# It's getting harder to take wood chips & rocks out of his mouth



## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

Have you tried to teach trading? When Rukie gets my socks or a tissue I tell him "trade" and show him a piece of kibble and he immediately drops it. I used to have a handful of kibble anytime we went out. At 6 months old he is much better about not eating everything. I do think that they learn to get stuff just to make a trade though.


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## hahuston (Jul 5, 2017)

silver9 said:


> My dog is only 17 weeks, but he has a big issue with eating things he should not eat (wood chips, rocks), and he's incredibly fast about it. In my yard in particular, we have wood chips under the deck which is raised. So, he _can _run under there, but he's been pretty good about not going down there because I usually stand in a way that doesn't let him go there so easily. Or, any activities we do are far from the deck. He still finds stuff everywhere else, and I have to take it out of his mouth. I've tried spraying them w/ bitter apple as he's eating them but that just made him run elsewhere to eat more.
> 
> Just now, I just spent 20-30 min with him walking in front of the house and doing some leash training and clicker training (I got him at 15 weeks so this is all a bit later than usual - he never had a leash or collar). Then, I went to the back yard to see if he'd play fetch off the leash. He got tons of treats and was doing really well.
> 
> ...


Do you keep him on a long line in the backyard? If not, I would always keep him on a leash, the longer the better. Keep super high value treats in your pocket ONLY for those times when you need to take something from him. If he won't just drop/give you what's in his mouth, take it, then treat him. Good luck!

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## Cathy's Gunner (Dec 4, 2008)

Trading has worked for both my pups. They may grab something outside and I’ll say let’s trade. They will run to the door and go to the treat jar or refrigerator. I tell them trade and they drop whatever they have and I praise and give them something they really like. Good Luck!


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## Gleepers (Apr 20, 2016)

We trade here too
Only downside is Penny now grabs rocks and crunches them in front of me specifically so I?ll go get her a treat to trade with. 
At least she isn?t attempting to eat them


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## silver9 (Jul 11, 2017)

That's a good idea. I can try to teach trading. I've shown him treats when he has something bad in his mouth and he doesn't let the thing go, though. What's the trick to get him to let go of whatever it is rather than just wanting both?

Is there anything particularly high value I should know about - for this breed or dogs in general? I just bought treats that were ranked well on amazon or chewy and not full of too many bad ingredients basically. He is obsessed with food, so it's hard to tell what is high value. Novel foods seem to make him a lot more interested.


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## hahuston (Jul 5, 2017)

silver9 said:


> That's a good idea. I can try to teach trading. I've shown him treats when he has something bad in his mouth and he doesn't let the thing go, though. What's the trick to get him to let go of whatever it is rather than just wanting both?
> 
> Is there anything particularly high value I should know about - for this breed or dogs in general? I just bought treats that were ranked well on amazon or chewy and not full of too many bad ingredients basically. He is obsessed with food, so it's hard to tell what is high value. Novel foods seem to make him a lot more interested.


My dog loves bacon, cheese and hotdogs more than anything in life! You can get real bacon bits from Costco. That makes it easy. Put it right under his nose. You may have to take the item, then treat if you feel safe to do so. And again, make it easy to catch him. Use that long line. 

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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I use pieces of turkey hot dogs with no nitrates, tiny pieces of cheese, pieces of apple, and store bought treats but he seems to like his puppy food just as much. I sometimes have to wave the treat under his nose if he has something he really likes in his mouth. After saying the word trade a few times while doing the trade, he quickly got the concept. If he gives up something reluctantly I give several treats to show it was worthwhile for him to trade


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I'm going to be the odd person here. 1st off 30 minutes is too long to train, break it down to 5 or 10 at a time. At this age you can work on lots of different things using their kibble. You can only train long enough to keep their focus and little guys have very short attention spans. If they are picking stuff up you don't have their focus. 

I have never traded... in fact I get really excited and thank them for being so good when they pick stuff up. My dogs have always found this rewarding and willing to give up whatever they find. The current dog sort of took it to another level and randomly brings me things she thinks I need or have lost. 

Oops, she just brought me a throw pillow off the sofa... i moved to the computer  The good news is she never tears anything up, just retrieves. We worked (with kibble) on leave it and redirection. When she was young if I saw her going for a bug or a rock I got excited, clapped my hands to get her attention and asked her to sit or give a high five or do a circle, anything to redirect her attention so I could reward her for something positive.
Now if I drop my keys or a screwdriver she picks it up for me and is very pleased with herself. Get creative and keep it fun so she will focus on what you are doing vs. grazing to entertain herself. Good luck!

I thought I would add that when we did take our short walks (just a couple of houses down the block) I gave her an empty water bottle to carry. Yes she dropped it along the way but she loved the krinkle and it kept her from wanting to play tug with the leash. Just like any kid that carries their baby doll, mom carried it home but it worked for a short distance. It also make a great sound to keep them engaged in the leash training. Every time you krinkle the bottle, when they look at you give a kibble


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## silver9 (Jul 11, 2017)

Oh that's a cool idea. I think he would do well with that - the water bottle. I just hope he doesn't end up eating it... he's also incredibly into bully sticks. There's this bully stick "holder" toy that might work in that same way. If he has that, I can't imagine he'd drop it. Then again, who knows if he'd walk with that - it's sort of his biggest prized possession at the moment and he just wants to curl up and chew it for hours. I'll try it the next time we are out with a bottle or that toy. There's got to be some way he'd stop this.

