r/interestingasfuck • u/Iptamorfo • 12h ago

Canine stick obsession

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u/aBrickNotInTheWall 12h ago

Are dogs obsessed with retrieving sticks because way back when we trained them to do that to help gather fire wood? And they did it for so long that it's just ingrained behavior now?

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u/Velcraft 11h ago

Practice for chewing bones, wolves' diet consists largely of them so dogs will try to find a facsimily. They'll even bury sticks sometimes.

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u/aBrickNotInTheWall 10h ago

You saying this reminded me that I think I read somewhere that chewing sticks helped keep their teeth clean

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u/Velcraft 9h ago

Oh they absolutely do use them for those, just be careful that the wood isn't too rotten - thought my dog was going to choke on a stick, pawing its gums bloody and gagging. Turns out there was a piece stuck against the palate behind the canines.