# My dog is ripping up my grass, HELP!



## lgnutah

He probably thinks this is a fun game as you say he is running around and trying to rip up more. 
Is there a way you can keep him off that grass area for a while, and then teach him some other kind of game (somewhere else) that involves giving him treats and you two having lots of fun? 
Then, the first time you take him back on that grass, start the new game you taught him (and keep him distracted from the grass by playing the game, and treating him a lot for playing).
Another helpful thing would be to teach him "leave it" (whenever he is about to pick up anything you don't want him to pick up) and "drop it" (whenever you want him to drop something he has picked up).


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## JDandBigAm

I'd be interested in the solution to this problem. I have a dog that can rip up grass but it is only when I walk out to the dog yard. He grabs his Jolly Ball, runs to a spot and starts ripping up grass beside the ball. I ignore him and walk to the training building and he will stop immediately to see what in the world could be more important than him. My one blessing is that I have an acre dog yard and my dogs can't access my garden beds!


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## bowdense

My puppy is 15 weeks and does this too. So frustrating!! And, it can't be good for him. He would eat his weight in grass/dirt, if I didn't stop him. In his case, it's not a game. We don't chase him. We redirect and play. He definitely find t scrumptious...he'll take it over treats sometimes! Aggh!!


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## Tuliplvr

lgnutah said:


> He probably thinks this is a fun game as you say he is running around and trying to rip up more.
> Is there a way you can keep him off that grass area for a while, and then teach him some other kind of game (somewhere else) that involves giving him treats and you two having lots of fun?
> Then, the first time you take him back on that grass, start the new game you taught him (and keep him distracted from the grass by playing the game, and treating him a lot for playing).
> Another helpful thing would be to teach him "leave it" (whenever he is about to pick up anything you don't want him to pick up) and "drop it" (whenever you want him to drop something he has picked up).


The problem is I take him out to go to the bathroom and then he will then get naughty and rip up the grass. I have a big yard so it is impossible for me to take him some where else. I will definitely try the treats and leave it drop it. Thank you!


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## luvgolds

Unfortunately Harley has been doing this since he was 8 weeks old (he's now 2 yrs 4 mths!) and he's still doing it! Haven't found a way to stop it myself, I've basically given up on nice grass


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## Tuliplvr

luvgolds said:


> Unfortunately Harley has been doing this since he was 8 weeks old (he's now 2 yrs 4 mths!) and he's still doing it! Haven't found a way to stop it myself, I've basically given up on nice grass


Oh, sorry for your pain, but I"m glad to hear it's not only my Charlie!!


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## tbarb169

What has worked for me is I have our 6 mo golden on a 30ft lead she drags around the yard. When she starts to rip up the grass, I grab the lead and give a corrective pop on the pinch collar with a firm "wrong" command. Once she starts playing ball again or doing appropriate stuff i praise her. I also do this to save the lilac bushes.


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## Molly's Mum

Molly was a bit of a digger, we didn't do too much about it at first because she kept the the same few spots and as a little puppy she didn't really know what "no" meant. Now that she's older and knows what "no" means we tell her no when she starts to dig, but you need to be there watching and give the correction the second that paw goes to dig. If she continues then she gets time out and has to come indoors for a few minutes. The minute she tries to dig again same thing, a firm "no", if she tries again then back indoors. We repeated that a few times and she got the hang of it very quickly. She loves being outside so being brought inside didn't make her very happy and she quickly learned that soon as she digs she loses her freedom to the garden. Now a few weeks on she's tried to dig maybe once or twice, a quick repeat of the lesson and she stopped. You have to supervise closely in the beginning and still be watching weeks later to nip it in the bud if your dog has a relapse. It worked for Molly, not sure if it will work for others.


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## wmag

My almost 6 month old pup rips out and eats the grass too! We can't even play with her outside because she just wants to eat everything! It get so frustrating! I can't believe I am saying this but I can't wait until it snows!


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## Sterling Archer

I gave up on my grass a while ago.


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## mayapaya

Maya is also a digger. We currently have about 15 holes in various locations in our backyard. My trainer recommended getting a small swimming pool, filling it with sand, toys and treats, and let her dig there. And, oh, remember to bring the pool in at night so you don't have any critters eating at the treats!!! ARE you kidding me, I thought???? Forget that nonsense! So, we live with the holes and tread carefully to avoid an ankle sprain. Molly's Mum has some good suggestions. You definately have to catch them in the act as soon as they start and correct the behavior. Our yard is big and there are plenty of hiding spaces, so it's a bit more challenging for us!


