A huge number of injuries are caused by dogs carrying sticks and vets always urge owners to discourage their dogs from this habit.  So it was interesting to see on Dragons Den the knobbly plastic or rubber (the inventor and his gorgeous Golden retriever got short shrift from the dragons so I'm not sure what it was made of!) stick.  In theory, this is a great idea - but in practice?  I can only go on the experience of my flat coat Rosco.  Like most retrievers he is never happier than when he has something in his mouth and wherever we go he manages to find a stick to carry - even if it means uprooting a massive branch, thoughtfully designed to whack you in the back of the legs!  Occasionally when we walk from home he will set off with one of his toys - but then it is forgotten the minute something more interesting appears, like a partridge flying up in his face.  And therein lies the problem.  Would a dog carry around the same stick throughout the walk - or would they be like Rosco happily dropping it in favour of something more exciting?  In which case the imitation stick could prove quite expensive....