Old English Sheepdog's 'Stick Library' at Local Dog Park Has Delighted Pups for 2 Years
Little Free Libraries are all the rage in my neighborhood. Folks have installed little boxes on posts with glass doors, and neighbors fill them with books that are free to take or leave as you stroll by. It’s a wonderful system, and it’s always fun to see what kind of reads make it into various libraries on the street and in different front yards. Sometimes, the libraries are not just for books. There’s an “art library” down on the corner which is regularly restocked with little canvases, art supplies, and art that my neighbor has made. A few blocks up, someone has created a canned food library, for people who might be in need.
But I’ve never seen a “stick library” at a dog park before.
Stick libraries are a community effort by dog people that can often be found in dog parks or along walking trails or creeks. Basically, they work like any other free library—only they hold sticks.
Related: Dog Stick Library in a Neighborhood Is a Stroke of Genius
We all know that dogs get a hold of a good stick and can carry it along their entire walk. But what do you do when the walk is over? Just abandon the stick by the side of the road? No, you leave it in the stick library, where it may make the next dog happy, or even be there when you come back on another walk.
How to Make a Stick Library
There’s nothing easier than making a stick library. All you need is an old crate, and some sticks. Simply set up the crate along with a sign that says “stick library.” You can paint it if you want, or just leave it rustic. Then, put the stick library someplace easy for dogs and their people to find, such as near the entrance to a dog park, a trash can, or one of those posts where the community supplies dog waste bags and a receptacle to dispose of them.
And yes, the occasional uptight community may have standards that prohibit these kind of additions to your local dog park or walking trail, but in practice, it seems heartless and cruel. If anything, a stick library helps keep fallen branches off the lawns, and can improve the general appearance of an area by corralling any sticks into one place.
The sheepdog and his family in this video made a stick library in their local dog park, and it’s still going strong two years later!
Is an Old English Sheepdog Right for You?
I grew up with Old English Sheepdogs, and so have a special fondness for the breed. They are a popular family dog, and are known for being loyal and friendly, with a strong herding instinct and a beautiful, long coat of white and gray fur.
This fur requires regular grooming to keep in check, and Old English Sheepdogs, like most herding dogs, need careful training and regular exercise to keep from becoming destructive. Though some Old English Sheepdogs will play fetch with sticks, they also enjoy using them for tug of war or even just to carry them along on their walks. A nice long walk and playtime with a stick is exactly the kind of outing they like best.
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