# Puppy thinks mulch is a treat and I can't remove it. Help please!



## boxermastiffmix (Mar 19, 2015)

I adopted my boxer mix 2 weeks ago from a rescue organization. He is now 14weeks and was in foster care with his 2 brothers from age 8-12weeks. We are having some hiccups in potty training, mostly because all he wants to do is eat mulch when we go outside! Here's some background info:

His foster mom completely spoiled him and he never went outside in the 4 weeks he was in foster care (cold midwestern wintertime) and came to us trained to use potty pads. We have no interest in potty pads and never purchased them for our home. We quickly learned that he associates carpet with potty pads so we have limited his access to those rooms, even when we're there because it only takes 30 seconds of our eyes off of him to have an accident. Eventually we'd like him to be able to follow us into those rooms so I'd appreciate any advice on that topic.

After a few days of having to carry him off the porch because he HATED the outdoors, our pup has had a change of heart. Now he LOVES going outside primarily to eat mulch. As the days go by, more and more time lapses between exiting the house and doing his business because he is OBSESSED with mulch. It's everywhere outside because when the snow melted, mulch spread throughout all the grassy areas and even the sidewalk. 

We take him outside first thing in the morning and within minutes after he finishes his 3 meals of the day, with a few other breaks in between when he wakes up from naps. We give him tons of praise when he pottys outside and say the phrase "Go potty". He is crate trained when unsupervised and overnight and has only had one accident in the crate, yesterday. I took him outside 3 times within a few hours after breakfast and he did not poop, all he did was pee and attempt to eat mulch for each of the 10+ minute breaks. I left for an hour and came home to find a turd in his crate. I'm assuming he couldn't hold it anymore because it was only a small turd and this time he had a big poop immediately after being taken outside. 

I am really worried about his mulch eating. He has puked once from it and it is now showing up in his poop. I have had to fish it out of his mouth a few times because he starts choking but he just starts eating another piece immediately after his mouth is empty. If he sees my hand coming to take a piece of mulch from him he clamps his jaw shut HARD. I have started tugging on his harness/leash when he goes for a piece of mulch but I'm worried this is hindering him from sniffing around for a place to potty. I have tried teaching "drop" and "leave it" but he is more interested in mulch as a treat than actual food and will not comply. I live in an apartment complex and have no control over landscaping so removing mulch or taking him to a mulch-free area is literally not possible.

Help! How do I get him to stop eating mulch and realize his potty breaks are time to eliminate, not eat wood chips!?


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## ChelseaOliver (Nov 5, 2014)

Oh man do I ever know how you feel. She's getting better now but my puppy was (still kinda is) OBSESSED with wood! Any kind of wood - sticks, chunks, bark, anything. Taking her outside was a nightmare for a long time because of it. I'm assuming you're already doing this but he is always on a leash outside, yes? I have a fenced backyard but I had to take to only having her out on leash. Really, what I did was go "ah ah" (or whatever negative marker word you use, if you have one) every time I saw her going for it (which was over and over and over again every single potty trip) and fish stuff out of her mouth. Constantly. I know this isn't great advice but I know exactly how you feel right now and how frustrating it is. If you can't take him to a mulch-free area and it's becoming a big issue, especially if he's not chewing it up well (my puppy had a blockage that fortunately passed and it was a chunk of wood) I would recommend positively training him to accept a basket muzzle. This too shall pass, but at his age it won't be anytime soon


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## boxermastiffmix (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks for the reply! It's great to know I'm not alone. The landscaping team at our complex has just started spring work so I'm hoping they'll be cleaning up the stray mulch soon. If not, a muzzle might actually work for potty breaks only. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## ChelseaOliver (Nov 5, 2014)

If it gets to be an issue of his safety it might have to happen! Though I never actually used a basket muzzle on my girl I was very very close - she was actually taking poops that were JUST wood chunks. Good luck!


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I see people who have their dogs carry things- toys, balls, etc.- on walks to prevent this sort of behavior. You should also start training a solid "leave it". It's not an instant fix, but leave it is a very useful command. Kikopup's video for leave it is great.

[video]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzNA Oe1djDyc&ei=SmYMVai6KY-INu3zg9AM&usg=AFQjCNGw97fvdnQRmbs6fZ2Kp_5JZ-0Cfw&sig2=IobAJMDraa8PtrWrUD0zHw&bvm=bv.88528373,d.eXY[/video]

Zac George has one, too.

