# Muzzle for Acorn Obsessed Havanese???



## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

This little> of mine snaps up these acorns on his walks and chews on them like a fine delicacy. He is crazy for them and all of our sidewalks, roads are covered with them. Million of them.
He got sick the other day probably from snapping up a couple and eating them. He is on a short leash and I watch him like crazy and he still gets them. Probably 4 every walk. He will "drop it" or "leave it" IF I say it but how he snaps them up so fast, I will never know.
Any ideas on what to do? Is a muzzle the answer?
I feel like a failure. Every time he gets one. Thanks for any advice.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I can offer no advice except to say that the speed with which our Hav can grab the back of the tv remote and dart off with it is unbelievable. So, I understand how hard it is to manage! if my kids would stop losing it off of the back of the remote it would solve all of my problems  It’s the weirdest thing, how much he loves that piece of plastic. I can’t even imagine contending with an object he sees as food and is all around him! None of the trees or plants close to us are dangerous, but there’s a bush with berries along a sidewalk we have to avoid, and it’s one bush and kind of a pain. If I forget and don’t cross before he sees it he tries to dash off to it. It’s hard to control acorns when they aren’t in your own yard in many parts of the country, so don’t beat yourself up. I’m sure someone will offer better advice!


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## cishepard (Apr 8, 2018)

A muzzle would be a way of managing the situation, but it would be a shame to have to muzzle him for every walk. I would dedicate all future outings as training sessions until the behaviour is controlled. Bring high value treats and reward/throw a party everytime he “leaves it”. Not if he grabs the acorn, mind you, give the command as soon as he even looks at one so he learns not to even pick them up.. If he looks to you instead, reward. Use a lot of movement like stepping backwards excitedly so he moves towards you to get the treat, then turn and carry on with the walk. Try and keep his attention on you instead of the ground. If he manages to grab an acorn either remove it from his mouth or use the drop it command. You might have to do this every step of the way and you might not get too far on the walk at first, but if he is truly eating them (and other, potentially worse, things off the ground) then this training is very important and worth the time it will take.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I can offer no advice except to say that the speed with which our Hav can grab the back of the tv remote and dart off with it is unbelievable. So, I understand how hard it is to manage! if my kids would stop losing it off of the back of the remote it would solve all of my problems  It's the weirdest thing, how much he loves that piece of plastic. I can't even imagine contending with an object he sees as food and is all around him! None of the trees or plants close to us are dangerous, but there's a bush with berries along a sidewalk we have to avoid, and it's one bush and kind of a pain. If I forget and don't cross before he sees it he tries to dash off to it. It's hard to control acorns when they aren't in your own yard in many parts of the country, so don't beat yourself up. I'm sure someone will offer better advice!


Stealing the remote is pretty cute! He must be a crafty little >knowing how much attention he will get!
We just came back from a walk(it's dark and I shine a flashlight on him for the whole walk), and he managed to get 3. I am so busy between shining the flashlight, holding onto the leash, watching to see if he gets any, telling him to leave it, drop it..it's almost like a comedy routine!
How fast and crafty these little ones are is amazing!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Every walk, we encounter probably thousands of the loved acorns. Every sidewalk square has probably 50 of them and he tries to get every last one. The roads are covered in them too but they are usually crushed which makes for easier snacking. If he got a treat for every one he "leaves" or "drops", he'd probably be as fat as a little pig! Not sure if that is the answer. 
Hopefully, I can resolve this before he gets one stuck inside a body part like his throat or an intestine. I think I will try bringing a couple treats to keep his attention off the acorns.
The thing that really bugs me is that I am one of the few homes without the oak trees that drop the acorns but they end up at my place too. I clean them up off the sidewalk every day! A couple hours later, they are back!
I wonder if he would realize why he was being muzzled and stop eating the stinking acorns!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Tere said:


> If he got a treat for every one he "leaves" or "drops", he'd probably be as fat as a little pig!


My dog's favorite prepackaged treats must be the most processed, artificial "food" known to man because they smell SO strong that he sniffs my fingers for like 5 minutes after I give him one. I'm not about to give up his highest value treat (next to cheese) as a tool, but they smell bad and I also want to control how much "candy" he gets, so I cut them into the tiniest pieces and only use them for certain things. They are seriously 1/16" bits, but he will still do anything for them. I still worry he's going to get fat, though, because DS told me that in his attempts to become Puppy's favorite he has given him the reserved treats!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Tere said:


> Stealing the remote is pretty cute! He must be a crafty little >knowing how much attention he will get!


