Dogs are known for their love of sticks and carrying one home from a walk is a common occurrence. If you’ve ever taken your dog on a walk around your neighborhood or through a wooded area, you may have experienced watching your dog pick out the largest stick that it can carry and then attempting to bring it home with them. But why do dogs do this? Read on to learn more about this strange behavior.
Why Do Dogs Carry Home Sticks?
Sticks have a very unique smell and texture that make them highly appealing to your dog. Dogs love to chew on and play with sticks because of the rough texture and smell. For dogs, chewing on a stick is similar to the way they might chew on a bone or other type of chew toy.
Dogs tend to explore the world around them with their mouths since they obviously aren’t able to grasp things with their paws. Looking for and picking up sticks is completely natural to them. A stick is like nature’s dog toy.
Sticks come in many different shapes and sizes, meaning that there will always be a “perfect” one out there for any type of dog no matter its size. In fact, you might even notice that your dog will seek out sticks that are similar in size every time that you go out for walks with him. Dogs will tend to go for a stick that is either gigantic, very thin, or somewhere in between—whatever is comfortable for them as far as weight, length, and diameter.
Sometimes dogs will even pick out a stick that’s way too big for them to actually carry home and then still attempt to do so. This is because some dogs like a challenge. These sticks can be as big as several times the length of the dog. On the opposite end, some dogs will select a stick that is so small that you might not even notice that it has one until it sets it down once you’re back at home.
No one knows exactly why dogs behave in this mysterious way, but there are a few theories. Some of them are as follows:
- Sticks have a wooden, sponge-like texture that is perfect for them to sink their teeth into and chew on.
- In the wild, dogs love to forage and find treasures and sticks are usually readily available.
- Sticks are similar to bones that dogs have always enjoyed chewing on.
- Sticks have a musky, earthy smell that reminds them of the forest and woodlands, as well as wild animals.
- Sticks can be seen as a reward to your dog for its trek through the forest.
- Dogs tend to love chewing on things and some breeds like Retrievers and Labs love to have a chew toy in their mouths nearly at all times. Sticks may act as a replacement for these things.
Also, if you tend to show a more positive response when your dog finds a stick to bring home, your dog will be more likely to continue the behavior as it feels like it makes you happy as well. Positive attention is always a good way to encourage a dog to continue whatever behavior it is displaying.
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Gathering Sticks Is A Dog’s Natural Instinct
Dogs have a strong natural instinct within them that urges them to pick up sticks. This natural instinct can be traced all the way back to their wild ancestors and is still very much present in today’s modern domesticated dog as well as other wild dogs.
The stick that your dog picks up while out on a walk with you may give the dog an opportunity to harness its inner hunter and foraging instincts. You might even find that your dog likes to present the stick that it finds to you as though it is looking for your approval on it. Your dog wants you to be impressed with his find, so he may try to grab the largest stick he can carry.
Sometimes a dog will “hunt” down the stick (his prey) and then feel like he needs to “kill” it (tear it to pieces). Be very careful if you see your dog tearing a stick to pieces. This could cause a lot of damage to your dog’s teeth and gums and some pieces may get stuck and require a vet to remove them. It is also very painful for your dog, so if you notice this behavior, be sure to intervene.
Should I Try To Stop My Dog From Carrying Sticks?
You may be wondering if carrying home sticks is a bad habit that you should get your dog to break, or if chewing on sticks is even safe. Carrying sticks is completely fine for your dog, but some experts warn against letting your dog chew on them. Chewing on things is natural for dogs since it’s how they remove tartar from their teeth and keep their mouths healthy.
However, if your dog is chewing on sticks they could risk getting splinters or having the stick break into pieces that they could choke on. If your dog manages to swallow pieces of the stick that aren’t small enough to pass through its GI tract, it can cause a very life-threatening condition known as obstruction. If this occurs you will want to get your dog to the vet as quickly as possible.
Even if your dog doesn’t swallow pieces of the stick, it can still get small shards of it stuck between its teeth and in its gums. These pieces can cause a ton of pain and discomfort for your dog as well as lead to an infection if they aren’t able to be removed.
You should also consider it unsafe to play fetch with your dog using a stick. This is because some sticks can have very sharp edges. Being impaled on the roof of the mouth or on the tongue is a very common injury for dogs.
If your dog wants to pick up a stick while you’re on a walk with it, that’s okay, but you should keep your eye on it to make sure that it doesn’t begin to chew the stick and you definitely shouldn’t use it to play fetch with.
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Are Some Sticks Poisonous To Dogs?
Not only can sticks cause damage to your dog’s mouth, but some sticks can also actually be poisonous as well. Eating and chewing on sticks can pose a serious health risk to your dog depending on what type of tree the stick came from.
There are a few different types of trees that are native to some places like the Horse chestnut, beech, apple, and cherry trees. These are all trees that are all considered to be toxic to dogs. If consumed, the sticks from these trees can cause digestion issues or illness in your dog and they will need to be seen by a vet immediately.
Even beyond the type of wood that the sticks are made from, they can pose other health risks. If a stick has been laying on the ground in a damp environment for a while, it could be harboring a number of dangerous bacteria or fungi. If your dog ingests part of a stick that has bacteria or fungi growth, it can become very ill and you may notice vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog after it has chewed on or consumed parts of a stick, be sure to see your vet quickly so they can get the treatment they’ll need to recover.
What Are Some Alternatives?
There are many things that can be used in place of sticks for your dog to play with whether it’s at home or out on a walk. If you find that your dog loves to gather sticks to chew on them, try providing it with a good chew toy.
Chew toys are designed to be safe for your pup to chew on. This means they won’t have any rough edges or textures that can be harmful to your dog or cause any risk of damage to its teeth. You can also consider some bones that are designed to be safe for your dog to chew on and ingest. Do not give your dog real bones from meat or animals because these can be unsafe for them and very hard on their digestion.
If you’re looking for an alternative to sticks for playing fetch with your dog, consider using a ball or fetch toy instead. It’s best to leave the stick out in nature and not allow your dog to bring it home to play with. This risk that they pose to your dog’s mouth is a concern especially if you’ll be using it to play fetch.
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When a dog goes to catch the stick it will bite down hard on it, potentially breaking off small pieces that it can accidentally swallow, or getting the pieces lodged in its gums. Play toys that are designed for fetch are a much safer choice as they will not break or splinter when your dog grabs them from the air.
You can also consider purchasing a hands-free walking leash to use when you take your dog out for walks with you. That way, you can completely ensure that your dog doesn’t run off on its own and bring back a stick.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © dezy/Shutterstock.com
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