Dogs and sticks - a reminder...

I've never thrown sticks for dogs, and ours were never interested in them, but Bongo and I met a lovely springer this morning who had came to grief with one a few weeks ago. His owner told me he'd been rushed into the vet's for emergency surgery on his throat, and he had been very lucky to get there in time. He'd gone to pick up the stick at the moment it was landing, but at that angle it had jammed right down his throat, tearing it open and leading to MAJOR bleeding. Happily, he's almost back to 100% and did a great job of entertaining the Bonger!

His owner was obviously petrified, although I think you'll agree she did well to hold it together enough to get him help, and is now on a mission to spread the word around all the other dog walkers she meets. I don't know if any of you do throw sticks for your dogs, but please think carefully about it

No I never have,I heard a similar story but the injury was fatal.

Glad the dog has made a good recovery.

The vets where I've been working this week had one in last Friday - rushed in with a stick that had gone through his tongue, down his throat and just missed the main artery.

Sounds awful but he was actually a lucky one. I never throw them for my dogs but my dad does and it drives me mad!

There is a site called Stick to toys. It's a sad reminder of why dogs shouldn't be given sticks to play with


Stick to toys

I have never thrown sticks for any of my dogs, ever since my first dog had a nasty accident when I was 7. Me and my cousin were walking him (my cousin was 19) and she threw a stick for him. The stick got stuck in the ground and was pointing upwards, and Rocky just dived straight onto it with his mouth open. The stick splintered and half went into the roof of his mouth, and the other half down the side into his gums he was so so poorly and the stick had to be removed surgically.

To this day I have never thrown another stick

I used to, but stopped because... (try not to laugh at how daft Jenny can be... ) Jenny kept running after it and not looking up and it kept landing on her head! I though doing that excessively might lead to brain damage. At least the balls are smaller, so they don't hit her on the head as often...(Although, because of the shape of them they probably fall faster and hurt more...)

We tend not to throw them apart from twigs that she loves to chase and catch out of the stream. She does however chew them if she gets a chance.

I never have thrown sticks for my dogs and i never would they have lots of toys i throw for them.

This has been covered on here before, although it was a while back.

I have to say I do throw sticks sometimes for Isla and used to for Woody. Mostly into water, but Isla does get them thrown for her across the beck in the woods.

I'm well aware of the risks and only throw them if I feel the situation is right. If you know your dog and can evaluate the risks then I think it's ok, but if you just lob them and the dog is fast and the stick brittle then it can be very dangerous.

Yes my dad throws them because Takara tends to wait until it's landed before she goes to get it - she mustn't risk running past the landing point and doing more exercise than necessary

Thing is a friend of mine was walking a doberman when a stick that had been thrown got stuck in the ground and the dobie jumped on it and it actually went straight through her chest
I must admit I wonder how strong and sharp that stick must have been but it does put me off.

Takara is a stick chewer though and she does 'rescue' drowning sticks from rivers