Throwing sticks

[Atemas]

Why throwing a stick for your dog to fetch could be fatal

Several years ago my step son threw a stick unbeknown to me. It damaged Sky’s throat which I was unaware of until I wondered why she was subdued and not eating or drinking. Fortunately she recovered and since then there has been no stick throwing

 

[FayRose]

Yes, it's a bad idea. There have been some dreadful accidents as a result of stick throwing, some fatal. Thankfully, due to the dangers being bought to owners' attention - as you are doing - it is becoming a known danger and fewer do it.

 

[Boogie]

I never throw sticks.

But Spencer often picks up a stick and runs with it, which worries me. My supervisor says to completely ignore him when he’s doing it so that I don’t make the stick even more precious by either asking him to leave it or to give it to me (which he would - he’s got a good solid ‘give’) But I hate seeing him do it. Hopefully he’ll grow out of it.
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[Charlie]

An extremely bad idea but I still see it a lot. 2 years ago Charlie almost died not from us throwing sticks as we never do because of the dangers but he ran onto a stick/branch in the woods. It pierced a hole in the back of his throat narrowly missing his spinal cord and trachea by a couple of millimeters, he is now called 'Lucky" at the vet. He was very poorly for a long time and under the vet for 2 months with a bill of £2000. I don't think people do learn as a cocker in our village has already had surgery to remove a stick from his throat and I still see his owner allowing him to carry and chew sticks. x

 

[kateincornwall]

Sam used to pick up sticks and run with them , so I got him a Safestix , its a hard plastic imitation stick , they come in bright colours for easy detection . I don't know where it has gone but I will get another one for Reuben when he is a little more responsible with his toys ! x

 

[Boogie]

Sam used to pick up sticks and run with them , so I got him a Safestix , its a hard plastic imitation stick , they come in bright colours for easy detection . I don't know where it has gone but I will get another one for Reuben when he is a little more responsible with his toys ! x

Spencer has one and shows no interest in it at all
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[edzbird]

Meg is a b***** for picking up sticks. Sometimes she'll run with a big one - I'm not to bothered about them, they are huge & Coco will grab an end. Other times she grabs smaller ones and chews/eats them - these I really hate and am for ever shouting LEAVE/COME, distracting her with an appropriate toy. The only time I throw a stick is into the river...but I am uncomfortable with it, and try to remember to take a tennis ball.

 

[Anne123]

Finn likes to gnaw on a stick, especially the ones at our wood house. That’s why I have bought an ancor root. At first I had to trade the stick for the root, now he’s taken his root when he wants to gnaw

 

[Loraseal]

We never throw anything (trying to protect his joints) but Hunter is also a little B****** and loves to find a massive stick and strip the bark. I also try not make a big thing of him fetching it and ignore it. I am hoping he will grow out of it. The huge storm at the moment is not helping!

 

[Plum's mum]

Plum loves to find anything that can be thrown so if she can’t find a ball she’ll find a stick or a pine cone. I occasionally used to throw sticks until she got a piece of one stuck across the roof of her mouth in between her teeth. She also used to love chomping on them and an anco root was no substitute as far as she was concerned.

I stopped throwing sticks and she learned quickly that she wasn’t going to get a game out of them anymore. Now if she picks up a stick she drops it almost immediately and doesn’t even bring it to me to throw.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

OK, this may be a really dumb question, but it is safe for dogs to retrieve sticks in water? Last summer, after Carbon lost several very nice ball toys in the Danube, I started just tossing large sticks in the water instead. If he could be bothered, he'd swim up to the stick, grab the middle bit in his mouth and swim back like that. I was thinking it was safe as there was no throwing involved (i.e. he stays on shore as the throwing is happening).

Is this way of playing with sticks unsafe too because in theory he could crunch down on it and break it on the swim back to shore? Think I just answered my own question, but I'll leave it here anyway.

 

[snowbunny]

I think the biggest danger is from bits going down the throat, blocking or puncturing the airway. Even a splinter could cause problems if it became infected. I admit that on rare occasions I will let Squidge play tug with a big branch with Annie, but my lot are never allowed to run around with sticks in their mouths.

 

[Jen]

Stanley loves to carry sticks. I normally let him trot along with one in his mouth when he’s on lead because he always looks so proud.

But I never let him chew them and I don’t throw them.