Murphy at 14 weeks

[coopsmom]

No matter how hard I try, Murphy will find a stick. I don't let him chew on them, but I thought he looked so derpy here I had to take his picture before I took it away.

[Jollymolly]

Molly loved sticks as a pup Im glad she grew out of it.

He is a handsome pup

[lovemylabby]

Sweet boy!

Yes...they do love sticks!

[smartrock]

Derpy- that's funny! I guess because most of us get that derpy look from ours, too. They grow too fast!

[MySprockette]

Murphy has some serious ears! I remember Sprockette at that age she always had a stick..

[Amelia]

He is adorable! My girl is 6 months now and still loves finding a good stick!

[Wwwoodchuck]

I always encouraged sticks. When they feel the need to destroy something, where is your stick? It was always the one approved item they could count on being able to do whatever struck their fancy with. Hey, there are a lot worse things they could be chewing on and the price is certainly right on them!

And they are great for basic training. Find a nice stout branch in the yard and label it: “This is YOUR stick!” Then, when the times comes to find something for them to do… or THEY will find something to do… Give them a ‘job’: “Where is YOUR stick?” I will not accept any stick but the labeled one no matter how many come over.

My labs always had one allowable “Inside Stick”, all others were “Outside sticks.” The inside stick was a piece of firewood. If they got in that mood and needed something to destroy, “Where is your inside stick?” “Good girl, take it on your blanket.” They were allowed to do whatever struck their fancy with it. Sometimes labs just need to see something in tiny little pieces, I give them an acceptable outlet for it.

My last gal we had several labels for sticks, it was really fun. Big sticks, go find a bigger stick, little sticks, puppy sticks, big girl sticks. Your stick, My stick. Sticks got tired and needed to rest. That meant to drop it and find a different stick that was not tired and wanted to be thrown in the lake. There were days I would have a pile of 15 or 20 different sticks near me and she could go and pick a few out that were labeled that day. Not 100%, but good enough and you could always give her directions to the stick you wanted.

Every different swimming hole we went to had a “your stick” at it. I would find a nice throwing size and label it. She would carry it around while we were there and I would toss it off to the side when we left. Each time we would go back to a spot she would RUN to locate where ‘Your stick” was last tossed when we were there. There were 5 or 6 different spots we went to and each one had a different ‘your stick’ at it. She would remember where each one was, even after a week or more. It got so even if she favored another stick and we were headed back to the car, she would RUN back to where she left “your stick” and RUN back to the car with it.

It was better than the alternative of sticks. That would be the big long ones that would bash you in the legs as they go RUNNING by.