Throwing Sticks for dogs

Do people realise that throwing sticks for dogs to chase after or chew is dangerous for dogs? I have never thrown sticks for my dog or past dogs I've owned.

Yesterday on our local news on tv it showed a chap that threw a stick for his Labrador and the dog swallowed it. It was a 16 inch long stick!! The owner thought the dog had a rib sticking out of the dog's stomach. The dog was operated on and the stick was removed, the dog was alright. He was very lucky.

Sticks are so dangerous for dogs to play with or chase.
I asked my vet about owners throwing sticks for their dog and he said we get a dog with a stick injury about once a week come into our surgery.

I see quite a few dogs with sticks in their mouths in photos or videos on this Forum and just wondered do people know how dangerous they really are.

My dogs playing with sticks, well Skye does, but I think its the same as anything if you take care there should not be a problem. When I find a stick for her I will look for a smooth type with no sharp peices off it, she also know not to chew them or dive on them when picking them up, if she does we stop playing with them.

Your vet says they get a case a week caused by sticks, but i suspect they also get a case or more of injurys caused by running, playing in the house, cutting their paws while out. People have played with sticks for years but people seem more overportective of their dogs today. So imo is if you play with a stick act like you would with anything you would do with your dog and know accidents can happen, but your dog is just as likely to pull, tear something or stand on something as it is to hurt itself with a stick.

I see your point Stormey but to be honest I'm just not willing to take the risk with her, so would rather discourage her from playing or chasing after them..

Mine do like a tug of war over a stick or rather a tree branch not the sharp jagged ones that are easily thrown so they cant sprint around like mad with them.

I have had more problems with rawhide chews, glass and beer cans injuring my two. There was one incident with a can last year in which Star lost so much blood she went into shock

Type of sticks my two like

Maybe having a look at this site might put you off letting your dogs play with sticks

I hope this link will be allowed. It highlights the dangers of dogs playing with sticks.

Stick to toys

Thanks for the link Wolfie. The injuries on there are exactly the reasons why my two are not allowed to race around with small sticks in their mouths not that they are interested in them anyway.

The one that Star and Finn have is more like a trunk than a stick

It does make you think but as I said there is a lot of dangers out there, probably worse than playing with a stick. I also noticed a lot of them were when the dogs "dived" on the stick, Skye knows she is to pick them up calmly. There is also a case of a dogs eye being pirced when a dog carrying one turned suddenly, I have had my dogs get scratched badly my just walking through the woods, my neighbours dog cut her face wide open by running and falling. I dont like the Skye has a lot of toys and does not like playing with them, but is happy carrying a stick.
At the end of the day its down to the owners if they let their dogs play with sticks or not and its not up to me to say you should or other people to say the should not.

I fully agree with you Stormey. I'm not going to blab on whether you should or shouldn't allow it or not. I choose not to allow my dogs to play with sticks, doesn't mean everyone has to. The link is for reference as to what has happened to other dogs that have played with sticks.

Well if its not a tree trunk thickness they don't bother