It is simple to make a dog happy. You might even give them zoomies if you give them a tasty treat, a squeaky toy, or a good belly rub. But do you know what the vast majority of dogs are most likely to enjoy? Sticks! Canines can’t go past a good piece of wood without snatching it, no matter how small or large it is. What’s the finest thing about sticks? They’re durable and won’t be chewed up quickly, they’re easy to carry, and they’re a lot of fun to toss. You’ve probably seen a dog with a stick and seen how happy it makes them.
Andrew Taylor, a 59-year-old dog owner, is well aware of the situation. His dog’s enthusiasm for sticks inspired him to come up with a novel idea. The resourceful man decided to set up a stick library’ in the park where all of the neighborhood dogs could borrow a stick to play with. “Our dog Bella had turned into a stick lover since she broke any balls or toys to tears,” Taylor’s daughter Tayla explained.
After cutting trees at the side of his property in Kaiapoi, New Zealand, a guy collected quite a few sticks. He sanded them down to make them smooth and clean for the dogs, then built a box to hold the twigs. “While trimming the trees, my father came across several dead branches, and knowing how difficult it can be to locate a nice stick, and knowing that the new dog park would be opening soon, he decided to save them and put them in some kind of box,” Tayla explained.
He etched “Stick Library” on the box, urging people to return it once their dog has finished playing. Taylor’s daughter noted, “He decided to call it the stick library since it emphasized that you return the stick once you’re done with it.” Tayla even asked people to a meeting after the box was installed in the park to try out the new box. Around 50 people attended, several of whom brought their pets.
The simple but very practical idea was well received by local dog owners. “As people began to arrive, there was some skepticism about how basic the notion was, but it’s one of those things that no one has considered.’ She explained that all of the dog owners like it since they have all experienced the ‘good stick quest,’ which isn’t always successful, and it’s an idea that makes sense to them.