We love our dogs with a love that’s authentic, pure, and has no regard whatsoever for how absolutely disgusting their favorite habits are.
For years I avoided the bully stick. The smell, the ick, the mere fact that my dog is gnawing away on a dried bull’s penis. I found all of it repulsive.
But when Tucker’s teeth stopped being able to to safely handle an elk antler, and I needed to provide something other than a Yak chew every night, I caved into the grossness, despite the dangers.
What makes a bully stick unsafe?
A bully stick alone is not inherently unsafe. It’s just a large, completely edible, completely digestible bovine appendage. However, the danger lies in a dog’s belief that their taste buds are in their stomach and not their mouth. When they widdle it down to the last one or two inches of stick, they often attempt to swallow it whole.
For vets who have spent many a day retrieving stuck sticks out of dogs’ throats or having to perform surgery because the offending item has made it past the throat but isn’t digesting quickly enough to avoid an obstruction or pancreatitis, they will tell you to never ever give your dog a bully stick. The risk is simply too high.
My canine partner Tucker doesn’t always make the best decisions, so the odds of him swallowing at least a small piece whole are pretty high. But having accepted the grossness of the item for his pure joy, I had to find a safe way for him to consume it.
Slim Pickings
There aren’t many bully stick holders out there, and the few there are don’t cater to the more well-endowed bulls. Tucker takes the Jumbo and Mega sizes made by Earth’s Best Pet Products because it’s not length but girth that he needs to make it cost-effective. Most of the stick holder were simply not wide enough, or awkward, or would require my investment in a number of sizes. Some companies make the stick holder based on size of stick, other by size of dog. Neither worked for us.
Then I came across the Bully Grip.
Bully Lok Chew Holder
First Attempt
It looked easy enough — just jam it into the rubber-toothed hole and it would stay put.
They weren’t lying.
It really stayed put. But it also took great strength to get it out and get a new one in. And we were bound by the size of the hole. Perhaps I just lacked the fine motor skills to make this work.
I contacted the company via email and they took pity on me, suggesting I try their Bully Lok Grip instead. They sent me one gratis, and two years later, we’re still using it. And Tucker is still enjoying his gross treat safely.
Retractable Edition
In my emails with the company, I shared my concern that Tucker would want to gnaw on the head of the screw that kept the stick in place. They said they didn’t see that often (afterall, the bully stick is way better to chew on than the plastic screw), but they thought a retractable screw would be a good upgrade for those dogs who fiddled with the screw. At that time they were in the design process, but expected to have the retractable screw out within the year.
Now that the new and improved Bully Lok Chew Holder is mainstream, I thought I’d give it a proper review. Tucker agreed – he needs no excuse to chew on more bully sticks.
Bully Lok Chew Holder
How It Works
Unlike the original Bully Grip wherein you have to jam the stick at an angle for it catch properly, the Bully Lok Chew Holder has an open hole to slide the stick straight through and then screw it down. The rubber is durable but still has some give. If you screw it too tightly, the round rim will become a little oval, which can stay as is, or just dial the screw back a few rings.
The upgrade to the retractable screw allows you get the stick in place and then take the “key” off the top. Either way, once the stick is secured, you’re done. Hand it over to you pup and let ‘em have it.
When the chew session is over, pick it up, rinse it off, and keep it out of dog’s reach until the next session.
From the Human Perspective
Despite my concern, Tucker never really did gnaw on the screw. It is worse for wear, but he never tried to bite it off. And, he was never able to “unscrew” the stick—and this is a dog who regularly enjoys undoing knots. I’m sure he could figure out how to get the stick out if he wanted.
As for the retractable screw, having a small plastic piece lying about when not in use is a hazard for me. While I don’t have a small child who would put it in their mouth, I could knock it off the counter or lose it entirely. Note: if you do lose the key, you could use an appropriately sized flathead screwdriver.
About a week after I had used the new one and set it on my counter to dry, I had a tough time unscrewing the screw. Once finally out, I put in the retractable one and it worked fine. I then re-inserted the original screw and it wouldn’t budge past a few turns. I was about to email the company when upon the fourth try, it worked fine. It may have been operator error, or perhaps the plastic had expanded or contracted while sitting for so long. I had not encountered that with our two-year old bully grip and seems to be designed the same, so I’m chalking it up to my error.
A Dog’s Eye View: Tucker’s Impression
This is Tucker’s item, so his opinion matters more than mine. Tucker likes that the holder enables him to chew the stick at an angle. I set the stick half way to a third inside the ring so it’s not straight up and down nor is it on its side without a holder.
The retractable screw wasn’t a winner for him. He uses the flathead part of the original screw to stabilize the holder with his big front paw. I watched him fumble, trying to get a handle on the screw that stuck out, but it just didn’t work.
Retract or not to Retract – No Need to Choose
The best part of the newest edition of the Bully Lok Chew Holder is that it comes with both screws – original and retractable, so you and your pup can decide what is best for you.
If you have a thin enough bully stick, the retractable screw actually sits inside the donut which is nice. Tucker’s are never that thin, so the screw stands out. It seems a little awkward, as it’s too thin for Tucker to utilize as a handle but not so small to not stand out.
If you’re good with keeping track of tiny items, you’ll like the retractable key, but for those of us who lose small items or are concerned about small pieces little ones could eat, it’s not the best choice.
However, if you dog is prone to gnaw on the flathead portion of the holder, then it’s worth going retractable.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Comes with both original and retractable screw.
- Donut is made from sturdy non-toxic natural rubber.
- Screw is made from natural food grade nylon.
- Allows for a wide range of bully stick sizes (1/8” to 1 1/4” wide).
- Allows for stick to be at various angles, depending how far you slide the stick in.
- Screw acts as a “handle” for the dog to hold the stick.
- Screw stays put, and holds the stick well.
- Leaves the last inch of bully stick inside the ring, no longer a choking hazard.
- Easy to unscrew and pop the end out into the trash.
Cons
- Key from retractable screw can be easily lost.
- If you use extra thin bully sticks, this may not be the best choice or simply overkill.
- Cumbersome for smaller dogs, but the “mini” size may work for petite but powerful chewers.
Bully Lok Chew Holder
The Final Bark
Having had one for over two years, I can attest that this holder holds up. The rubber has some teeth marks on it and the screw has some marks, but it’s not destroyed. Granted, this is not a chew toy; it holds the bully stick as an after dinner treat and is taken back up after 10-15 minutes, rinsed off, and held out of dog-reach until the next night.
And, I never leave Tucker unattended with it.
If your pup needs a bully stick with more girth than the average bovine, Tucker and I recommend the Bully Lok Chew Holder. They make a smaller version, but I have not tried it, as it wouldn’t be the right fit in my pup’s big paws. But it may suit those more powerful but petite chewers.
Dogs will always find joy in gross, dangerous activities. As pet parents, it’s our job to allow them their joy while keeping danger to a minimum. And the Bully Lok Chew Holder allows us to do just that.
