Parading the side-walk with his stick

On our walk to the woods last week, Dobie picked up a rotting branch and insisted on bringing it home. He was so proud of his branch, I couldn’t bear to make him “drop it”. So instead, I found him a decent stick which was not rotting and replaced it!

Every day we go outside for a long walk, he picks up his stick from the porch and carries it for the duration of the walk. When we get back, he has to “drop it” and leave it on the porch. We have been in this routine for a week now and I think he is comfortable with the idea that the stick must stay outside. He is reassured that it will be there for him tomorrow.

Some benefits I have noticed from giving him a stick to carry:

- Less distracted, more mindful of not pulling on the leash
- It is obvious when he needs to potty (he drops the stick, goes potty, picks it up again)
- He’s a working breed, seems happy to be employed carrying a stick
- Good practice for carrying other items such as his water bottle

See how happy he is today!