# Pulling up clumps of grass in yard , digging, eating mulch and moss



## Jrsygrl (Aug 9, 2017)

Hello All

I’m still training Quinn ,heeling and no jumping we’re still working on, The next big issue is pulling up grass in yard , eating it,also eating moss, mulch and digging.
It’s a shame I can’t leave him in the yard with me when I’m watering or weeding. I have to put him inside. When I’m sitting on the patio I need to have him on the leash and not loose. We can’t play ball for very long since he looses interest and starts digging etc. Does anyone have a solution to this behavior? Thanks.


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## ken71 (Jun 15, 2018)

Our Alfie is six months old and has been doing this pretty much since we got him. He seems obsessed by eating grass and moss and at first I kept trying to stop him but, I’ve had to pick my battles and, it has never made him ill so I’ve turned a blind eye now (although I do try to distract him with toys etc. whenever I can).

Digging is a different matter though and drives me mad. As he gets bigger he can do a lot of damage in a short time, especially when the grass is wet. We have had a very warm Summer here in the U.K. and have had the doors open, allowing him constant access to the lawn but as the ground is so hard he has done limited damage.

I’ve tried sprinkling cayenne pepper down when I see him start to dig and this has had some effect but I’m now using a spray bottle with diluted white vinegar in. This seems to be working to a degree but I do need to keep re-applying and it doesn’t do the grass any good.

I’ve seen posts saying that it’s natural behaviour and to encourage them to dig in a dedicated area (like a sand pit) but I don’t think Alfie would stick to one spot as he likes to dig in a different place each time!


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## IndigoJen (Apr 22, 2018)

Freya does this, too. I'm trying to figure out how to train her to pull up mimosa seedlings! They're everywhere and I'm tired of pulling them myself.


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## GoldenIke (Jun 28, 2018)

Ike is doing the same thing. Pulls up the grass and won't stop eating sticks no matter how many times I try to re-direct him. Definitely not alone here...!


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## Zeke1 (Nov 20, 2015)

GoldenIke said:


> Ike is doing the same thing. Pulls up the grass and won't stop eating sticks no matter how many times I try to re-direct him. Definitely not alone here...!




Ditto with our Ellie


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

Tru does it too, not to the extent his older brother Tripp did and still does, Tru seems more fascinated so far about pulling grass out than chewing on twigs. I have never been able to train a trade up skill to my other dogs, Tru does seem to respond, at least, so far. I take out with me yummy treats, usually a piece of string cheese. He has kind of caught on to it, I hope it continues to work.


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