Many dogs love sticks, but what do they find so attractive about an ordinary piece of wood? And how safe is it to let your pet play with them? 
There are three very plausible theories as to why dogs love sticks. Firstly, watchdogs may like the smell. Lying anywhere on the ground, sticks absorb a lot of aromas. The mix of garbage, dirt, other people's poop, seasoned with woody notes, is very much to the taste of sniffing dogs - so they get used to playing with sticks. 
Secondly, the stick is easy to find, easy to lose and easy to find a new one! There are branches on the ground everywhere! And if not, you can break it off yourself! Thirdly, animals can chew because it’s cool! The wood breaks quickly and crunches delightfully, and the chewing process itself calms the dog. In addition, some breeds are prone to carrying things in their mouths. Many hunting breeds were bred for this very purpose. So here the owner also encourages and sometimes finds a stick to play with. 
A big stick for a good big boy!
Only here’s a nuance: sticks for dogs, like matches for children, are not a toy! Anticipating indignant criticism in comments in the style: “And my Bobik has been chewing sticks all his life and nothing”, “Our Bug doesn’t accept any toys except sticks”, “Yes, it’s a dog, what will happen to it!”, I’ll say - this is just great, that your animals have still played with sticks without consequences. But, friends, this is rather an exception to the rule! 
There are several options for how bobbins are killed on branches. Crazy, reckless and simply clumsy people most often stumble into sticks with their chest, stomach, neck or mouth. Even a blunt piece of wood, with the right amount of force, can easily pierce the skin and mucous membranes. So much so that only a veterinarian under anesthesia can get it later. 
Beavers are injured when a piece of a stick gets stuck in the throat, pierces the tongue, or when this same piece (or sometimes several) gets into the stomach. Dogs are not cows; they cannot digest wood. This means that the wood chips and branches will begin their journey unchanged throughout the pet’s gastrointestinal tract. Who knows where the stick will fit across? 
And finally: you yourself teach the animal not to pick up any garbage from the ground? So why then encourage playing with a stick that has been lying on the ground for God knows how long? Who knows how many dogs have played with her before and what illnesses they had? Just take your toys with you for a walk and throw them around for good measure! 
Today your dog brought a stick from the street, and tomorrow - an Alien larva. Do you need it?
0 comments
