A bite of the Big Sky

A cowboy rides his horse through a field with blue skies. He leans down to hand a treat to his dog, who is jumping up in excitement, while a second dog looks on expectantly.

The scene, on the package for Big Sky Bites dog treats, is exactly the image the treat’s creators are hoping you think of when you’re feeding your own dog their 100 percent grass-fed beef treats.

Ryan Wickland and Thomas Lerou are the guys behind the beef jerky treats produced in Whitefish and “provide dogs the ultimate, all-natural, protein-packed reward from Montana.”

Wickland’s wife Jen was the one who initially used the beef the couple had been raising to create homemade dog treats. At the time, she was working with their border collie puppy, Pepper, in agility training when the trainer suggested small meat treats as a way to keep the dog’s interest.

“She decided to make the beef into treats,” Wickland said. “Then she made some for Christmas presents and people started asking if they could have more. At first it was just for fun for friends and their dogs.”

While the Wicklands had originally been raising Wagyu-Angus cross beef to sell to restaurants and those looking to fill their freezer, now two years later the popularity of the dog treats have made them switch entirely to raising beef exclusively for Big Sky Bites. The quality cuts of beef — those normally reserved for human consumption — now are used entirely for the dog treats. The beef is free of hormones, antibiotics and is non-genetically modified.

“We don’t add any fillers,” Wickland said. “They’re made of top grade beef, salt and vitamin E.”

Lerou recently came on board with Big Sky Bites after he and Wickland were introduced through family connections. Prior to moving to Montana, Lerou spent years as one of the original dog walkers in San Francisco providing experience in the dog world that could bring marketing to the product as it looks to expand.

“It’s the Montana vibe we’re trying to push,” Lerou explained. “I still have friends that walk dogs in San Francisco and they said their clients would go crazy for this. I figure that’s a great way to get it out to people.”

The treats were first available locally, but now that Big Sky Bites has become certified through the state Department of Agriculture as made and grown in Montana they’re looking to grow the product’s distribution including though a monthly subscription.

Lerou said the simplicity of the ingredients in Big Sky Bites speaks to those looking to provide quality treats for their dogs.

“This is a treat you can feel good about giving to them,” he said. “People are educating themselves about their pet’s food and where it comes from. If you wouldn’t eat it then why would it be good for your dog?”

They’ve personally seen their own dogs and family member’s dogs who come when they hear the sound of the package for Big Sky Bites. Just like the picture on the bag, the treats work especially great for those stubborn working dogs, they noted.

“This gets their undivided attention,” Lerou said.

Big Sky Bites are for sale at Tailwaggers in Whitefish and online at https://bigskybites.com. A 3-ounce bag of treats retails for $14.95.