Dogs and Sticks: The Deal Behind Lava's Obsession

Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two crossbreed dogs, Lava and Hela.

Lava has loved sticks since being a pup. Of course, then she picked those that matched her in size. With time she got ambitious and her sticks have become even bigger than I could have imagined. Her favorite stick, which is longer than she is, is neatly stacked next to her dog house in the yard, and she goes back for it whenever she’s in the “stick” mood. I thought I’d share Lava’s stick obsession over the years with you, and I’d love to hear from you if you have a dog who is obsessed with sticks too (or even if you have one that couldn’t care less about them!).

Lava as a Puppy

We found her when she was only a small pup, and we could tell she would be a total mischief. Or, at times, an absolute nightmare of a dog, for the lack of a better word. But an absolutely lovable one for sure. She captured attention anywhere she went, and she still does at 4 years old. Being a pretty girl, it’s hard for her to go unnoticed on our dog walks, especially when she’s carrying a stick her size. Besides looking adorable, it has gotten us in a few pickles over the years, as she has no respect for personal space, and would often brush against other people’s legs with her stick. Most found it funny.

In that first year, she also discovered that there were all sorts of sticks, and although dry ones without leaves were her favorite, she soon started chewing on any sticks she could find. Gardening became a challenge as she would remove the sticks from a pile I neatly made, and would leave pieces everywhere as she chewed them through.

Teenage Years

Then she discovered bamboo sticks. Interestingly, all of our previous dogs loved nibbling on bamboo leaves we have in our garden, and when I saw Lava do it for the first time, I felt this warmth inside. Then, bamboo sticks became fun toys to chew on. Lava is also very peculiar about sharing her sticks. She will only do it with dogs she knows and trusts, and will otherwise try to run off with her stick, which can be dangerous for everyone around her, with her being completely clueless about the chaos she would create everywhere she went. If we went to a dog park, I would always need to keep a close eye on her and throw all the sticks across the fence, as although it would all start as good fun, with 3-4 dogs pulling on the same gigantic stick, someone would always get possessive and try to claim it for themselves.

It’s Different with Hela

Hela has been a part of our life for 1.5 years, and Lava has started sharing her favorite stick with her, which is lovely to see. Hela will happily join in and the two of them play tug of war, with Hela usually backing out. I don’t think she fully understands the meaning the sticks have for Lava, and she resorts to her favorite pastime instead: digging holes. Still, Lava will run around carrying her stick, hoping Hela will chase her.

Another One of Lava’s Strange Obsessions

Besides sticks, Lava realized she was really into fishing nets. When we took her to the coast with us for the first time, she wasn’t very keen on the water or the boat rides, but she loved the fishing net and everything that came with it. This actually made a lot of sense, which I only realized later, and it was all about the fish. Lava loved fish and was on a fish-only diet, due to her skin allergies, so the smell of the net must have felt mesmerizing. She would lie and roll in it and had even fallen asleep on top of it. Luckily she showed no intent to chew it, as I could already envision a foreign body waiting to happen. All in all, Lava always had a strange taste and awkward hobbies which only made me love her even more.