Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Eating Stones /Orlando's chronicles

now we're dealing with the "I LOVE stones, let me eat them"!! This is a real issue as is getting hard going out for walks with Orlando who eats small stones at (almost) every step. He is always on leash even in the garden, otherwise he'd have an intestinal blockage from eating: 
  1. little stones
  2. far too much grass
  3. pine needles
  4. leaves
I don't like using the leash in the garden but this is the only way  to deal with "the eating problem". I'm thinking of creating a dog-friendly space in the garden where the only thing to eat is grass. We could mark it off with iron/wood fencing and encourage him to use the area. This is just an idea but I can't come up with something better and he needs to exercise more without getting into troubles. 

I must admit that I am in love with Orlando Furioso. We are in love with this angel/devil and I'm glad that I'm not leaving. 

7 comments:

  1. Little stones are definitely bad. Dogs normally eat some grass - you say too much but I don't know what that is. Pine needles are not good, I would think. The same goes for leaves.

    One question: Have you tried changing the food he is getting?

    I doubt if it will make much difference but dogs do, sometimes, eat strange things because the food they are getting is not giving them enough of the minerals and stuff that their body needs. It's like pregnant women (apparently).

    I would also seek the vet's advice on this - i.e. what are the consequences and if he/she can recommend something.

    To be honest, I have NEVER had this problem with any of my dogs.

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  2. We had this problem in the past but after a while the dog stopped.

    You are not the first who tells to seek the vet's advice. But I trust YOU more so we'll give him a call today.
    As for the consequences, if the stones "come out" it's ok (sort of) if they don't it could be a problem.

    thanks!

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  3. the vet said that his diet is well balanced.
    It's a behavioral problem and suggested a specialist!
    This morning we went out for a walk but he managed to eat every single little stone he found on the street.
    !!
    We'll see what to do.

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  4. Hmm. Not good at all. I wonder why he's doing it?
    Part of it may be because you don't want him to do it - so it's become like a game. You say 'no' and he tries it to see if he can? dogs are, after all, much like kids in that respect.

    Your Mum says 'Don't touch that - it's hot' but you touch it anyway to see what happens. Only when it burns you do you stop.

    Let me see what I can find out.

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  5. OK - some stuff I found:

    1. Teach your dog the command "Leave it!" After you give the command, you must make sure your dog does not touch or pick up the item. When she listens and leaves the object alone, it is crucial that you immediately reward her with something she really likes. Practice this over and over again. the practice should take place in the house, obviously!

    2. If you catch your dog eating rocks, try startling him by taking aim with a squirt bottle filled with cold water. Do not let your dog see you spraying the water, because you do not want him to associate your presence with the unpleasant water. You want him to associate the negative experience with the rock-eating behavior. Always praise him when he leaves items alone.

    3. Cover some stones with a layer of bitter apple solution, and put the rocks where your dog is likely to spend time. Most dogs hate the taste of bitter apple, and if you add one sharp "NO!" at the moment your dog notices the bad taste, your dog may eventually associate the bitter flavor with your rebuke

    4. As soon as your dog drops the stone, give her a treat, preferably something satisfying she can chew on for a while. This process will take some time, so be patient. You are trying to convince your dog that something she really enjoys is no longer enjoyable.

    NOTE: Yelling or punishment in direct response to stone eating may inadvertently provide the attention your dog is seeking when she eats stones. Some dogs will even stop eating rocks when their owner is nearby, but return to eating them when their owner is away. My thought is that Orlando is eating these in your prescence or is he doing it when you are not there too?

    5. If you go to off-leash areas and allow your dog run loose, try muzzling her first. Doing so will prevent your dog from eating forbidden items when she is exploring. Never leave your dog unsupervised while she's wearing a muzzle.

    Some things to try anyway

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  6. many thanks for this, andy.

    Orlando is never alone. If he is not in the garden with me, he is out with G. but the person doesn't matter he eats with anyone.
    I've heard of the covering rocks with bitter apple juice in order to associate stones with bad taste.
    He might have the so called Pica disorder or maybe it's just a phase. It could be a phase or probably, as my friend says, he's just being a pain!!

    I'll definitely try some things but I also want to call the specialist who, by the way, is a vet and a dog trainer.
    We want a trained dog anyway so... the sooner the better. He is specialized in dogs behavior. So, if he has Pica, he is the right person to call.

    I'm not concerned as he is supervised 24/7. He's never been alone since we got him. If I'm not at home, G. is here. If G. is not at home, my mum is here. If my mum is away, my uncle comes here and spends time with Orlando. So, it's unlikely that he eats huge amount of non-food.

    However, I'd love to:

    a) see him running FREE in the garden
    b) go out more often for walks

    Thanks!
    I'll keep you posted on Orlando :-)


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  7. ps. we even bought a muzzle but it didn't work!

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