I feel like he knows he's not supposed to eat the wood chips now & he's seeing it as a game now. He darted for them in the front too (they're under some bushes) and he was on the leash, so he never made it there but it was just weird. I don't remember him doing that in the first few days. I think I increased his interest in them by blocking them and pulling them out of his mouth constantly. So that was great, but I didn't have much other choice. It's weird my vet's first suggestion was a basket muzzle... those take quite a bit of training to have your dog get used to.... almost as much as just training them to leave it / drop it / stop it when they go for the stuff. 

I'd say in 20 minutes, I'll end up pulling 5-10 things out of his mouth. This is just a sample of 2 in 1 walk. And he goes out about 10 times a day (including overnight) to keep the potty outside. There was a big rock he started chewing on this walk too (I got it out). So, it's getting pretty tiring. 










So this pic X 100 has been the last 2 weeks.

One funny thing (sort of) - there's a very low tree stump with 2 thick branches sticking out but buried in the grass. He became totally obsessed with the stump and these two branches. I was afraid they would splinter off and he'd swallow it but I just watched very closely (and had apple spray on hand if he went too crazy with it). It was so fixed in the ground, I figured it was harmless... and then he ended up completely digging out the 2 branches and breaking them off from the stump. This is a 17 week old puppy who ripped very thick branches out of the base of a tree stump! I wish I took pics, but eventually when he had it - I had to take it away because it could have broken up, though what he ripped off was huge.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

For sure up your treat value. I liked Zuke's Minis, because they're small and easy to give (plus they smell good to the dog). And he shouldn't have the opportunity to get the rocks and stuff. Keep him on leash where you are in control. He will still try to pick up everything, so you'll have lots of opportunity to still work on leave it and drop it. The key is the treats. Trade every time. Everytime you pull something out, or make him avoid getting it, treat him.


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## GoldeninCT (Aug 10, 2016)

Jarvis loves sticks swallows them whole. He now has an upset stomach from his recent stick eating habit and I might have to take him to vet if not cleared up by next week. My neighbor suggested outfox for dogs and let me try hers. It allows breathing, drinking and seeing but not eating harmful objects. He can even play fetch. I don't plan on keeping it on him for a long time but when he gets his zoomies (and thats usually predictable) he won't stop for anything even his favorite treats. He runs until he is wiped and grabs sticks along the way. He has a good leave it when in his normal frame of mind and gets plenty of exercise including 2 mile walks twice a day and running for an hour and most days he plays with friends.


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## silver9 (Jul 11, 2017)

Oh wow that foxtail thing is really interesting. I never saw anything like that ever - and it must be a lot more comfortable than a muzzle (i went to their website & it makes a lot of sense on there). How do dogs tolerate it? The muzzle didn't go over well, but I didn't do the appropriate training just yet. I just tried it for a few minutes to see what would happen. The training I've seen will take a while for them to accept it and it could be hit or miss. I sort of concluded I'd teach drop-it / off / look up instead. Those kind of work... I wish I had another hand!


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## GoldeninCT (Aug 10, 2016)

silver9 said:


> Oh wow that foxtail thing is really interesting. I never saw anything like that ever - and it must be a lot more comfortable than a muzzle (i went to their website & it makes a lot of sense on there). How do dogs tolerate it? The muzzle didn't go over well, but I didn't do the appropriate training just yet. I just tried it for a few minutes to see what would happen. The training I've seen will take a while for them to accept it and it could be hit or miss. I sort of concluded I'd teach drop-it / off / look up instead. Those kind of work... I wish I had another hand!


Jarvis tried to get it off but wasn't able too. It comes with 2 straps to attach to collar and neck part is adjustable to his size. The Large fit him and to me looks like a better alternative to a muzzle since he can play fetch. Once he realized he couldn't take it off he played like normal. I was able to put it on him myself I just put a treat inside it.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Sounds like your puppy has way too much freedom. If you limit the time available to be destructive or graze for twigs / rocks it's much easier than trying to "unlearn" the activity that is so much fun. Give them a better game to play that involves you and they will soon grow out of it without eating something they shouldn't. Having to pay a vet for surgery to retrieve rocks can get expensive.
At this age they should be supervised at all times. If you have something going on and can't watch them they should be contained in a safe x-pen or crated. Sort of like toddlers being in a playpen vs. crawling all over the house ... it's a matter of safety.

By the way, foxglove is toxic to pups. Oops, I obviously didn't read this correctly. That's an interesting contraption. Guess my question is what is the dog learning with this device on? They can't learn to leave it alone if you don't actually teach him. It's just a fun game, teach them a new game.