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## Charlie1

I decided to give Charlie a section of the yard to dig in. It is a section along the northern side of the yard, where grass does not grow (I think it was a garden at one point). I have planted a rasberry bush not far from there, and he ignores it. But when he started digging in the yard, I would lead him to the spot where he was allowed to dig and he got the message pretty fast. Now, every year, I add more dirt in, my hubby stamps it down so it is compact, and we make sure that there is always dirt for him in his spot. He stopped digging in the rest of the yard. 
Now if we can just figure out how to get him to stop rolling on one particular spot in the yard! He has worn the grass down so much, my hubby did not have to cut that spot all year long!


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## GoldensGirl

My dogs typically feast on grass once in the spring, giving themselves acute gastritis. :doh::vomit::yuck: Our family veterinarian says this is just normal dog behavior. My major concern is keeping mushrooms out of the backyard, since that's a far more serious problem.

One thing that often works to stop digging is to bury the dogs' feces in the holes they have dug, coving with soil. Thank heaves they are usually not happy about digging in those spots again anytime soon.


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## Tuliplvr

He's back to ripping up the grass, ugh!!


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## bowdense

Tuliplvr said:


> He's back to ripping up the grass, ugh!!


Remington is too! I thought maybe he'd row out of it.:doh:


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## 3 goldens

Dogs can certainly find way to entertain themselves, can't they?


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## Capt Jack

Jack has torn up our yard so bad that there are places I have to mow with the weedeater where I used to mow with the mower.He's seems to be getting better now as long the leaves aren't blowing.But after 2 years of trying to get him to stop I will have to buy a truck load of dirt to get my yard back right.Good luck!


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## Tucker's mommy

To tbarb169 - we do the exact thing with our 10 month old golden. He always has a lead on him when he's outside in our invisible fenced-in yard. I am constantly pulling it to re-direct him out of our shrubs, digging, etc. Although, he's gotten very feisty lately and challenges me at times with his snapping/barking, which will lead to a sit/stay and some instant, reinforcement training. Boy, is it exhausting.


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## mayapaya

I now have two hole diggers (grass & dirt eaters). Had our lawn aerated this past weekend, and they are in their glory--chunks of dirt and grass everywhere for the taking!!!! I'm with SterlingArcher--between the yellow spots and holes, I've given up. At least the front lawn still looks nice.....


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## my4goldens

My 7 year old, Raider nibbles on the bushes, I think he thinks he is a giraffe. My puppy, Tugg who is almost 16 weeks old, pulls out grass clumps, I call him a goat. I've given up on pulling stuff out of the puppy's mouth. And I try to correct both of them but I think it is a losing battle. I've also given up on having the yard I used to have before the dogs came. Oh well. You pick your battles.


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## baumgartml16

O I am with you all. I thought with the snow and her growing up she would have outgrown it when the snow melted. Not a chance! She is a machine. She purposely grabs a whole chunk (dirt and grass) and runs away like look what I have. I have given up, my DH wants to keep trying. I need to show him this thread and knock some sense into him LOL


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## go4thegold

I like the long-line idea, but without the prong collar correction. Frequently, just interrupting the behavior before it becomes a habit is a great way to deal with it. If the pup starts grabbing the grass, just gently reel him in and get him engaged in some other behavior. Better yet, start training a really good recall; when you see him stop to graze, just holler "COME!", and throw a party when he arrives!


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## Tucker's mommy

go4thegold - that's what we do! And it works really well. Perfect time to practice that recall is when he's digging or chewing!  And we've got that long line on at all times - so it's easy to engage him, weather he wants to or not!


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## Charlie1

I solved that problem with my Charlie, by designating an area where he could dig/rip up grass.. kept taking him over there, now he doesnt touch the rest of the yard. I fill it with dirt/grass seed yearly. He will be 2 this year.


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## coffenut

Hmmmm ... if only I could get Káva to differentiate between grass and weeds. I wouldn't mind the help with the weeding ....


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## Braccarius

Tuliplvr said:


> Hi- My dog Charlie who is 2 is now ripping up chunks of my grass and wanting to eat it. I'll tell him "NO", and he'll run around and try to rip up more. I'm really getting tired of what it's doing to my yard, and even more I"m tired of shoving my hand in his mouth to get the hunks of dirt/grass out:yuck: Any idea as to how to stop this naughty behavior? Thank you so much!


....hahahhhahhahahahahahahaahhahahahhahaahhahaahahahhahaha..... I'm sorry this sounds like so much fun I almost want to go to your house and do it! If you figure it out let me know... my yard looks like a warzone.


