# eating bushes/sticks help!



## Sweet Summer Time (Nov 24, 2010)

We got Summer an electric fence, so that she can roam the front and back yard with us.....absolutely love it, and she has done great with it. But had noticed she started eating the mulch like it was dog food!......so the last two days we got rid of all the mulch and put in stone. (problem solved, or so we thought) Now she is sticking her head in every bush/plant and pulling off the branches and eating them....it's like she exchanged one bad habit for another! We try to keep her from getting them and removethem from her mouth when we can, but she thinks its a game and runs away chewing even harder and faster! I have looked back at previous threads about this and can see that this is pretty common, but thought I would just throw this out there and see if anybody might have some more ideas or suggestions. Help!  Would love to be able to enjoy the yard with my dog without telling her No, Leave it or drop all the time!


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## Sosoprano (Apr 27, 2011)

I wish I had some advice to offer, but we’re in the same boat :doh: In our case the bushes that Pippa is tearing branches off of are rhododendrons, which are toxic for dogs, so we’ve hired a landscaper to rip them all out and replace with grass. We were thinking about mulch in some of the areas because they are very shady, but after reading your post, I think that would be a bad idea. I hate pulling out these big, beautiful shrubs, but we’re at our wit’s end. Here’s hoping that someone will chime in with a solution...:crossfing


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## VickiR (Jun 16, 2011)

I also have a dog who is part Golden Retriever and part goat.
She eats everything


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## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

Kasey is horrible outside! She did stop eating the rocks at least but I can't stop her from eating everything else! I started spraying everything with bitter apple and that at least works. Idon't bother her if she is eating the grass except when she is tearing it out and eating dirt. My flowers are growing so the bitter apple isn't hurting them!


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## Molly's Mum (Apr 1, 2011)

Is your dog actually swallowing the branches or chewing them up and spitting them out? Molly will chew on branches at every given opportunity, but she doesn't swallow the bits, she just chews and then spits out. She's like a four-legged shredder! Fortunately the branches she's getting are apple and pear prunings so not toxic but I don't like her chewing them, it's a never ending battle to try and get her to stop. Sorry I have no solution for you, I either try to keep her distracted with toys or remove her from the garden by taking her for a walk or calling her indoors.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Tag jumps up and grabs the branches off our pear tree. DH is not amused. He chews them a little then trys to get Dooley or Breeze to chase him.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Lola is 18 months and I have some of the same issues with her in the yard. She will eat mud- clumps of grass with dirt on them. And if I yell at her NO!--- she will just eat it faster and choke to get it down:doh:


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## Tailer'sFolks (Feb 27, 2007)

Tailer has always done this too...I garden for one of my jobs and he just can't eat the ornamentals that the folks have planted...to start I did the leash to my waste and did the tug-n-no for months. It worked for the "planted" areas...but go for a walk in the woods and all bets are off! Crazy Dog Syndrome! 

Cocoa bark mulch in poisonous to dogs...rocks are not good for belly's nor teeth...

How old is Summer? "Drop It!" & "Leave It!" work well now for us...but there is still an occasional run-by-bite-n-chew attach on some poor unsuspecting bushes! Silly Beasts!

I will add, Tailer is 6.5...can't remember how long I/we struggled...but I think it was well after 2!


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## mudEpawz (Jan 20, 2011)

my rescue is having this same issue except she is definiately eating the sticks :doh:. Whenever I try to grab them it turns into a game. super frustrating


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## Sweet Summer Time (Nov 24, 2010)

*reply*

Summer will be 2 in August, and yes she is eating them! Hubby and I are discussing added the electric fence around the landscaping as well. I think I pretty much new she wasn't the only golden doing this, but wanted to hear some input from you guys, love this forum for all the infomation I get! Thanks everyone for your input and best of luck with those that have goats as Goldens too!


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## Tucker's mommy (Nov 9, 2011)

We, too, have an invisible fence for our 10 month old golden. He, too, would constantly prune the shrubs and eat the sticks if he were left unsupervised. He is getting much better now that we've taught him the OUT command and have a long line on him at all times. A little tug along with the word, followed by a treat reward, over and over and over... we're getting there. But we've been working on this for weeks, and I can see that we'll be working on it for months and months more! :bowl:


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

the last two days we got rid of all the mulch and put in stone. (problem solved, or so we thought) Now she is sticking her head in every bush/plant and pulling off the branches and eating them....*it's like she exchanged one bad habit for another!*

That is exactly what they do. 

With little puppies the best thing you can do is to manage the situation by preventing them access to the problem. You don't have to put fencing around all your plants to do this. Either tether her so she cannot get to the objects she wants or put her in an x-pen. They cannot learn bad habits if they cannot get to the things you don't want her to have or do.

The next step is to have a plan of what alternative behavior you want her to have when you are outside and busy. You then have to train for it.
One thing to remember the behavior you want her to have has to be as much fun for her as grabbing and ripping the leaves off the bushes or she will go right back to doing the thing she thinks is more fun when she isn't prevented from doing it. 

Training also isn't about just asking her to do things but rewarding choices she makes on her own that you like. 

It is harder for us to think like this but it is so much better to be proactive than to be reactive.


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