The walking stick is a lifesaver for some of us. When I was in the middle of several spinal surgeries, I fell in an open field while running my Wirehair. I couldn't get up, no matter how hard I tried. I had to crawl a great distance to a tree that I used to get back on my feet. A stick would have eliminated all problems. My pup is a great help in getting up, but at 50 pounds, she just couldn't do it.