-
Stop eating sticks!
I am working with a client whose eight-month-old pup loves chewing — and consuming — small sticks that are all over the backyard. She asked me how to stop this behavior. We are actually working on an entire strategy for controlling the pup’s chewing of EVERYTHING — a strategy that includes tons of management (preventing access to the things she likes to chew), interrupting and redirecting, sharpening her “drop it” and “leave it” behaviors, structured crate naps to ensure she’s getting enough sleep, and lots of enrichment, exercise and other mental stimulation.
When she asked about eating sticks in the backyard, I suggested management (sorry, but don’t leave her unsupervised in the backyard), the “leave it” and “drop it” practice, and the hope that all the extra prescribed enrichment would lessen her chewing desire. The client didn’t seem satisfied with that answer, looking for some other way to leave her pup loose in the fenced-in backyard to play without her eating sticks. Unless she has hours a day to go outside and clean up all the sticks (she doesn’t), I don’t see how she can allow that freedom.
Anyone have any other advice?
-
16 Replies
-
Hi @Shari , I meet lots of young pups who do this and many outgrow it. Like you, I’d be concerned if the pup is consuming large quantities, rather than just chewing. Sometimes, I think, the behavior of grabbing and consuming mulch, twigs, leaves, etc. is exacerbated early in pup’s life if pet parents are constantly swooping in to snatch every little thing from their mouths, even if the pup (originally) only meant to carry/chew/explore the item without intent to consume. IOW, I wonder if the swift consumption of items can be fueled by a desire to keep person from snatching it away.
Here are some ideas:
- Find some large hardwood branches of safe woods like apple or maple, strip them of their bark, and give to dog outside. It will provide the satisfying feeling of chewing on wood, but the sturdy branch will not immediately produce small, edible pieces. (You can even buy nontoxic hardwood sticks or blocks, but they are pricey)
- Try using a variety of interesting food puzzles outside to change the pup’s focus, as well as treasure hunts or even scavenging for meals that are scattered in the grass. That’s assuming the desire to find and consume food is better than finding/consuming twigs.
- For pure management, a pup could be desensitized to wearing an Outfox Field Guard, which is a very lightweight mesh that fits over the head like a bubble and would make it impossible to pick up sticks outside (as well as toys and treats).
-
Thanks, @virginiad , those suggestions are helpful. I’d never heard of that mesh bubble, but I will definitely look into it.
-
@Shari , shortly after posting, I read about “mumbies” — a coffee wood chew for dogs. They claim that pieces of wood do not splinter off. Might be something worth checking out.
-
Oh, thanks. I’ll check that out, too.
-
-
-
I echo everything Virginia said – and the outfox product looks really interesting! It would have to be fit such that the pup can’t just push through and grab it/chew it open. haha.
I was thinking of a traditional basket muzzle to slow them down. They could still get a stick through but maybe fewer.
Other ideas: No bowl feeding. Get this pup eating out of packed, frozen Toppls or Kongs. Let’s meet that chew need! I would also take a long look at physical exercise and exploration… Chewing can be related to frustration… are we sure this pup has all they need with regard to movement and novelty?
-
Thanks, Catherine. In our last session, I presented a list of potential reasons for the chewing, like boredom, attention-seeking, etc, and gave her a sample schedule of enrichment, exercise, safe chewing, etc., for any given day. I
did recommend Toppls but I’m not sure I recommended all meals be served in them (and frozen). So I can try that suggestion.
I am going to introduce the idea of something in the muzzle/headgear category, too. She very much seems to want an easy fix rather than follow the advice I’m giving. In fact, I am the second trainer she has hired. Everything I’m telling her, I think she has heard before. Maybe she plans to keep hiring different trainers until she hears something easy ????. This case has definitely become a case of “What do you do when the client thinks you’re failing to provide the service they hired you for.”
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
-
She very much seems to want an easy fix rather than follow the advice I’m giving.
It can be challenging with folks who “just want a good dog”… rather than seeing the dog they have and filling their needs.
I LOVE Kim Brophey’s Meet Your Dog book for these clients. If they won’t read it themselves, you can at least share some insights about how this individual dog has these special needs, different from other types of dogs. I think people like to know how special their dogs are, and showing how they are individuals can be really helpful.
