How to Introduce Your Puppy to Bully Sticks

A lot of pet parents rave about bully sticks for dogs. They’re safe and highly durable chews that dogs just seem to love. They offer a number of benefits, too; for example, they help to improve dental health, as the chewing action removes plaque and tartar buildup. They’re also a great way for anxious dogs to relieve their stress and they provide your pet with a safe and fun activity that will prevent him from getting into mischief. While these 100% beef muscle treats offer definite advantages, it’s extremely important that you understand how to introduce them to your dog – especially a puppies – to ensure that they are enjoying their bully sticks in a responsible way. If you’re offering your puppy a bully stick for the first time, here are some tips that you can use to introduce it to him so that he learns how to use it properly and safely.

1. Find the Right Bully Stick

First things first: make sure that you are offering your pet a superior quality bully stick that is appropriately sized for your puppy’s small mouth. Nature Gnaws is a highly reputable manufacturer of these beef muscle treats and offers several options that are ideal for puppies, including their small bully sticks and their braided bully sticks. The former option measures 5 to 6 inches in length, the perfect size for larger breed puppies, and the latter measures between two and four inches long, which is ideal for small breed puppies. Plus, the Nature Gnaws bully sticks are made out of 100% all-natural, grass-fed, free-range beef and contain absolutely no hormones, preservatives, or other harsh chemicals that could potentially harm your pooch.
 

2. Slowly Introduce the Bully Stick

You shouldn’t have any issues with your pup taking the bully stick; most dogs just love them and will happily take them out of your hand. However, with that said, you do want to make sure that you only allow him to have it for a short period of time; no more than five to 10 minutes is recommended. The reason? – These chew treats are packed with protein, which is a vital nutrient that all dogs need and will help to foster the development of strong, healthy bones in your growing puppy; but, ingesting large quantities of protein at one time can be difficult for a puppy’s still-developing digestive tract to handle, so he could end up with a belly ache, or could even vomit or suffer from diarrhea.

This is crucial! You want to make sure that you supervise your pet the entire time he has a bully stick. While these treats are safe, there is a chance that a piece could break off or he could swallow the whole thing, which can cause serious issues, such as choking or a blockage in his GI tract. Therefore, it’s important that you are with you watch your pooch whenever he has a bully stick. And that’s about it! By following these tips, you can safely introduce your puppy to a bully stick; a treat that he will be sure to love.