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327339059&sr=8-2


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## VizslaNewbies (Jun 10, 2011)

Ive honestly just busted a gut laughing after learning what bully sticks are and how weird it is for my brain to register that Ive been flinging around a dried up bulls' crayon and letting Dax go at it like a champ. 

The first batch I got was sealed in a Box and those ones smelt heavily that me and GF swore off getting Bully Sticks but recently we started shopping at a new pet store that sell individual sticks that aren't sealed and those don't seem to smell at all.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

In my experience, the ones that smell the worst are the ones the dogs love the most. They try to reduce the smell for the owner's benefit, not the dog  I'd rather buy the smelly ones if I'm going to treat my dog.


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Some dogs like antlerz and will chew on those instead. I was hoping Oso would, as he used to go through bully sticks rather quickly. Antlerz are more expensive, but will last a long time. Unfortunately, Oso barked at it, threw it in the air and plays with it like a toy rather than a chewy. I think he has chewed on it twice. 

Either way, he chews less than when he was a younger puppy, so the expense already went down a lot.


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

A higher quality bully stick will buy you more time. I've gotten up to an hour from a better brand of a 6" stick. It's worth the extra $1 if I even paid it. And I second the antlers. Although Dozer will chew some nylabones just as much but shows little interest in others. Trachea isn't as expensive but doesn't last very long either. Doggie "wishbones" (achilles) I think are less expensive but also don't last long. Canned food frozen in a kong is probably the most economical but not really the same thing.


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## IagainstI (Apr 22, 2011)

The guy at the dog store recommended cow hooves. About 2.50 a piece. We will see how long those last!


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## HoBoJoe (Dec 28, 2010)

I get all mine from: http://bestbullysticks.com/

They offer different sizes, odorless, and variations.


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

I tend to buy raw bone marrow bones from whole foods. Dogs love them and they cost about $1-$2 apiece. They last much longer for my pup than a bully stick because he spends a lot of time trying to slurp the marrow out (yuck) and even once it's out, he still likes to chew on the bone.


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## tracker (Jun 27, 2011)

Just checked this site http://bestbullysticks.com/ and you can buy them in different thicknesses... LOL, or a braided stick, OUCH.


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## HoBoJoe (Dec 28, 2010)

Pretzel too, those don't last long though...


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