Suggestions?

[Dingo]

Any suggestions for stopping a puppy from picking up everything in sight? I have a 14 week-old that is always picking up (and swallowing) things from the floor, including leaves, twigs, fluff, string, unidentifable things.... I pulled an industrial staple out of his mouth the other day.

I've been training him to "leave it" using treats -- if it's on the floor or if I or he drops it, he has to leave it and he will get a new one. He's got the hang of it really well, but it's not stopping him from eating everything else off the floor. Suggestions?

[14+kitties]

Ummmmm....... clean?????

Sorry, keep on doing what you are doing and he will get it. Also....have we seen any pics yet??????

[allymack]

well there isnt much you can do, well not that i have found out about atleast...well other then clean enzo used to do that ( ok well still does but way less now) i found he just grew out of it and also i found on the days he had more/longer walks he was less likely to pick something up because he was too tiredd, also give him 2 or 3 differnt types of chewing toys to occupy him, also if you have a space outside, like a deck where you could block of the exit so he doesnt run away, you could put him out on the deck with a real bone ( or Alpo brand chews, enzo LOVES them) i say to do it outside because a real bone if it has 'flavouring' on it, it will start to stink and it just keeps your floor from getting dirty. hope this help you some

[want4rain]

id say work on a 'drop it' command that is a drop the item and come to me for an appropriate toy. always replace the thing they arent suppose to chew on with somethign they CAN.

other than that, keep up with what you are doing. s/he will grow out of it eventually.... hopefully.

-ash

[Purpledomino]

Your just going to have to puppy proof your home and get down at ground level to pick stuff up. The "leave it" command is a good one to teach, however you may not always be there, and I wouldn't rely on that alone with a puppy around. Puppies eat stuff....and before he eats something real dangerous you have to treat him like the baby that he is and be vigilant about his environment. Good luck!

[Lukka'sma]

When Lukka was a pup she also picked up everything outside and it used to worry me crazy. On our walks I would be pulling every stick we came across out of her mouth, wrappers, stones, clumps of dirt, parts of rose bushes, bark off trees, you name it. She did well with the leave it command and just grew out of the obsession in time.

[Dingo]

Just to be clear, I do clean my house..... But there's always something a determined puppy can find on the floor or the ground.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by Dingo

Just to be clear, I do clean my house..... But there's always something a determined puppy can find on the floor or the ground.

The only things on my floors are dog toys. I put away shoes , even slippers , in closets. And my guys are not even puppies but I never know what kind of fosters I will get. You don't have a choice but to puppy/dog proof your house, that means : nothing on the floor or at their levels (believe me , I have a Great Dane , it is "do able" )

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Purpledomino

Your just going to have to puppy proof your home and get down at ground level to pick stuff up. The "leave it" command is a good one to teach, however you may not always be there, and I wouldn't rely on that alone with a puppy around. Puppies eat stuff....and before he eats something real dangerous you have to treat him like the baby that he is and be vigilant about his environment. Good luck!

I agree....he's a 14 week old puppy and just like a baby will put everything in their mouth. All you can do is teach the "leave it" command and when you are not able to be with him then crate him.

[Longblades]

I agree with everyone that this is pretty normal behaviour for a 14 week old puppy. Our puppy is 11 weeks old and I had no idea there was so much to eat on my floor. Another command that we found helpful with the previous puppy was to react very happily when she picked anything up and ask her to "fetch it up" to us. A Lab, she was happy to do this. We only asked for things we wanted, like our slippers. Never her own toys. We ended up with a pooch who delivered our slippers to us the minute we came in the door from being away somewhere. Dangerous things we asked for too but tried out best to anticipate what they were and keep them out of reach in the first place. We used "leave it", and "drop it" too.

[Dingo]

No, I think people are missing the point. I'm not talking about slippers or cords or things of that nature. I did puppy proof before I brought the dog home. I'm talking about all those little things that end up on the floor (like bits of dirt from people's shoes, or a feather from a pillow, or whatever) and things on the ground outdoors, like leaves, twigs, wrappers.

I think a few people need to focus a bit and read carefully. Uh, thanks for all the suggestions that I need to clean my home, but that's not the problem.

[BusterBoo]

Dingo, it's an ongoing battle! IMO, your best bet is to keep a close eye on the puppy and everytime he finds something he shouldn't have, a quick NO, LEAVE IT or whatever command you will pick should work. Replace the bad stuff with something good (chewie, stuffie, bone, etc)

Buster is going on 2 yrs old and still finds "stuff" on the floor (yes, I vacuum every couple of days...non-shedding dog).....and nothing is left out at "Buster level". I have lost enough shoes, boots, remotes, plants, kleenex etc etc etc.

Hang in there, your furbaby will learn if you are persistent! Oh ya, and lots of treats for the good behaviour!

hhmm....did I miss the pictures of your baby????

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by Dingo

Any suggestions for stopping a puppy from picking up everything in sight? I have a 14 week-old that is always picking up (and swallowing) things from the floor, including leaves, twigs, fluff, string, unidentifable things.... I pulled an industrial staple out of his mouth the other day.
I've been training him to "leave it" using treats -- if it's on the floor or if I or he drops it, he has to leave it and he will get a new one. He's got the hang of it really well, but it's not stopping him from eating everything else off the floor. Suggestions?

Dingo...we were joking with you with the cleaning comments. We did read carefully but when you yourself say he is picking things up from the floor (see above) you can't come down on us for making those comments.

On the serious side......you are doing exactly the right things with your baby. He IS a baby and as such WILL learn but it will take time and patience. It is normal for puppies to eat everything in sight and to go searching for seconds. Give it time.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

Dingo...we were joking with you with the cleaning comments. We did read carefully but when you yourself say he is picking things up from the floor (see above) you can't come down on us for making those comments.

On the serious side......you are doing exactly the right things with your baby. He IS a baby and as such WILL learn but it will take time and patience. It is normal for puppies to eat everything in sight and to go searching for seconds. Give it time.

I agree. This is what puppies do and the only thing you can do is stop him when you "catch" him doing it.

And, btw.....how about some pics?