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## silver9 (Jul 11, 2017)

Puddles, when I try to play fetch with him (and he does like it - he loves the chuck-it balls) - he will play a few rounds of it but then I'll throw it and he'll run to it and then dart into the wood chips. It is hard to wall them off because I have them coming in through the fence of my back neighbor too. Her garden is up against the fence and all mulch / chips where he finds some. Then on the opposite side is my deck where there's more. 

I just can't let him off the leash in the yard at night because I can't see everything even with a flashlight. And more importantly, I can't see in his mouth if I open it. He can still sneak things in (even on leash) but during the day at least I can get them out & with the leash he can't run away. Here's the only problem... he (usually) won't poop if I leave the leash on. Tonight, I was so exhausted by midnight but he hadn't gone poop for 12 hrs, and I had him in the back - no poop, in the front - no poop - then in the back again...nothing. So, I finally took the leash off - and - bam - POOP! Then of course when I bent down to pick it up, guess where he ran.... straight into the wood chips. And he did huge circles around the yard at full speed too. I should have taken him inside immediately (at least I can still carry him) and then went back for the poop. But even that sends a message like "once you poop you can't stay outside" or "you'll be carried in" so he doesn't learn to go in on his own (though he does go back in on his own - mostly if I have treats). 

I talked to the outfox owner (she answers when you call the customer service line) and she's super nice. She designed the thing based on Temple Grandin's work with animals - so it doesn't touch them in unpleasant ways & they shouldn't hate it like a muzzle. She answered a lot of questions & then I read some reviews of other customers who bought it for the same reasons as me - not even for foxtails (the reason she initially designed it was for that). It is a bit expensive but I think it might be a life saver - literally. I hope he won't hate it when it's on him. It's worth a shot... and he can still learn to "leave it" or "drop it" inside when he's chewing things he isn't supposed to anyway.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

They should always be on a leash. They need to walk until they do their business, lots of dogs need to get moving before they can go. At 17 wks he is still learning and so far you have taught him if he holds it you will take the leash off 
The dog in the pic should be past the everything in the mouth stage but do commend them for keeping them safe. Sadly the dog hasn't learned to leave it alone yet.

Walk them until they do their business so you can reward doing it, pick it up and give a treat. They will soon learn that when you take them out it is for a reason. Play time comes after "business".

Puppies are very time consuming but if you are diligent about training now, you will have a wonderful dog to enjoy for many years. Everything they do at this age is about learning. Even when you are playing with them, they are learning something. Like I said, it's much easier to put in the effort now than to have to undo habits you have allowed them to form on their own.

BTW have you enrolled in a good obedience class yet? A star puppy class can help you both learn how to get started as training a golden will be needed for the first couple of years.


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## danoon58 (Jul 1, 2015)

I would second the idea of teaching trade. Start trading when he has something of low value. Then, you can progress to items (like wood chips) that he considers high value. You also may have to find a treat that he REALLY will do anything for.

Seamus is 2-1/2 and we STILL trade daily!!!


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## silver9 (Jul 11, 2017)

puddles everywhere said:


> BTW have you enrolled in a good obedience class yet? A star puppy class can help you both learn how to get started as training a golden will be needed for the first couple of years.


I just was finally able to because my vet wouldn't do rabies shots until 16 weeks, so today was the first class. It was a puppy class so we just talked about potty training, and having them "look at me" which mine will do for an hour straight if he knows i have a treat. There's another dedicated obedience school 30 min away where they even do obstacle courses (more for adults), but at a bare minimum I wanted him to have more socialization. Unfortunately, there were only 2 other dogs... but still he got to meet all the other people too. I have to make sure he meets a lot of other dogs without me pulling him back on the leash because I don't want him to be leash reactive. Virtually every shelter dog is that way and my foster dog was that way and it is the worst. 

So anyway, yep, there is no play time until the business is done, and I usually try not to go straight back in so he doesn't think he'll hold out to spend more time outside (unless it's raining or freezing, then he even leads the way back in). He has pooped while on the leash a few times, but he is just far more picky about it, and when it's dark - it's harder to watch what he'll grab. So, every minute of him sniffing for the right spot makes me more and more nervous.

I guess there's no more off-leash time for him then. I paid more for a place with a fenced yard & gave up a on a few things I would have rather had inside when I was looking for a new place. I was coming from a highrise in the city so I was in love with the idea of being able to play with a dog in a yard off leash. I didn't realize they'd have to be on the leash in a fenced yard because of an issue like this. Is it really that common? My cousin (the vet - but not my vet) was the one who gave me the big foreign body lecture, but it was mostly about indoor stuff (socks, foam from furniture, etc...) I haven't had a chance to ask her about this wood chip thing yet. 

He bites the leash every time...and pulls. I wish we went over leash issues in today's class. I am not finding the youtube videos helpful with leash behavior (or most things - since they do 20 takes and use the perfect one). In-person learning & interaction with an actual instructor is far better.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I used an cheap, old leash from dollar general and didn't care if she tugged on it a little... they will grow out of that as your training continues. If it bothers you purchase an inexpensive chain lease from Walmart. Just a couple of bites at the chain will stop that.
Good luck with your training!


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