Staffordshire Terrier Carries His Biggest Stick Yet and Almost Whacks a Car

When dogs go on walks, there is no telling what they're going to find. Anything can be interesting to a dog, even if they've never been interested in that thing before. Today could be the day!

One thing that dogs will almost always be interested in, though, is sticks. They just love them, and sometimes, it feels like they're having a contest with themselves to find the biggest stick possible. On Wednesday, July 24th, one pup beat his best record and almost raised his mom's insurance rates forever:

Smokey and His Sticks are a tale that I will follow forever. One day, he will bring down a tree, and I will lose my mind.

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Smokey has been collecting sticks for the entirety of the four years he's been alive. Now that he lives with his supportive mom, he picks up the biggest sticks he can and carries them home on his walk. His neighbors probably know who he is by now, and if I was one of them, I'd be setting out big sticks for him to find!

On this day, though, he managed to find a branch that was almost big enough to span across a whole road. He was allowed to carry it home with him, and on the way, he comes pretty close to hitting an unsuspecting Nissan that's driving the opposite way. Luckily, no cars were hit and no sticks were harmed. As far as searching for a stick goes, I truly don't think he'll find bigger than this.

Why Do Dogs Love Sticks So Much?

Smokey isn't the only dog who loves sticks - he's probably not even the only dog in this neighborhood who loves sticks. Whether we want them to have sticks is irrelevant; we know they're dirty and possibly full of bugs, but they couldn't care less.

Dogs love sticks because:

1. They smell, feel, and taste different than anything they experience at home.
2. They make dogs feel like they're foraging, which is part of their instincts.
3. They're fun to chew , shreddable, and make their teeth feel clean.
4. Dogs like to try to "bring" us things to impress us.

Generally, there's no harm in letting a dog pick up a stick, especially if they're just carrying them around. Try not to let them eat them , though, and make sure they're not picking up sticks that are obviously filthy, bug-ridden, or sitting in a pool of stagnant water. Smokey's mom has her eye on him all the time, and thankfully, that driver had their eyes on the road to avoid his stick!