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Stick Fetch : Homemade Dog Toys

Without a doubt the most basic dog toy that has the potential of providing hours of fun and exercise for your dog is playing "Fetch the Stick". Long before there were a lot of commercial toys for dogs, this simple game that uses only a tree branch or stick was a pretty tried and tested game.

They do sell professionally made "sticks" that you can have your dog try and fetch but many people might laugh at buying a stick to entertain a dog. Most just pick up an old tree branch or stick that is suitable for your dog's build. It is actually quite hilarious to see a small dog try to fetch a large tree branch, and believe me many will wholeheartedly try. But keeping your dog's interest is probably more important since he will get frustrated if he can't pick up a stick that is too large.

Make sure that if you use a stick from a tree it is not one that has sharp ends that may poke your dog in the eye and also that it is not a species of tree that has thorns on it (that will not only injure your dog but may injure YOU). If the stick is from the ground, make sure that it is at least fairly clean and dry and that there aren't any parasites or anything on the wood. Anyhow, you have to pick that up with your hand so you probably are going to pick a suitable stick, right?

If your dog is used to fetching already, it's simply a matter of showing him the stick at which point he will probably get excited and even start jumping up and down and barking. If your dog has not "fetched" before, you will have to get his interest with the stick. Talking to him may help get his interest. You can use the same sort of tone that you use when you're calling him to get food, and probably choose a consistent phrase or words to use when fetching.




The first few times you throw the stick, you probably want to throw it a short distance. If it's too long a distance and your dog is not used to fetching he is more likely to lose interest in the stick and come back without it and look at you questioningly. Some dog owners like to reinforce fetching by giving the dog some sort of treats. One of the most popular types of treats lately have been Greenies dog chews which can be found at . These treats clean teeth and freshen breath which is sort of cool. They have them for smaller dogs as well as big ones.

Warning: You definitely don't want to accidentally hit the dog with a thrown stick because that will reinforce a negative perception with fetching that will be difficult to erase. As always, please supervise your dog to make sure nothing goes wrong.

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