Bully sticks are one of the best chew treats for your dog. They are long-lasting and all-natural, made up of only one ingredient – high-protein beef muscle. There is a major downside to bully sticks, the choking hazard. When dogs get down to the last few inches of their pizzle stick, they can try to swallow the remaining piece whole. When this happens, your dog can choke, or the piece can cause a blockage.
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To prevent dogs from swallowing the stick whole, you can use a bully stick holder. But bully stick holders are not all made the same. Some holders focus on making sure your dog doesn’t eat the last small piece while others focus on making the stick last longer.
All the holders are meant for bully sticks of a range of thicknesses. For the stick to fit properly, make sure you have the right size.
Note: throughout this article, we also refer to bully sticks by their other fun name, a pizzle.
Holders to prevent choking
Bow Wow Labs Bully Buddy
The inventor of the Bully Buddy, Scott Woolwine, created Bow Wow Labs after a scary incident with his pup, Finn. Finn choked on the small piece of his bully stick but, thankfully, was able to successfully cough it up. After this event, Scott created the Bully Buddy to hold that last piece and prevent your dog from choking. The Bully Buddy company, Bow Wow Labs, also has its own brand of bully sticks to ensure a proper, tight fit.
In the image above, the green piece on the end allows you to tighten the screw into the bully stick for a tight fit. The screw can be tightened with your fingers.
Bully Grip
With a similar story to the above Bully Buddy, the creator’s dog, Tesla, swallowed a 3″ piece of the bully stick. After going to the vet and getting fluids, Tesla was able to pass the stick (intact). Using the Bully Grip is very intuitive, and you just need to twist your dog’s bully stick into the thickest part, and it will hold the stick in place allowing for safe and fun chewing. A positive and negative of the bully grip is how hard the bully stick is to remove. While it’s hard for the dog, it can also be a challenge to take it out when your dog is done.
Due to reviews from customers struggling to remove the last bit, Bully Grip released the instructional video below. Wet the Bully Grip then use a hex head screw to push out the remaining nub.
BullyLok by Bully Grip
Newly released from the Bully Grip company, the Bully Lok is a similar concept to their original style but allows for easier insertion and removal of the bully stick. This style uses a screw to hold the stick in place. Thanks for the design, this holder can also lock Yak Cheese Chews, Collagen Sticks, Dental Chews, and Antlers in place!
This product is slightly more expensive at $24.95 but has strong reviews and is made in the USA. The material is solid natural rubber, and the screw is food-grade nylon.
You will need to watch your dog with this holder as they may try to chew the screw once they no longer can get to their pizzle.
Bonehead Holder
With a similar design to the BullyLok, the bonehead holders are more reasonably priced at less than $6.50 each. Note, BullyLok’s are made for Himalayan Yak Chews, so they only work with larger bully sticks. With a large or extra thick pizzle, these work by tightening the screw into the bully stick. Unlike the Bully Buddy or the BullyLok, the Bonehead’s screw is tightened with a screwdriver, so you do need to have the tool on hand.
SafetyChew
The SafetyChew is different than the others in functionality. You drill a hole through your bully stick and put the SafetyChew’s pin through the hole. You can also purchase predrilled bully sticks from the company.
While the pin method may take some extra work, it is almost guaranteed your dog cannot get the bully stick out. Also, if you have a drill and a small bit, it’s not hard to prep multiple sticks in advance.
BoniVet Bully Stick Holder
Bonivet’s bully stick holder is a similar design to the Bully Buddy. The difference is how it closes. Instead of a small screw, it has the user hold the balls at both ends of the product and twist to close. The larger area to grip is easier for people to tighten – even seniors and people with limited strength.
Note, previous versions of this product had challenges with a broken screw. Bonivet released an updated version in 2/2023 that reinforced the product at the connection joint to address the concerns
Extend Chew Time
These toys will extend the fun of your dog’s bully stick but will not hold the stick tightly. Make sure to supervise your dog and their stick when playing with these toys.
Qwizl
Many swear by the West Paw company and their Qwizl sticks are no different. You stick the bully stick in, and it extends the life as your dog tries to navigate the twists and holes. It is recommended for high chewers but is soft, so your dog won’t break a tooth. It is possible for your dog to pull the pizzle out, so this is not for gulpers.
One negative of the Qwizl is how much of the bully stick is covered. It extends the life of the chew, but your dog may not be able to access the whole stick so there could be a lot left over.
Benebone PawPlexer
Another bully stick holder coming from a beloved brand, the Benebone Pawplexer is a highly-rated pizzle holder. While it does not hold the stick tight enough for a gulper, the Pawplexer makes bully stick time a lot more fun. The holder itself is also a bacon-flavored tough chew. Benebones are excellent quality, US-made toys. If you want a tighter hold with the Pawplexer, the white centerpiece is about 1/2″.
WestPaw Toppl
The Toppl is a unique design than the other holders we’ve previously discussed. It comes from a highly respected company, West Paw, like the Qwizl. The Toppl is a treat dispensing puzzle, but the hole allows you to stuff pizzle sticks through the toy to extend chewing time. You can also buy the two sizes of the Toppl and combine them together as shown in the picture below.
Because of the distinctive design, you can get more creative with this treat dispenser. Put a bully stick through the hole, add yogurt and blueberries then freeze. This makes a long-lasting, fun treat for your dog.
LaRoo Yummy Ball
This ball has a hole in the end which you can stick the bully stick inside as shown below. Because it is a round ball, this turns the bully stick into an exciting toy for your dog. You can also add treats, peanut butter, or cream cheese to the outer ridges for more fun.
LaRoo Bone Puzzle
The best part of the LaRoo Bone is you can fill both ends with the bully stick or treats. You can cut one bully stick in half to put one side at each end of the bone. You can also add the ridges on the end with cream cheese, soft food, or peanut butter. Freeze the bone for longer play.
Recommended Bully Sticks
Bully sticks are not all made the same. With any dog treats, some are made of more high-quality ingredients. Others take shortcuts and are not safe for your dog. Cheaper bully sticks also may not last as long.
Natural Farm Bully Stick
All-natural, single-ingredient bully stick. Low odor and heavily cleaned before being slow-cooked. Because these are natural, the thickness may vary. But the packages all contain the same amount of meat. The sticks are about an inch thick.
Bow Wow Labs Bully Stick
These bully sticks are made by the same company as the Bully Buddy. The pizzles are from grass-fed, free-range bulls and contain no chemicals. Because they are made specifically for the Bully Buddy, you can match the size of the stick to your Bully Buddy size to ensure a tight fit. It also shows the dog’s weight for the right size.
Pawstruck Braided 12″ Bully Stick
The braided bully stick from Pawstruck is 3 standard bully sticks intertwined. Due to it being three sticks in one, the braided bully sticks are a touch more expensive than a standard stick but these last far longer. Owned and operated in the US, these are made in a South American plant that adheres to the highest quality standards.
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