Why throwing sticks at your dog to pick them up is a bad idea

Most dogs have the innate instinct to fetch what you throw at them and bring it back to you.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
26 July 2023 Wednesday 17:34
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Why throwing sticks at your dog to pick them up is a bad idea

Most dogs have the innate instinct to fetch what you throw at them and bring it back to you. For this reason, playing at throwing something for them to pick it up is one of their favorite pastimes, where the bond between pet and human is also significantly reinforced. Now, we should not play with any object, as it could be dangerous for the dog.

You should know that you should not play with your dog with tennis balls, since its material is abrasive and files the animal's teeth. Also, if you opt for any other type of ball, it is important to choose the right size, so that they are not too big for the dog to catch comfortably, but not too small either, since in this case he could swallow it and drown.

Another popular object when playing with your dog, especially outdoors, are sticks. The dog himself picks them up from the ground in the middle of the walk and offers it to you in the hope that you will throw it away and he can go look for it. Well, it turns out that this common practice is also dangerous for your four-legged best friend.

Thomi is a dog training expert who, under the username @Thomi

In addition to warning about the negative side of tennis balls, he has also posted a video about the danger of playing with sticks with your dog. One of the main reasons is that dogs are very fast and tend to get ahead of the stick itself, running to where they think it will land when you throw it at them. With this, they run the risk of the stick impacting directly on their head, hurting their eyes.

Another warning from the content creator is that if the stick is large and sharp it can pierce the dog's throat. Also, you could inadvertently swallow it, and since it is not a smooth object, it could cause serious injury to the inside of your throat. The trainer remembers that the dog picks up the stick with its mouth, so he appeals to use logic and, just as we would not throw a stick at a child, neither would we throw it at a dog for its safety.