That's funny about bully sticks...
I was at Bark N Purr, a local pet store here, and picked up a short stick. I wasn't sure if it was a bully stick (I've usually seen them in 1 foot lengths). I asked the guy behind the counter what it was, and he asked, "Do you really want to know?" I said, I mean, is it a bully stick? He said yes, but I wondered afterwards what the heck they use for those things. I ended up picking up a couple of bones. I usually buy the ones that are about 6-8 inches long and mostly hollow (they seem to splinter less, but only the ones from Bark N Purr and Petsmart-Sadie can shred the same bones at Petco and this other store I've bought them at). I bought a knuckle bone or whatever it is this time, and Sadie has slowly chipped away at it. But Riley is into it, too, and he's not usually that into bones. It's great when the weather is a mess, like today. He's been a nut case all day. I asked my dad about them eating pieces of the bones, and he said something to the effect of, "They've been doing it for thousands of years." Still... I worry about it, so I tend to buy those long ones that I know they can't break easily. And those are the only ones I'll leave around when I'm not home.
As for kongs, I fill up a couple of them daily with peanut butter. I try to freeze them overnight. I give them to the dogs before I leave. They don't chew on them; they just lick the peanut butter out. I guess it's not as much of an energy release as a bone, but it keeps them busy. I occasionally do a rawhide, nylabone, or pig ear as a treat. They've had bully sticks once. The pig ears and bully stick were big gas producers for Sadie!
