Prefers an old stick !!

[bonster]

Bonnie's a funny one when it comes to playing -- still hasn't got to fetching but loves chew toys and has a soft toy which she seems to 'mother' - carrying out around, taking it to her basket at nighttime etc....

When walking out though why is it that she will pick up old sticks lying on the ground instead of playing with a nice pet toy, or a ball or frisbee !?!?!?

Must be the smells/natural nature of it I guess... I know that sticks can be dangerous, e.g. splintering, dog falling on them/hurting mouth etc... but she seems to love them and pulls a very sad/confused face when I take them off her!!

...wonder if I should "plant" one of her many "as new" !! dog toys in the field (for her to "find") before I take her out there tomorrow ???

any ideas

 

[CreatureTeacher]

Ha ha. This sounds just like the time I bought my cats a $60 toy with all the bells and whistles, and they only wanted to play with the box!

Try "bully sticks". No splintering! But honestly, one of my dogs LOVED sticks, and I eventually just let her play with them. I pulled out a few splinters, but nothing really serious. She was very careful. It always made me nervous to see her bouncing around with a branch twice her size, but she liked it so much!

So how is the lovely Miz Bonnie doing?

 

[bonster]

Thanks Emma!

Yes I think that's what I'll have to do.... when she gets a decent stick I'll have to make sure its as safe as can be and watch her! Typical, I've spent more than a few $$$s on pet toys (this spoiled hound has a box-full) and this is what she likes! You'd never credit it when you see her curled up inside in her blankets and basket!

She's coming on great - so much more socialised now and generally calmer. She's even learning to leash walk on past those other lose dogs and even cats (although this is harder!) instead of always needing to watch them.... funny thing is that she's getting a little cheeky - using small treats to reward good behaviour, if she knows she's been good ( and she knows ) she'll be wondering where that treat is even though I don't give them all the time! Never pushy or 'asking' - just that expectant look -- keeps her attention sure enough! You were right - she is a clever one.

And we are toying with agility a little just for fun/stimulation - just simple moves like jumping over benches, walking along walls/banking - which she loves!

She's in great health, clearly very fit now and loving to run which is magnificent to watch! Only other thing that seems to get her is very occasionally she'll pick up a piece of bark or stick her nose in something outside and get very agitated, and a bit crazy, wanting to hurtle around! Perhaps an allegry or a bad association from the past. But nothing I'm particularly worried about - has only happened a handful of times, and she does return, sit and pant heavily to calm herself down....

Must get some photos up soon - she's hard to snap in motion! She's taking a vacation with me soon - a roadtrip to my real home, England, where she'll experience lots of grass (something there isn't much of here) and probably a fair bit of rain (again, unusual for her, she hasn't seen that much) - wonder what she'll make of it!

 

[smkie]

Can't wait to see your pics, hope you have a wonderful time going Home....let us know all about it! She must be just a lovely dog.

 

[becca_4321]

The old stick thing reminds me of little kids playing with your pots and pans, or playing in the mud making mud pies. Princess loves sticks also but what she loves more than anything are rocks! She tosses them like balls or a frisbie.

 

[bonster]

Couldn't work out why Bonnie wasn't her usual self and ready to jump out of the car the other day when we got home --- she's usually 'ready for action' when we stop... but not this time....
She'd hidden one of these sticks in the back with her and was happily chewing away little monkey

 

[AndrewF]

Jake loves sticks. I walk him in the morning when I take my oldest daughter to school. Usually on the way back he picks up a stick he "hunted" and carries it all the way home - proud as a peacock with his head held high, tail end wagging all the way home. I don't let him bring the sticks in the house so we're getting a pretty big collection of them on the front porch.

 

[Debi]

My dogs love sticks....they think it's such a big 'find'. We now give them fat, but small cleaned off branches sawed to about 18"...and only when we can supervise. I swear.........they love them more than any toy I've ever purchased. I throw them...they fetch.............they just love them more than a ball. Maybe it is the 'natural' smell of them...who knows. But, I'm one of those moms that never could imagine a child running with a lollypop in their mouth.......so I don't like them running with it. I think 'what if they fell and it jammed into their mouth'.......................course, just ask my kids..I fret about everything!!