Haha, I'll have to tell my kids he figured out what the remote does and he's trying to get them to play!


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## cishepard (Apr 8, 2018)

Tere said:


> Every walk, we encounter probably thousands of the loved acorns. Every sidewalk square has probably 50 of them and he tries to get every last one. The roads are covered in them too but they are usually crushed which makes for easier snacking. If he got a treat for every one he "leaves" or "drops", he'd probably be as fat as a little pig! Not sure if that is the answer.


Stop thinking of the walk as a walk. Your pup in not allowed to go on a walk until he learns to ignore the acorns. Start with something you can succeed with. Clear your driveway or whatever of all acorns except one and work on getting past just that one ... then two ... etc. until you can start moving down the street. Again, this could take many trips outside.
Portion out both his meal and treat allowance and use all of that food to train, when it runs out, you're done for the day.
Make things more convenient for yourself with a strap on headlamp instead of a flashlight. 
Time and patience : )


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*facorite treats*



EvaE1izabeth said:


> My dog's favorite prepackaged treats must be the most processed, artificial "food" known to man because they smell SO strong that he sniffs my fingers for like 5 minutes after I give him one. I'm not about to give up his highest value treat (next to cheese) as a tool, but they smell bad and I also want to control how much "candy" he gets, so I cut them into the tiniest pieces and only use them for certain things. They are seriously 1/16" bits, but he will still do anything for them. I still worry he's going to get fat, though, because DS told me that in his attempts to become Puppy's favorite he has given him the reserved treats!


Perry has one of those favorite treats - we refer to it as "puppy crack" lol. All I have to do is touch the bag and he's bouncing all over the place, lunging towards it, etc (he doesn't get it til he's sitting calmly but he can't seem to help himself otherwise it's so enticing!) I do use them sometimes when it's not a high value training/ reward, but I also break them into tiny pieces. For example, we were playing with the ball the other day and I needed to reinforce the 'bring' command so he was getting a treat every time he brought it back to me... I was able to make one of those little square treats last for around 9 throws so a really good session of chasing the ball only used 3 treats. Of course that might be impossible on a walk where you're juggling leash, watching them like a hawk, etc, but it is possible to use tiny bits of treat - Perry didn't seem to care how big it was, just that he got it .


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

My boy doesn't even get treats. He thinks a kernel of dog food is a treat. It's pretty smelly, Salmon and Sweet Potato. He'd just about stand on his head for it. I keep the open bag in a sealed storage bin and usually buy 2 5 lbs. bags at a time. I can smell the unopened bag that is in the closet from 20 feet away. It's that bad. Ordering another storage bin for the extra bag!
I must be a bad dog mom for not having treats.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

This is such a great idea! I can't believe that I didn't think of it(laughing)! Thank you for the ideas! We really need to conquer the acorns. It'll be job one for tomorrow!


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

Tere said:


> This little> of mine snaps up these acorns on his walks and chews on them like a fine delicacy. He is crazy for them and all of our sidewalks, roads are covered with them. Million of them.
> He got sick the other day probably from snapping up a couple and eating them. He is on a short leash and I watch him like crazy and he still gets them. Probably 4 every walk. He will "drop it" or "leave it" IF I say it but how he snaps them up so fast, I will never know.
> Any ideas on what to do? Is a muzzle the answer?
> I feel like a failure. Every time he gets one. Thanks for any advice.


I am extremely glad you asked this ! The acorns have been driving me batty. I read they can be toxic to dogs, so I am constantly checking his mouth and 99% of the time, it seems, pulling one out of his mouth. I didn't think sbout trying to motivate him away from them with treats. I am going to try the various good advice given on this thread, starting today!!!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

By the end of our walks, I just keep repeating the magic words
drop it, leave it, drop it, leave it over and over. If he doesn't have one in his mouth, he is eyeing one. So sly. Sometimes he manages to seek one into the house and takes it directly to his bed where he "thinks" he is going to enjoy his snack. But no, the woman spots the beloved acorn and his happiness is shattered.
I've read that they are toxic in very large quantities like a bowl full. But I am so worried about them getting stuck somewhere. I can't remember there being so many here til this year! Most dogs here love to eat them!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

cishepard said:


