I have a 10 week old golden retriever that we have had for a week and a half. We got her from a breeder, and due to all of the rain we have been having, she had not yet been outside. When we brought her home, it was the first time she had been out. She is doing really well with the potty training HOWEVER - she constantly tries to eat EVERYTHING. She always tries to eat grass, rocks, twigs...whatever is available. When we take her for walks, she is always scrounging for things to get in her mouth. We end up carrying her more than walking her. We are constantly pulling things out of her mouth. Very frustrating!! We thought about getting a muzzle, but that just seems mean. Any suggestions?:confused:
Hi there, sounds like pretty normal puppy behaviour to me Is she eating the grass to make herself sick?? The only suggestion I have is to try to keep her head up as much as possible on walks....tempt her with treats if you have to to keep her interest on you rather than everything that's lying around. You could also try getting her to carry a ball or toy, so her mouth is occupied. I don't think there's any hard and fast solution for this and like you I wouldn't want to muzzle her. Best of luck, maybe someone else will have some other suggestions for you
Hi! Although it sounds like somewhat normal puppy behavior, dogs are known to eat grass when they have a tummy ache. And when they chew on rocks (or even eat them whole), it's a sign of a possible vitamin deficiency. Keep an eye on her and if she continues to eat grass and even rocks, you may want to ask your vet about her habits, or maybe try switching her puppy food (make sure you following the "switching rules" of gradually adding the new food to her old food over the course of a week to 10 days or she will definitely get a tummy ache!). Hope that helps a little bit! When she starts teething/chewing, I recommend the Bitter Apple spray. You can get it at PetsMart and it can be sprayed on practically anything. It worked great for my pups!
In addition to what has been suggested, I would start teaching her what she should not eat, i.e. rocks, by saying "Uh uh" when she is just about to put it in her mouth. If she has already put it in, open her mouth and take it out.
You will need to be consistent and also catch her at the instant she is about to eat it. If she pauses by reacting your "Uh uh", praise her. She should be able to learn what "Uh uh" means after a few times.
Later on, you can change the word "Uh uh" to "Leave it" and it will be a very handy command. For example, I use it when I drop a piece of chocolate on the floor right by my dogs, or when a piece of onion falls off the cutting board, etc.
