New Puppy - Eating Dirt Constantly - Is this bad???
Where there is dirt he digs then ingests several mouthfuls. If we try to say "No" or "Leave it" he doesn't listen, and we are generally unable to distract him. If we pick him up and take him to another area of the yard that is better covered in grass then he starts thinking the whole thing is a game - him trying to get to the dirt patch and us trying to stop him. So there are two questions really: 1. Is this bad for his digestive system? (I know it's bad for humans over time.) 2. If it is bad, any ideas on how to stop him? Thanks for all replies. |
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| I wish I had some great advice for you but I don't..... I do think you need to stop the behavior because eating that much dirt cannot be healthy.
I am also worried aobut what germs he is getting, a 10 week old puppy hasn't been fully imunized and the ground can hold things like Parvo for months. You need to be firm and consistent about stopping. Don't even allow him to start digging. If he starts to dig play time stops and you go inside. You need to keep him on a leash while pottying him so that you can have better control. Take him places to play where there is no dirt, well seeded grass or black top. You need to get ontop of this now before it becomes even more difficult to stop. |
Ohhh, dirt is soooooooooooooooo yummy!!!!!!!!! 
Your puppy is just investigating, everything is so new to him, and just like babies, they put things in their mouth to taste it and see what it's like. This is totally normal behavior though can get dangerous, ie. eating something poisonous - tulip, rat poison, etc. You have to find something he dislikes and correct him with that. When Boni used to do that, I sprayed him with water, because my older dog hates being sprayed. Well, Boni loved it. So, I had to do something else and at the end - it might sound bad but it's not - when I saw him eating something, I would "scare" him - saying "No" or "Yuk" firm and loud. Not to frighten him, just to shutter him to spit out whatever is in his mouth. The second he spits out whatever he was trying to eat, I gave him tiny little cheese, ham, hot dog, etc. treats continuously. The point is with this that you teach him that things on the floor are dangerous and of course you always have better things for him then the things on the ground. He needs to be taught what he can and what he cannot "eat". I did this with Boni probably about 5 times when he was about 10-12 weeks old - when they get scared of everything - so I took advantage of that. Sine then (he is 9 months old), he has never chewed on anything in the house and has never picked up anything from the ground/floor, even when I'm cooking and I "accidentally" drop a piece of ham or something on the floor, he will just stare at it. He will only pick it up if I tell him it's his. Also, I was told by my vet not to worry long as they eat natural things - still I think it's best to teach them not to pick up anything from the floor (other then sticks, etc.) Good luck with him and let me know if you need more help! |
Prof. Boni wrote: Also, I was told by my vet not to worry long as they eat natural things - still I think it's best to teach them not to pick up anything from the floor (other then sticks, etc.)
Sorry, but I don't agree with that advice. Dirt, depending on what was there before, can contain all sorts of nasty things. Chemicals such as fertillizers antifreeze, oil and who knows what else, Parvo, e-coli if the ground was pastureland and the list goes on. Eating a leaf or blade of grass may be safe but I would be very concerned about dirt. And again, a 10 week old puppy has not been fully immunized. I would be pretty careful what he is exposed to. |
Tasker's Mom wrote: Prof. Boni wrote: Also, I was told by my vet not to worry long as they eat natural things - still I think it's best to teach them not to pick up anything from the floor (other then sticks, etc.) Sorry, but I don't agree with that advice. Dirt, depending on what was there before, can contain all sorts of nasty things. Chemicals such as fertillizers antifreeze, oil and who knows what else, Parvo, e-coli if the ground was pastureland and the list goes on. Eating a leaf or blade of grass may be safe but I would be very concerned about dirt. And again, a 10 week old puppy has not been fully immunized. I would be pretty careful what he is exposed to. Maybe I didn't say it right, but even though my vet told me not to worry about my dogs eating natural things I still did NOT agree with him for the exact same reason you said. |
My puppy did this for a while too. His face went right in the dirt pile no matter where we were. if he could get to the dirt or mud, he found it. Of course I did not encourage it. I also did not let him out alone without me and without being on a leash even though we have a fenced yard. He stopped this as he grew up...Everything went in his mouth when he was a puppy - including his poops if I didn't pick it up quick enough 
I think the best advice is to keep the puppy on a leash and not outside supervised. They will grow out of it. |
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