Dogs in general are very good boys, but Bruce, a 4-year-old golden retriever, is one of the most excellent. This little buddy collects sticks, you see, and he’s so proud of his collection that he loves to show them off to anyone who will look at them. And why shouldn’t he? They’re great!
- Bruce has been obsessed with sticks since one landed him in hospital. When Bruce was two years old, he had a freak accident with a stick that required emergency hospital treatment. These days, he’s generally only allowed to play with rubber toys because of it, but that hasn’t kept him from loving sticks.
- He’s downright obsessed with sticks. As Bruce’s dad Leo Icenhour told The Dodo, “Despite his injury, his love for sticks was not tarnished, but instead, it has only grown into a beautiful collection. He prides himself in collecting sticks of all shapes and sizes from our backyard and plants them right in front of our front door, checking on them daily when we go in and out of the house.”
- What caused the obsession? Bruce’s dad isn’t sure, but he thinks it might have to do with a time when Bruce buried his favorite stick at the time and a snowstorm made it go missing, sending the pup into a panic. “After the snow partially melted, he was able to finally dig around and find his stick. I’ve never seen him more triumphant than that moment,” Leo recalled. “I believe he started the collection because he never wants to feel the panic of being stick-less again.”
- He’s not allowed to bring them in the house, but Bruce keeps collecting. He does try when Leo isn’t paying attention, but generally speaking, he’s just content to keep adding to his collection outside. “He just likes to add to his collection and is very proud of it,” Leo said.