In other words, we modified our behavior. We also are now in the habit of keeping temptation away from her by piling the mail or any important documents out of her reach. Busy Buddy and StarMark both make kibble dispensers that are sturdy and long-lasting. To stop our dog from eating paper, we bought a kibble dispenser to give her more mental stimulation and give her a job to do, since she’s a mix of working dog breeds. Spray the non-food objects that he or she usually eats and reapply the deterrent every day for two to four weeks to reinforce the avoidance behavior. If so, your dog will begin to associate the smell with unfavorable things. See if your dog reacts and finds the taste unpleasant. Allow your dog to taste it and then spit it out. The ASPCA suggests that when first using a deterrent, apply a small amount to a piece of tissue and place it directly into your dog’s mouth. Products such as Bitter Apple or Bitter YUCK! can be purchased at most pet supply stores. Crating your dog when you’re away from home is another measure to safeguard your dog from eating the wrong things when you’re away.Īnother strategy to make inedible objects less appealing is to spray taste deterrents on those things your dog is most likely to eat. Tug games and sports such as agility can be a fun way for your dog to burn off steam and reduce boredom. McClay also recommends being proactive in curbing the behavior by engaging your dog in activities that are fun and rewarding. “It’s usually boredom and too much space to do crazy things in while bored,” she says. She says that once she rules out any medical causes or nutritional deficiencies, she stocks up on hard chew toys that cannot break off easily, such as Nylabones, to keep her dogs busy and keep compulsive pica at bay. Marthina McClay, a certified dog trainer at Dog Training for People, has worked with rescue dogs with this condition. Pica can be a serious problem because items such as rubber bands, socks, rocks, and string can severely damage or block your dog’s intestines. Special training is required to curb this potentially dangerous behavior. Fortunately, with a little discouragement from their caretakers, puppies grow out of this behavior by the time they’re one year old.Īccording to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), compulsive behavior won’t go away on its own. This is called “compulsive pica.” The most common things dogs with compulsive pica eat are rocks, plastic bags and containers, clothing, and wooden objects.Ĭompulsive pica does not apply to puppies, who are naturally curious and explore the world through their mouths. The behavioral reasons are usually because when a dog is bored, he or she will seek out non-food items to consume. If your dog is eating inedible things, see your veterinarian first to rule out any physical causes for pica. The physical reasons consist of the dog’s diet lacking certain nutrients or diseases such as digestive disorders and parasitic infections also poisoning. There are two main reasons why grown dogs eat items that aren’t food: physical and behavioral.
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