My dog eats everything outside. How do I stop this behavior?

This is certainly a frustrating behavior and can it hard to control. I have two thoughts for you. 1) Often dogs who eat lots of none food items have mild intestinal upset all the time. I would recommend starting by talking to her vet about this and starting her on probiotics 2) For management, remove all the dog beds from your house and teaching her to wear a basket muzzle while outside and/or only taking her out on leash. Check out this site for more information: https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training/ . I know this sounds extreme, but her current behavior is potentially life threatening. My last idea is to talk to a behaviorist to see if she needs help with anxiety or other behavioral problem. But only after exploring the possibility of intestinal upset with your regular vet. https://avsab.org/resources/behavior-consultant-near-you-2/

Hello, and thanks for your question. Sounds like Alex is quite the trouble maker! You're right - the best way to prevent them from eating material is to simply keep the house as spotless as possible. Dogs naturally explore the world with their mouths, and some are more prone to eating what they find than others. Teaching Alex the "drop it" or "leave it" command will help when you see him getting into something he shouldn't. I would also recommend crate training Alex and keeping him safely confined when he's alone. In a few extreme cases, I have had patients wear basket muzzles to prevent them from eating what they shouldn't - but this is not usually necessary and is only something I usually consider after a dog has had multiple foreign body surgeries! If you are thinking about going this route with Alex, I would definitely touch base with your vet for guidance. It's important to make sure it's an appropriate fit so dogs can still pant, drink water, etc, and they need to be properly trained to wear the muzzle to minimize stress. Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly there likely isn't anything "wrong" with Virachoca. With out knowing her body condition, whether she is thin or overweight, it is hard to be sure of there is a medical reason. Some dog breed are more food driven than others and tend to get obese (beagles, labs, pugs, etc). Some dogs eat out of boredom. I recommend getting child proof locks for cabinets. Train the people in your household to put all food away. Crate her or confine her to a room when you are not home. I would also consider increasing her exercise and stimulation. Sign her up for doggie day care, take her to dog parks, increase walks, increase play time. Maybe trying to refocus her energy will help. I don;t think there is a food or a way to feed her to make her love of food decrease. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

Yes, a basket muzzle is a good idea but you should also consider working with a professional in-home dog trainer. They can probably help you train her to stop this behavior rather easily. I like BarkBusters and they have a trainer in your area. I’m pretty sure they do a free consult and the training is guaranteed for the life of the dog. No harm in calling them. ( https://www.barkbusters.com/dog-training-naperville-chicago ) Hooe this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. My recommendation for this type of behavior is to make sure you are in control of the situation. If dogs know that you are not fully in control, they will take advantage of this. I would recommend putting a basket muzzle on her when you go outside so she cannot bite you, this way you have better control over her and she is unable to bite you. Next, I would get a pronged collar to help gain better control over her so that you can correct the behavior better. When she stops the behavior or is being good, she gets rewarded with treats. This will help reinforce the good behavior. When she bites or tries to attack you, a firm tug on the leash with the pronged collar in a downward motion and saying "off!" will help deter this behavior. I also recommend incorporating a spray bottle with water in the training and every time she does this behavior, spritz her in the face, tug on the collar and say "off!". If this does not work, then a shock collar is something to consider in aiding in training. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

If it is that big of an issue, I would look into teaching Snowball "Leave it". You can find various tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through it. Basically, it teaches Snowball that it isn't OK to just pick things up off the ground and eat them, and that she'll be rewarded for leaving it behind instead. Teaching other things such as drop/trading what's in her mouth for a reward, may also help. You should still be walking her, but you can keep an eye on her during your walks, and if you see her start to eat something, move her to another area, or remove the item from her mouth. If she's very mouthy and likes to carry toys, you can also bring a toy along on your walks for her to keep in her mouth and potentially deter on other things. If she does get into something she shouldn't and is ill, having your local vet's number on hand is always best as even the most vigilant of owners and well-trained of dogs can sometimes get into things they shouldn't.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is actually not that uncommon. It is unclear why it happens. However, it usually does not need any type of therapy or change of routine. I would recommend you discourage this behavior as much as possible. This will eventually most likely stop. Good luck!