# Stiks, woodchips, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! About to strangle my dog!



## chipinmom (Feb 13, 2012)

Would never actually harm my dog, but OMG, lately he is driving me nuts with eating anything he can find and put in his mouth. 

The biggest issue is sticks/woodchips. The area I take him to play (actually ANY area I can take him to play here) is full of woodchips/sticks/branches. He is OBSESSED with eating these things. And not just chewing on them and spitting them out, he actually eats them when he gets the chance (which admittedly is often since he runs when I try to take it away).

I need some ideas to stop this!!

Before anyone asks.. he is on a 5 star food, so it's not a nutrition deficiency. He gets a cup of food a day. And at just over 20lbs, that is more than enough that he should not be hungry. Also, he is not bored. Definitely not lacking with stimulation and exercise. He gets a couple hours of off-leash time daily plus a couple 30 minute or so walks. Longer if it's not super cold out. He also has the rest of the day to play with his brother (my other dog) and us. Which he does, constantly. Add some daily training time on to that, and this dog is definitely not bored!

He also (usually) has a near perfect leave it/drop it. EXCEPT when it comes to sticks/woodchips. The only way to get it out of his mouth before he swallows is to try to catch him and dig it out with my fingers. Catching him is the problem. I understand he thinks it's a game. But if I don't chase him or try to get it away, he just swallows it anyways. So I would rather try than not. By the way, his almost near perfect recall completely goes out the window at this point to. If something is in his mouth that isn't supposed to be, he knows it and will do everything in his power to avoid coming to me. And treats (even his most favourite high value ones) don't work as a trade or reward for dropping it.

I don't want to deprive my dog of off-leash play time. He deserves it and he is used to it. BUT, I can not handle this anymore. I know it's only a matter of time before he gets an obstruction or tears something inside him. I'm at a loss here. I keep telling myself that it's just a stage and adolescence (he is 1.5 years old), but I still need to stop it! I don't know what to do.


----------



## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

keep him on a long line (they usually come in 10 or 20 ft) & DO NOT let him off leash til this is resolved. that way you can stop him & get it away from him when he goes for something.

Josefina used to be really bad about this when she was a pup too, I used to carry a fave toy with me (one that squeaked... she loves those) when I saw her going for something (you will get to where you can just tell) i would squeak the toy & call her in a really excited voice. soon when she would see something she shouldnt have, she reflexively comes to me LOL.


----------



## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

My guy is the same, eats sticks, grass, and is newly obsessed with acorns. Honestly I really only worry about him eating the acorns, the sticks and grass doesn't seem to bother his stomach or bowels (he chews the sticks well before swallowing).


----------



## chipinmom (Feb 13, 2012)

dogdragoness said:


> keep him on a long line (they usually come in 10 or 20 ft) & DO NOT let him off leash til this is resolved. that way you can stop him & get it away from him when he goes for something.
> 
> Josefina used to be really bad about this when she was a pup too, I used to carry a fave toy with me (one that squeaked... she loves those) when I saw her going for something (you will get to where you can just tell) i would squeak the toy & call her in a really excited voice. soon when she would see something she shouldnt have, she reflexively comes to me LOL.


Since a large portion of his off-leash time is at a dog park with other dogs running around, I wouldn't feel comfortable having him drag a long lead behind him. It's a great idea though for when he isn't around a bunch of other dogs. Same goes for the squeaky toy. I'm relatively sure that it would probably work, since anything that squeaks is like crack to Bentley (lol), but not sure I want to bring a squeaker toy into a dog park either. Oh god, I can picture that now. One squeak and I'd have every dog running at me lol



dagwall said:


> My guy is the same, eats sticks, grass, and is newly obsessed with acorns. Honestly I really only worry about him eating the acorns, the sticks and grass doesn't seem to bother his stomach or bowels (he chews the sticks well before swallowing).


They don't seem to bother Bentley either. Stomach and bowels wise anyways. It's more about my worry of obstruction or tearing.


----------



## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I am having this same issue with Leah ... thanks for the toy idea. I will use it. Leah picks up any and everything outside that she can. Mostly she keeps it in her mouth and carries it to the door like she wants to bring it in the house. :/ But there are times I have to use the "leave it" command and take it from her mouth. The "leave it" command seems to work well with inside objects better!


----------



## Jenness (May 7, 2012)

I once met a woman while walking that used the gentle leader harness, the one that goes over the dogs muzzle. The reason she used it was not because the dog pulled but because she like to put everything in her mouth. She said that's what worked for her, maybe it's worth a shot.


----------



## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I feel your pain. Kabota will eat anything off the ground- cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, chewed gum, anything. I spend a lot of time saying "Don't eat that, er- leave it!" or "What on Earth did you just eat?!"

Recently, he's decided rock salt is delicious. Ugh.

Well, he's perfect in every other way and so far has a stomach of steel, so, you know.


----------



## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Well thankfully "leave it" works the vast majority of the time for the random crap we come across on the ground. I don't even bother for sticks and grass, for the acorns I just try and keep him away from the areas they've pooled. Don't want to use "leave it" when I KNOW he isn't going to listen.


----------



## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

ugh the only thing I have had a real problem with is horse/cow poop. I neve never been able to get my dogs to leave it :/, now if i get after them they will but they will try to sneak some :/


----------



## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Haha deer poop is a delicacy as far as the neighborhood dogs are concerned. Can't stop most of them from eating the deer poop short of physically pulling them away.


----------



## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Wonder what it is about poop? Mine don't eat each others or their own thank doG but they sure like everyone else's poop :/


----------