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## Belly

We taught ours a game - we say "1...2...3...find it!" and toss a treat. Once she hears "1..." she gets distracted from what she's doing and gets ready to find the treat. Then we go inside


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## Oakleygoldenboy

New to this site. Not sure if I should post elsewhere. I've researched for SO many hours trying to find a solution to this problem. Having the exact same problem with our now 8 month old. He started doing this on day 1 of bringing him home at 12 weeks. We've tried EVERYTHING including getting a trainer. She recommended squirting him the face when he's doing it and said to stop pulling the HUGE grass and dirt clumps out of his mouth. I've tried it a couple times but feel really bad doing it and it doesn't stop him anyway. Plus I'm afraid of him choaking since he grabs and bolts. He'd rather rip up and EAT ALL the grass instead of getting really yummy treats or playing fetch (which he LOVES). We've taken him to the vet several times and he has a clean bill of health. He will literally STOP playing fetch when we're having so much fun to get a taste of the grass every 1-2 throws. We have to take him out on a leash EVERY time he goes outside and it's SO SAD that he can't be free to roam.


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## Montysmom

We found that providing a sandbox as another poster mentioned worked. We didn’t use a baby pool rather simply dumped a crap load of pool sand in a corner of the yard. It worked. The digging in the yard stopped. He hides balls,and toys there. it might work for your grass eaters.


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## 3goldens2keep

As already said! 
Teach your pup the command "Leave it"! What do you do when someone drops medication on the floor and the dog grabs it? What do you do if when walking with your pup he come up on a snake? Teaching 'leave it' is as lifesaving as teaching your recall "Here" or "Come"! If your dog is chasing a cat and headed for a major street or if you are walking and a rabbit jumps out heading under a barbwire fence. These commands must be taught and taught so you can rely on it 100%. If you are not sure how to train these commands hire a pro trainer....!


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## Oakleygoldenboy

Montysmom said:


> We found that providing a sandbox as another poster mentioned worked. We didn’t use a baby pool rather simply dumped a crap load of pool sand in a corner of the yard. It worked. The digging in the yard stopped. He hides balls,and toys there. it might work for your grass eaters.


Thank you. We'll try that. I'm afraid he might eat sand too.


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## Oakleygoldenboy

3goldens2keep said:


> As already said!
> Teach your pup the command "Leave it"! What do you do when someone drops medication on the floor and the dog grabs it? What do you do if when walking with your pup he come up on a snake? Teaching 'leave it' is as lifesaving as teaching your recall "Here" or "Come"! If your dog is chasing a cat and headed for a major street or if you are walking and a rabbit jumps out heading under a barbwire fence. These commands must be taught and taught so you can rely on it 100%. If you are not sure how to train these commands hire a pro trainer....!


As I already said, he has a "pro trainer". She thinks he may have PICA. He is VERY smart and knows over 40 commands/ tricks. We work with him DAILY on training and have done so since day 1.


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## Stef-Vas

I haven yet done this myself but might be a good idea to have a patch of grass for the dog to eat. In the morning I see my dog going around the yard trying to eat the long left over grass. And sometimes when she is nervous after a walk I can see that she wants to eat grass so I chop some in my garden and give it to her. I think if you had a patch there for them they will go to that instead of your lawn. And teach them to go to that patch Every time  you can buy organic grass specifically for dogs to eat 🐶


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## 3goldens2keep

I am not a pro trainer by any stretch! A trained dog will not pick up something you tell them not to and they will return to you on command!


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## karenley81

Molly's Mum said:


> Molly was a bit of a digger, we didn't do too much about it at first because she kept the the same few spots and as a little puppy she didn't really know what "no" meant. Now that she's older and knows what "no" means we tell her no when she starts to dig, but you need to be there watching and give the correction the second that paw goes to dig. If she continues then she gets time out and has to come indoors for a few minutes. The minute she tries to dig again same thing, a firm "no", if she tries again then back indoors. We repeated that a few times and she got the hang of it very quickly. She loves being outside so being brought inside didn't make her very happy and she quickly learned that soon as she digs she loses her freedom to the garden. Now a few weeks on she's tried to dig maybe once or twice, a quick repeat of the lesson and she stopped. You have to supervise closely in the beginning and still be watching weeks later to nip it in the bud if your dog has a relapse. It worked for Molly, not sure if it will work for others.


I have a 11 week old golden retriever. He is digging through snow to get to the grass. He pulls up grass and weeds. We immediately take it out of his mouth and tell him to go potty. So I wonder if we need to do what you did: bring inside everytime he digs or tries to eat grass. He doesn’t know “no” but I do a flick on the nose and say no. But he’d rather be outside all day if you let him. We have to finish puppy proofing our yard-loose rocks, clean up the side of the house where overgrowth of weeds and grass are at.


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## goldy1

Training. Both of mine love to do this and if I catch it in the act and say NO, there is a good chance it will stop.But not as puppies. They are both over 2 years old now. They don't do it much when they are out by themselves mostly when they are outside together. When one is trying to get the other one to play and the toys and sticks aren't working, Pulling up a hunk of grass will ALWAYS get the attention of the other. They know better but they are playful and still young. They don't ingest it anymore, just run around playing keep away. The only thing that works for me at this point is to bring them inside to calm down. Game over.


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