> Stop thinking of the walk as a walk. Your pup in not allowed to go on a walk until he learns to ignore the acorns. Start with something you can succeed with. Clear your driveway or whatever of all acorns except one and work on getting past just that one ... then two ... etc. until you can start moving down the street. Again, this could take many trips outside.
> Portion out both his meal and treat allowance and use all of that food to train, when it runs out, you're done for the day.
> Make things more convenient for yourself with a strap on headlamp instead of a flashlight.
> Time and patience : )


Yes, this!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> My boy doesn't even get treats. He thinks a kernel of dog food is a treat. It's pretty smelly, Salmon and Sweet Potato. He'd just about stand on his head for it. I keep the open bag in a sealed storage bin and usually buy 2 5 lbs. bags at a time. I can smell the unopened bag that is in the closet from 20 feet away. It's that bad. Ordering another storage bin for the extra bag!
> I must be a bad dog mom for not having treats.


Using his regular food for training treats is fine. But training with food is a great motivator!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jeanniek said:


> I am extremely glad you asked this ! The acorns have been driving me batty. I read they can be toxic to dogs, so I am constantly checking his mouth and 99% of the time, it seems, pulling one out of his mouth. I didn't think sbout trying to motivate him away from them with treats. I am going to try the various good advice given on this thread, starting today!!!


Make sure you are using the food as a REWARD for "drop it" or "leave it", not just a lure to get the puppy away from the acorns. That can become a game you won't win.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> By the end of our walks, I just keep repeating the magic words
> drop it, leave it, drop it, leave it over and over. If he doesn't have one in his mouth, he is eyeing one. So sly. Sometimes he manages to seek one into the house and takes it directly to his bed where he "thinks" he is going to enjoy his snack. But no, the woman spots the beloved acorn and his happiness is shattered.
> I've read that they are toxic in very large quantities like a bowl full. But I am so worried about them getting stuck somewhere. I can't remember there being so many here til this year! Most dogs here love to eat them!


This isn't exactly the video I was looking for, and I don't teach it exactly this way, but this is a really good first step for teaching him "leave it" in the house, before you ever even "face the acorn plague" outdoors. You can practice this in the kitchen. Start with his food, then do the exact same thing with an acorn, rather than the food, when he is 100% with the food.






We call this "doggy zen" where I train, and all my dogs will remain absolutely still and not approach a high-level treat on the floor during training.

That said, I DO feel your pain. Horse manure is Kodi's nemesis. If he gets to horse manure on the trails, If I say "Leave it", he seems to process, "Eat faster!!!"  Mut I do think this acorn thing is partly puppy-ness... just wanting to put EVERYTHING in their mouths. And the fact that you react (and I'm not saying you shouldn't!) makes it even more attractive. Most adult dogs don't find acorns very attractive. I think this is a great training opportunity, but unlike Kodi's fixation on horse manure (almost all dogs find it very tasty!), I do think the acorn fixation will wane with maturity, no matter what you do.

I had a problem similar to yours with Kodi as a pup... he was fixated on Rose of Sharon blossoms. And we have TONS in our area and the bloom every summer for a LONG time, with new spent blossoms on the ground daily. And although not terribly toxic, they can cause stomach upset. So I REALLY didn't want him eating them. I mostly had to just avoid them the first season. By the time his second summer came around, he wasn't even interested in them.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I can offer no advice except to say that the speed with which our Hav can grab the back of the tv remote and dart off with it is unbelievable.


This made me chuckle! The first thing that Willow got and chewed when we first brought her home was the TV remote!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

You are probably right about him growing out of it. He was crazy for the red mulch I use all around my house. He would snap up any stray pieces and run like crazy. That seems to be over(thankfully).
When the puppiness cycle usually end? Shadow is very high-spirited and very active, still very much a puppy. He will be 2 in April but I was his 3rd. placement when I got him at 10 months. At 10 months, he was with the breeder probably 9 of those 10 months. He has come a long way since I have gotten him. Thankfully, his house training went very well. But he is still learning the things that he should have mastered in his first year! The good news is that he is the sweetest natured, happy puppy despite his lack of training early on.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> You are probably right about him growing out of it. He was crazy for the red mulch I use all around my house. He would snap up any stray pieces and run like crazy. That seems to be over(thankfully).
> When the puppiness cycle usually end? Shadow is very high-spirited and very active, still very much a puppy. He will be 2 in April but I was his 3rd. placement when I got him at 10 months. At 10 months, he was with the breeder probably 9 of those 10 months. He has come a long way since I have gotten him. Thankfully, his house training went very well. But he is still learning the things that he should have mastered in his first year! The good news is that he is the sweetest natured, happy puppy despite his lack of training early on.


