# Eating everything. What can I do?



## lellolicious (Sep 16, 2014)

Hi everyone. This is my first post! 

Our puppy Banks is 17 weeks old. He's awesome, and not even as terrible about chewing things in the house as I feared he might be ... yet. Our problem is mainly when we go outside. 

He picks up and tries to eat EVERYTHING he finds. Sticks, rocks, wood chips, dead flowers, tree roots, garbage, cat food, poop, paper towels, grass and dirt, and various other unidentified things that I swear were invisible until he found them. 

He's had 3 bouts of diarrhea, with nothing wrong in his stool samples, so we're assuming each time has been something he ate. (Unless there are other possible causes I'm overlooking.)

I know Goldens sometimes do this, and hopefully he'll outgrow it. We're in puppy kindergarten, and he knows Drop It when we practice with toys. But often the command is useless, even with a treat in our hand, when he's clamped down on something he *really* wants that he knows he shouldn't have. I also found an It's Your Choice video posted here that we'll try. 

We watch him like a hawk, and have started walking in the street (away from grass) once he's taken care of business. But there's only so much you can see and control during walks when it's dark out. 

Other than everything I mentioned, what else can we do to discourage this behavior? The vet suggested a basket muzzle, and the trainer suggested a Snoot Loop or Gentle Leader (although it sounds like the last 2 options don't actually keep his mouth closed?).

Btw - I'll post a picture soon. I'm writing from my phone right now and don't know how yet!


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Welcome to the golden world. I would suggest when your out and about with him have some treats in your pocket. When he goes for something he shouldn't say leave it and exchange it for a treat. Or if it's in his mouth say drop and exchange it for a treat. Chloe is the same age and she does this really well. She can be in the back yard and she comes running when she hears the treat jar. Eventually your pup will do this without a treat.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Oh I see you are doing drop it. Just keep enforcing it and your pup will get it. Also find a higher value treat he really loves.


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## Lise123 (Jan 1, 2014)

Cpc1972 said:


> Welcome to the golden world. I would suggest when your out and about with him have some treats in your pocket. When he goes for something he shouldn't say leave it and exchange it for a treat. Or if it's in his mouth say drop and exchange it for a treat.


Yep, what she said. My dog was very bad about eating stuff at that age and hated giving stuff up. I walked with my eyes on the ground, scanning for garbage. Keep some treats and them some REALLY good treats on you at all times, so that you can practice trading for stuff. 

You will develop a sense of what's truly harmful and what's icky but harmless. We were at a festival this winter, and someone came up to me to ask, "Do you know your dog is eating a napkin?" Ha! As if I need to battle him for a clean, tiny paper napkin. I had to get him to drop about two feet of used tinfoil that had blown off someone's grill -- now THAT would have been harmful.


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## Zach (May 19, 2014)

My pup used to do this. He finally figured out that he didn't want to do it after he puked up small sticks at 5:30 AM about half a dozen times. He still loves to chew on sticks, but he doesn't swallow them anymore.


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## Themmen (Mar 5, 2015)

My girl does this, she has gotten better at not picking up rocks while were walking and focused. but if she is just roaming in the side yard then all bets are off, she like to put everything in her mouth. i dont mind her picking up rocks and chewing on them and mud is fine, but sticks i have an issue with, im always so worried shes going to choke on one.

im hoping they grow out of this. but i feel ya. on walks i use the command " BY ME" so when she is sniffing around to much or a little to distracted on an object i say BY ME and she knows to get right beside me and wait for her treat. it works 70% of the time.


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## TexasGoldRush (Dec 12, 2014)

Ava does this too, but it doesn't look like she swallows things she just must destroy it. I take that back, she does eat napkins but she just tears apart plastic bottles etc.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Chloe just carries and chews the rocks. We mowed the lawn for the first time this weekend and she was eating all the clippings. She also pulls up the grass but isn't too destructive with it.


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

Trading for treats creates dogs who evaluate the options.

Practice with things other than toys. If you practice with only toys she make think that it's only possible with toys - get a bigger stick, piece of mulch, etc and run through the same progression you originally used.

Teach a drop it that is reflexive rather than evaluating - pick a new cue for this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndTiVOCNY4M

Teach your dog to happily wear a basket muzzle. This will allow her to breath when playing but not easily pick things up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo


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## Tailchaser (Nov 22, 2013)

Have you started teaching a leave it command as well? Our pup was big on picking up rubbish. I was vigilant on walks to pull her away if I knew there could be a battle on our hands. She picked up leave it really quick and although not 100%, when walking now she will leave most things without picking them up ( she is just over a year old and has been doing this a while now ) We also do the treat exchange if she does pick something. Maybe your treats just aren't good enough in your pups eyes. My trainer once said she had sprinkle loads of treats all over the floor because her dog had picked up a chicken carcass and wouldn't drop it. By putting down so many treats he quickly left the carcass and she had time to pick it up.


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## Marcus (Aug 24, 2014)

lellolicious said:


> I know Goldens sometimes do this


I know Goldens ALWAYS do this

There you go, fixed your post, welcome to the forums.

Yes my golden is 9 months and eats everything, and I mean everything. If it's outside the house it's on like donkey kong


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## Zach (May 19, 2014)

Zach said:


> My pup used to do this. He finally figured out that he didn't want to do it after he puked up small sticks at 5:30 AM about half a dozen times. He still loves to chew on sticks, but he doesn't swallow them anymore.


While I was at work bragging about this, my dog was at home chewing up my living room rug. :doh:


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## lellolicious (Sep 16, 2014)

Thanks everyone. It's good to know our challenges aren't unique! I've brought them up a couple of times at puppy training, and I can tell by the looks of other owners (none of whom have goldens) that they can't totally relate.

Leave It isn't a command that we've taught him yet, so I'm going to work on that. Great points about practicing with things other than toys too. I bought roast beef at the grocery store last night, so I'm going to try bringing some of that along on walks, along with another type of lower-value treat. 

We took Banks to a park near our house to see the cherry blossoms last weekend, and so many people stopped to pet him, and even ask if they could take their picture with him. (That seemed so strange to me that people would want to do that, but he was so great about it, even with little kids!) I hate to go from that to using an intimidating-looking basket muzzle if I don't have to.

Here are a couple of pictures, taken about a month ago, and this past weekend. He's getting so big already!


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