[video]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCQQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhQd g0qOVik0&ei=aGYMVdn4J4O1ggSk6YCQBA&usg=AFQjCNFNHcHk3ywa2Mw1VgSZQK3uI_CZcw&sig2=cbx-Yo-plNox0mhLKsscLg&bvm=bv.88528373,d.eXY[/video]


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Ask the landscaping company if the mulch is treated in anyway with insecticides or weed killers; also if they use cocoa bean mulch and he consumes a lot of it, there could be a danger there (the risk appears quite low overall, but you don't want him chowing down on it) 

If its anything other than untreated wood, then you'll want to up the level of precaution.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Possible help: Find a very high value treat, such as liver treats or boiled chicken, and 're-train' drop it And Leave it. And, for the moment, make those cues mean "If you drop that mulch, I'll give you some boiled chicken that smells like liver and tastes like heaven."

I think it'll be easier to wean off a 'poor' training method that depends on continuous treats and bribery, than it is to deal with the constant issue of eating mulch or other items.

On the other hand, a little untreated mulch may not be harmful, and your Vet can provide advise for your location, after you get the info from the landscaping company ...


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## Alla (Mar 25, 2015)

Another possible solution (just an idea, I've never been in a similar situation but this just occurred to me after reading the thread) is to limit your walk to a smaller area, just do laps, for example. Before you go out with the dog, go out yourself with a spray bottle filled with something that dogs don't like (citrus? not sure), and spray it on every piece of mulch you can find within your chosen area. It shouldn't hurt the plants so long as you're not using something toxic, just bad-tasting. You might have to spray it on pretty much everything if the area is as littered with mulch as it sounds, which is why i suggested limited area. 

Then take him out, and watch his reaction as what used to be a treat is now a nasty thing. I'd also carry the spray bottle on the walk and try to give an extra spray to a piece of mulch just before he goes to grab it. 

Alternatively, gather up some mulch and bring it home. put it into several piles and spray em with the nasty stuff. It will be easier to control 1-3 piles of bad tasting mulch, and it'll be easier to then transfer the "nasty mulch inside = much outside is nasty too" behaviour. 

Of course continue to work on leave it and drop it.


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## broll441 (Mar 8, 2014)

Oh boy, I feel your pain. I went through EXACTLY the same thing with Leia... I think her poop was 80% mulch for a while. 

The only thing that really worked was teaching her a really solid "leave it" and watching her like a hawk when we took her out for walks.


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## goldengirl11 (Mar 3, 2015)

My moms shih tzu did this only he started it around age 3, not as a puppy. Nobody realized how much he was eating it until one day he ate so much it got stuck in the back of his mouth and throat and a $3000 vet bill later (they chose to have his oesophagus and stomach checked for mulch build up too as he is a small breed) he never touched the stuff again. Obviously this won't happen to your pup as he is supervised outside but the point is if you can find a way to associate the mulch eating with something negative, he will likely stop chewing it. 

Starting with firm verbal warnings is good, you could also try citrus sprays though I'm not sure how easy it would be to spray all the mulch pieces closest to your dog before he gets to them. You could also use just a water spray on his mouth when he has a piece in there. This would likely cause him to open his mouth and drop the mulch. I would also bring something outside to try and redirect him to chew something other than mulch. Our friends lab brings a toy outside when he goes for a pee to prevent him from eating the garden when he is not being fully supervised. 

Hopefully you find something that works for you. Just remember puppies often outgrow their eating EVERYTHING phase and just start to eat MOST things instead ;P


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

This is something I am struggling with right now with my almost 13 week old pup. She has a thing for wood chewing and mulch munching. I have been just doing the "ah ah, LEAVE IT" and replacing with a bone that she can have. I get raw bones from the butcher and give those to her. These are good for outdoor use as you wouldn't want raw bones all around your house. It works but it takes time, there is no fast fix for this. Hang in there.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Maybe I'm missing something but walk her on a leash and go somewhere other than mulch.


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## Vinny's Mommy (Dec 22, 2020)

Just found your group while searching for a way to stop dog from eating mulch. I like the idea to keep dog on a leash however my dog will not go potty on a leash. He has to roam the backyard before he will go. 

Muzzle - not sure if it would affect his breathing, French Bulldog, with the smooshed in face. But if it was open enough that would definitely work. 

Last night he grabbed a piece of mulch and when I tried to get it from him, he took off running from me like it was a game, not paying any attention to me calling his name and saying COME! Brat. 

Another issue I have is him eating his own poo. Maybe the muzzle will work for that as well. I'll look into different types of muzzles where they can breathe good.


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

This thread is five years old and the original poster and many of the people replying aren't around anymore - I'm closing it down, but you'll get many more responses by starting your own thread about your situation!


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