Well, most are pretty well along with "puppiness" by two, but it sounds like he had a rocky start. We have a saying... "He can do at four what he couldn't do before".  Some take longer to grow up than others... just like children!

I am very much enjoying my nine-year-old Havanese... He still has PLENTY of energy, but.. he's EASY! And he knows everything! (well, almost  ) But he still loves to train, and go for walks (where he is a delight) and is always ready for fun and adventure. So from my experience, I'd say they are just about PERFECT by 8 or 9.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah I would do whatever you can to avoid him eating acorns. Here is from Sabine on this;;; "Hi!

Yes, with acorns the situation is similar to grapes/raisins, as in there is no defined toxic level and not all dogs are affected the same. Some dogs don't react much (if at all), others just have mild stomach upset, but can be as severe as bloat or kidney damage.

It's better to be on the safe side and not let a dog eat acorns or oak leaves."

Sabine


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## mcaguilera (Sep 16, 2018)

My Chica is obsessed with “goose poop” which everywhere in winter on my condo complex grounds. Sometimes she small pieces of it in the ground which I hadn’t seen her get. Most of the time she will respond to “drop it” but other times she must succeed in eating it. This isn’t only a disgusting habit but it also increases her need to poop which is annoying. Pine cones are also enticing but since they’re bigger I usually can see it in her mouth. I began playing retrieving with her indoors so the drop it command comes from that training. My former dog, a black lab, also loved goose poop, 😱🐾


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Tere said:


> Y
> When the puppiness cycle usually end?


Never>......................just joking! With Willow, it probably took 2 plus years. She still acts like a puppy still, but she sleeps a little more. Still gets into mischief though.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Tere said:


> My boy doesn't even get treats. He thinks a kernel of dog food is a treat. It's pretty smelly, Salmon and Sweet Potato. He'd just about stand on his head for it. I keep the open bag in a sealed storage bin and usually buy 2 5 lbs. bags at a time. I can smell the unopened bag that is in the closet from 20 feet away. It's that bad. Ordering another storage bin for the extra bag!
> I must be a bad dog mom for not having treats.


Our trainer told us we could do this, too. But, ours doesn't love his food and is a little treat spoiled so it doesn't work as well if it isn't near a meal time. You clearly did a great job of conditioning him to see his food as a treat!

I bet if you wanted to use treats to motivate him to work on the acorns you wouldn't need to buy anything special because he'll see anything as novel.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

*krandall: "That said, I DO feel your pain. Horse manure is Kodi's nemesis. If he gets to horse manure on the trails, If I say "Leave it", he seems to process, "Eat faster!!!"

So from my experience, I'd say they (havanese) are just about PERFECT by (age) 8 or 9.

I do think this acorn thing is partly puppy-ness... just wanting to put EVERYTHING in their mouths." krandall*

Love this post. :x I do think most of the acorn and mouthing everything insight is puppy-ness.

Deer manure is Patti's nemesis. :surprise: Makes me feel better knowing other doggies have an attraction to manure. At 9.5 months Patti's nose is always to the ground on walks and there's not much she doesn't want to stop, smell, taste or give a lick. Rocks are a favorite to carry around. I figure if she's got a rock in her mouth I'm safe. Fortunately, the horses living on my neighbor's urban ranch are corralled as I didn't know horse manure was so tasty.

Regarding Acorns: I think, I'd find another place to walk until the puppy-ness was no longer a factor. Grabbing acorns is a game the puppy's probably going to win, making the walk an unpleasant experience.

At 9 months there was a big change. A much calmer, well behaved, indoor housebroken puppy. We're installing a fence which will make things even better and easier. I'll no longer have to worry about deer, coyote and other dung in the yard. We have a doggie door, so there will be less usage of the indoor potty trays, except at night when she'll be contained in our bedroom.

