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Why do dogs bring back a stick if you throw it? If I were a dog, I would say to my owner: you threw it, you fetch it
Jonathan Wallace
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
The questioner indicates that he would refuse to fetch the stick were he in the dog’s position, on the basis that it is an unnecessary task that has been created by the thrower. However, if he looks around, he will see many of his fellow humans enjoying such ostensibly pointless activities as pedalling up mountains, running through the countryside and many similar things besides.
These are all forms of play, and we do them because we enjoy them and they make us feel good. Play is an important part of the behavioural repertoire of humans, dogs and indeed most mammal species. As well as making us feel good, it serves an important function, especially in juvenile animals, in helping them to learn and practice survival skills such as hunting – or fleeing – and competing with rivals for mates and territory.
From the point of view of a dog fetching a stick, it isn’t performing a chore on behalf of its master, but rather the master is serving it by repeatedly throwing the stick so it can have the fun of chasing it down. Anyone who has owned a dog that enjoyed fetching sticks or balls will know that the owner generally tires of the game well before the dog does.
Jennifer Bambauer
Prescott Valley, Arizona, US
Chasing things is fun for dogs. They have a chase instinct that comes from their wild ancestors, who evolved it in order to hunt more efficiently. Fast-moving objects trigger an urge to chase. When you throw a stick and the dog runs after it and brings it back to you, it is because they want you to throw it again so it can be chased once more.
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