# No more bully sticks for Tegan



## my4jewels (Jul 8, 2013)

My Tegan had an incident a while back when she swallowed about a 3-4" piece of a braided bully stick. I panicked until I saw it come out the other end. It looked like a rope, and it was not digested. Thank God it didn't cause a blockage. But Tegan loves bully sticks more than anything, and we have continued to use them to get her to do things for us. 

For instance, Hubby will hold a stick very tightly in his fist, and stick out about 1/2" or less of the stick from the palm of his hand while I brush her, put in her top knot, etc... She has not been willing to cooperate any other way. Since her spay last week, we find she doesn't like us the snap/unsnap her onesie, so we have been using the bully sticks the same way. Otherwise, she will try to bite us, though not with full force.

This morning, Hubby gave her a whole stick to distract her while he undid her onesie to go potty, and then again while he snapped her back up. Just a few seconds total. She got a big piece off and swallowed it. She has thrown up twice, and I saw a 2" piece of bully stick in her vomit. She is now eating well and eliminating normally. NO MORE BULLY STICKS FOR US!!!

Now, Tegan weighs 15 lbs., which is a lot bigger than most dogs here. I can only imagine the damage these could do to a little one like many of you have! BTW, Tegan is an extreme chewer, has destroyed ALL of her soft toys, and only has a few nylabones, an elk antler, and a deer antler left for her enjoyment. I literaly have a whole trash bag full of ripped up toys in the basement, $100's spent on them.

I think I'm going to try to make her some homemade jerky treats in the future.


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## Dominic (Nov 4, 2012)

Tegan is training you well! 

Have you tried getting a behaviorist or a good trainer that can work with you and Tegan?


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

My Matilda loved bully sticks, she lost a front tooth chewing on them,:w00t::angry: I stopped bully sticks a couple years ago. You have been so lucky she didn't choke or have a blockage have you tried deer antlers? I have never used them but many have


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## my4jewels (Jul 8, 2013)

Yes, she has a deer antler and an elk antler. She likes them very much, but she doesn't love them. Tegan is very stubborn. We have had a behaviorist come for a 90 minute visit. She helped us enormously. Her initial problem was biting, and that had disappeared. 

Tegan is not usually this badly behaved. She was spayed a week ago, and she has so much extra physical energy, she doesn't no what to do with it. I have tried quiet training games, mental games and such. It isn't enough for her, and she is just unhappy. She is biting again, now with adult teeth, and, trust me, she is being disciplined every time. Today has really been a struggle for both of us.

She still sits and stays while I get her food ready, looks at me for the okay to eat, same at doorways. Most folks say that she is well trained for her age. It seems that a lot of her early puppy behaviors are coming out right now.


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