Good to know things will only get better with age.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Walking where there are no acorns would be a good idea BUT the oak trees that drop them line every sidewalk for miles around our house! My fenced yard is generally acorn free but Shadow loves to see people and his dog friends so he loves walks!
He is doing much better about grabbing the acorns! Between leave it, drop it and getting sick after eating one last week(when I posted this), things have improved dramatically. Shadow is a hard headed boy that wants what he wants! And he loves to eat! 
I think he will always be puppy like!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Tere said:


> Walking where there are no acorns would be a good idea BUT the oak trees that drop them line every sidewalk for miles around our house! My fenced yard is generally acorn free but Shadow loves to see people and his dog friends so he loves walks!
> He is doing much better about grabbing the acorns! Between leave it, drop it and getting sick after eating one last week(when I posted this), things have improved dramatically. Shadow is a hard headed boy that wants what he wants! And he loves to eat!
> I think he will always be puppy like!


I figured the acorn interest would eventually wane, especially if they made him sick.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> *krandall: "That said, I DO feel your pain. Horse manure is Kodi's nemesis. If he gets to horse manure on the trails, If I say "Leave it", he seems to process, "Eat faster!!!"
> 
> So from my experience, I'd say they (havanese) are just about PERFECT by (age) 8 or 9.
> 
> ...


Hate to tell you, but fences rarely keep rabbits out. Rabbit poop is WONDERFUL!!! LOL!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*rocks*



Mikki said:


> *... Rocks are a favorite to carry around. I figure if she's got a rock in her mouth I'm safe.*


*

Perry went through a rock stage - at one point we had a huge pile in the house of all the rocks he'd find in the yard and bring in to chew on (and I would promptly take away for fear he'd swallow it). When Perry was having his leg troubles I took him to the vet hospital here and had to wait a while because the vet was dealing with a Dalmatian who had swallowed a bunch of rocks (And I presume had an obstruction from it).

When we're in the US Perry will try to sniff out the cat and deer poop - easier for me to avoid if when there's snow on the ground, otherwise I keep track of where he wants to pull to and avoid those areas *


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Perry went through a rock stage - at one point we had a huge pile in the house of all the rocks he'd find in the yard and bring in to chew on (and I would promptly take away for fear he'd swallow it). When Perry was having his leg troubles I took him to the vet hospital here and had to wait a while because the vet was dealing with a Dalmatian who had swallowed a bunch of rocks (And I presume had an obstruction from it).
> 
> When we're in the US Perry will try to sniff out the cat and deer poop - easier for me to avoid if when there's snow on the ground, otherwise I keep track of where he wants to pull to and avoid those areas


Although Havanese are not a breed particularly known for OCD, another problem with rocks is that some dogs become obsessed with them, and chew them to the point that they totally destroy their teet. I have known two different GSD's who have done that. I'd be keeping a REALLY close eye on any dog of mine who started picking up rocks and be ready to offer a replacement. Once an "interest" like this moves into the OCD range, it is nearly impossible to stop (other than just keeping the dog away from ALL rocks) and at very least will end up with costly medical bills.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Shadow loves to find dried up worms on the sidewalk!
What is up with these little dogs with the faces of angels who appear to love to eat 
acorns
animal poop of all varieties
mulch
stones
worms
?
They are little devils in disguise!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Tere said:


> Shadow loves to find dried up worms on the sidewalk!
> What is up with these little dogs with the faces of angels who appear to love to eat
> acorns
> animal poop of all varieties
> ...


:grin2: LOL!! Oh! Yes ... worms once was a favorite. For a while I couldn't figure out what Patti was rolling on. It was a dead worm. Tiny worm. Then I pulled a dried-up dead worm out of her mouth. Yummy! Better than Deer Manure. Or, maybe it's rabbit. Looks a little too large for rabbits. When she gets too interested and starts burrowing in the grass, I pull her along. Not too worried about the rocks. One day it's carrying around a rock. The next it carrying around a dirt clod.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

This thread is getting funny! Willow is also one to roll on dead worms in the grass. Funny thing is, my corgi did it too. Plus the corgi would try and scrape up a dried up dean worm off the driveway to eat. I haven't seen Willow do that yet. I don't know what it is about dead worms!

When she was a puppy, she would carry a rock on our walks. There was one rock, a fairly large one, that she would carry on our walk, then drop at the end of the driveway. Then on our next walk, she would find that same, exact rock and carry it back. This went on for months. She seems to have outgrown that, thank goodness.

We also have an abundance of rabbit poop which is her all time favorite. She will sample deer poop but doesn't seem to like if as much. We also have elk poop and some of it will look like a small cow pie. She likes those when they get all dried out by the sun. She also like her own poop but only if it's fresh and steaming.

