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How to stop her eating everything!?

SkyBlu

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My 8 month old rescue pup eats everything she sees! Plants, rubbish, anything she see when out. She's not so bad in the house and when you say no she drops it immediately. But that doesn't work when outside. How do I encourage her not to eat everything? Thanks. x
 
Two things to teach; leave it (don't pick it up in the first place) and drop it (if she has picked something up). Here's how.


 
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Eight months on and we are still working on this with George. The leave it /drop it commands are really important without those he would have eaten his own weight in rubbish by now..

Practice makes perfect and be prepared for setbacks.. Sometimes a stress trigger can set George off on a munching frenzy
 
If she's endangering her health, you might need to consider walking her with a muzzle - but for her safety, this should be an open one that allows her to pant, bark, drink, etc. A really good recall is a useful tool, too.
 
Hmm...I suppose it will settle down eventually but in meanwhile it means keeping her busy and distracted otherwise..giving her things to do...a puppy 'work'. There is no real short cut other than watching like a hawk, let them explore somewhat and trying to keep them away from any harm and distract and direct their interest to other things and when it happens reward it. That doesn't have to be a food but small squeaky toy could do just a trick. Keep it in your pocket and don't give it to her..it is just a tempting distraction that you only allow her to get hold of occasionally or just when you get indoors and only for a short moment. Like it is your 'treasure' and you let her have for couple of minutes and then pocketing it away for the next time outdoors again.
My tease toy for my girls is squeaky tennis ball. It is quite loud and they love balls anyway, it is a double teaser and they would 'die' to get hold of it and will keep eye on me and my pocket while out and about.
I did sacrifice lot of garden plants early on and they soon lost the interest to them. Mine have area in garden they are allowed to freely dig. Though I'm not too worried if they rotavate the whole garden up, saves me a job as lot of it needs re-doing anyway! But now that they've created quite a mess, and as there is nothing interesting anymore digging garden up is not on the 'to do list'. They rather dig in forest or the mole hills on field,where there is some proper things to discover.

In house I've provided mine with chews & toys, plenty of them to keep their jaws busy or otherwise occupied. Now we only have few particular items that tempt them to tease us. To chew is smaller wooden things in log basket and some small bits of our clothing/ slippers and knitting wool. Though with the last ones, it is the young one that try to get hold of them and even then it is just tease to chase her rather than trying to destroy. If we don't show interest too much she will drop and forget it.
It ain't bad....out of all the possibilities 'just' those and not even every day...just when the thought enters their mind and usually it is late in the evening when they get their 'before bed' naughty streak = have to squeeze last bit of energy out of their bodies before settling for the night.
But yes, if they are to behave during day, they have to have plenty to do or the boredom kicks in and they start amusing themselves.
 
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