If she seems to balk at your suggestions, if you are picking up that vibe in the consultation, you can ask questions like:
What seems to be the most difficult about this suggestion?
Who do you think will be the one in your family to struggle with following these suggestions the most?Is there any way I can make this easier for you?
Let’s brainstorm about other possible solutions… (And with this one, I go through everything they have already tried and I point out that it didn’t work, and then ask harder questions like…If we aren’t able to solve this issue, what’s the best outcome for dogname?) Is rehoming and option? Is surrendering to a shelter?
I think by helping them realize that they are the dog’s best chance of staying in a home, we can often edge them over to the work that needs to be done.
Finally – remind them IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THIS WAY!! This is adolescence… it’s a phase and with a little effort and time now, it will pay off hugely later!
-
-
-
Thanks, @catherine , for the additional suggestions. In our last lesson, I gave her some additional suggestions based on the input I gathered from multiple veteran trainers (including you and @virginiad ), and she seemed more receptive this time. I also diplomatically explained that the protocols I’d outlined for her are exactly what dog trainers do when they have chompy puppies. (I think she maybe thought we were saving the good tricks for ourselves.)
I even brought up the muzzle idea, and she said she’d be open to that as a last resort, and she’s interested in hearing about the conditioning protocol for it.
I reminded her that these solutions are temporary. She feels a bit defeated right now with all the “management” going on in her house. I agree that’s an important thing to remind clients: it’s not forever!
-
I wonder if it would be helpful, especially if you’re working with a family that has kids, to mention how much management we need to keep young children safe. It might provide some useful perspective.
-
Thanks. She actually does not have kids. But she has furniture she really likes that’s in danger right now. ????
-
Sorry for the delay in my reply, @Shari – I was out for a long weekend.
You are right to remind her it’s not forever… gosh it can sure feel like it though!
I love Virginia’s idea to liken it to training kids… but otherwise, if a client can’t relate to that, I will try to relate the skill building to something they have learned. To read, for example. They didn’t start out reading technical manuals, even if they are able to do so now… (few can!) but they started with phonetics, the building blocks of learning the skill. So must their puppy… but they’ll eventually get there if they don’t lose heart!
Remember to give them R+ for all the things they are getting right at home with the pup – clients need encouragement too! (I’m sure you are!)
Thanks again for bringing this case – and do let us know how it goes.
-
We had our final lesson yesterday (she purchased a four-pack). She said she understood everything I laid out for her, so I am hoping she sticks with it and is on the right path. Before I left, I reiterated one final time the temporary-ness of the protocols, and I think she understands.
One thing that helped her see results almost immediately was the leash-tethering in the house. She said the pup now lies down and settles at her feet unprompted quite a bit now, even when untethered — hooray!
-
That’s a great win, @Shari and certainly something that will serve them well in the months to come. It feels good to go out with a win like that. Hopefully she’ll reconnect when she’s ready for more. Remember to follow up in a week and then again in a month, ask her how things are going. These touch points are the difference between scheduling another set of lessons or the client feeling like they should hire a different trainer. 🙂
-
-
-
Bitters Apple spray for furniture can help it’s made to help keep dogs from chewing on things. Bitters Apple not Bitters Cherry. I’ve used it before you can spray on most anything. Check it out on the internet. It may help
-
-
-
-
Thanks, @Denise . I’d wondered about those sprays. I just had a (different) client ask me about them a couple days ago because they’d already bought a bottle. I told them that I didn’t know a lot about them, but that if they found it helpful to go ahead and keep using it. I wondered if they were considered a mild aversive since it causes an unpleasant reaction. But I agree it might be worth it if it works.
-
@Shari yes they are a mild aversive and they can be helpful in some situations, for example when pet parents need to have the puppy on lead stationed with them while they are working and the pup is constantly chewing on the chair over another option available to them. In most situations, we can come up with options that avoid the use of the spray, but in some cases, it is necessary to redirect a puppy’s habit. I am not sure if a spray would work for the stick situation because the owner would have to reapply it frequently… if she would do that, she may as well just pick up the sticks in the first place and you’ve said she’s unwilling to do that.
-
Log in to reply.