We don't have horses near where we now live. However, before we moved years ago our neighbor had horses. The dog we had at that time would go bonkers over the trimmings from the horse hoof when the horse shoer came. Totally disgusting!

When you think about it, dogs a really disgusting critters!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

LOL..my Shadow's little mouth works overtime EXCEPT for giving his mother kisses. This really bugs me that he likes to give kisses to all but me(probably the only nut that wants them).
There was nothing like trying to housetrain an older puppy who wants to eat everything in sight, which included his poop as it came out of his bum. A special challenge. I got Forbid from the vet which helped a bit. What really helped was taking him off puppy food. His puppy food was not grain free and he seemed to digest it very quickly. And pooping at least 8 times a day. Thankfully all of the poop/poop eating is over.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Oh those wonderful "puppy kisses" :x I often think about what had been in her mouth a little earlier. :surprise:

Jackie ... Patti also has a favorite rock she picks up and carries to the end of the drive and drops. When we return she picks it back up and carries it back to the other end.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> Shadow loves to find dried up worms on the sidewalk!
> What is up with these little dogs with the faces of angels who appear to love to eat
> acorns
> animal poop of all varieties
> ...


No... We often forget it because they are so little, cute and cuddly. But they ARE dogs.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

krandall said:


> No... We often forget it because they are so little, cute and cuddly. But they ARE dogs.


*They ARE!!!????OMG!*

I'll need to stop discussing my day with Patti. :frown2:

They ARE so cute, cuddly and responsive ...

Oh! but those puppy eyes ... they have my heart.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*puppy kisses*



Mikki said:


> Oh those wonderful "puppy kisses" :x I often think about what had been in her mouth a little earlier. :surprise:


Perry has never given puppy kisses. He might lick your fingers if you had a really yummy treat or something similar in your hand moments ago, but he has never given kisses. However, he is the only dog that I've ever known who is obsessed with smelling your breath (when you first come home or he meets you). It's how I can tell who he really likes and trusts - he'll be on their lap sniffing their breath! So far it's only 3 people - me, my Mom, and strangely my aunt the first time he met her (and Perry does NOT warm up to people that fast!) I don't get puppy kisses when I get home, but he doesn't calm down until he's been in my lap and able to sniff my breath.

They are strange little creatures with their funny habits, aren't they.


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## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

My girls love poop. Luckily in my yard it's rabbit and I researched it and it won't really hurt them which is Really good because there is a warren under my yard and I would just curl up and cry if I had to figure out how to separate the girls from the rabbit poop. Actually it is more Kati than Lollipop. I am getting a fence next month that I am going to try to rabbit proof (yes that is kinda a joke). Lol. I'm just glad there are no "outdoor" cats in the area (the owls would make short work of any I would guess). They like cat poop too and that is Very bad for them to eat as well as super stinky. Rabbit poop seems to taste good but have very low odor. My girls are kissers. Kati especially likes nostrils (UGH) but they don't get near my face for a while after outdoor excursions. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

katscleancutdogs said:


> My girls love poop. Luckily in my yard it's rabbit and I researched it and it won't really hurt them which is Really good because there is a warren under my yard


I have heard that rabbit poop is rather healthy - full of B vitamins!


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## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

krandall said:


> Make sure you are using the food as a REWARD for "drop it" or "leave it", not just a lure to get the puppy away from the acorns. That can become a game you won't win.


Exactly. Kosmo gets one of my Smartwool socks and comes to me immediately to exchange for dried liver.

I thought of a wonderful Smartwool commercial where a dog is trying to get humamma's attention away from a screen with a variety of objects in his mouth, but only succeeds when he picks up a Smartwool sock. :| (copyright implied)

I hate the acorns as well. A great mast year for deer.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

More acorns than ever! Day three of pretty much nonstop rain and today the winds are really blowing. We have an overpopulation of deer around here. Aside from the dangers of cars hitting them, I worry about Lymes Disease. Not to mention that they eat up my plants and the grass. I wish they'd stick to the stupid acorns.
Shadow is getting so much better about leaving them. He got a big talking to after I caught him crunching away a couple days ago. Hasn't gotten one since.
Marni, I love the sock story! I can see how it can turn into a game I can't win!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> I have heard that rabbit poop is rather healthy - full of B vitamins!


:grin2:LOL! I wouldn't be surprised.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Regarding rabbit poop, I saw an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls. If you aren't familiar with him, he is a former SAS serviceman, a survival instructor and adventurist. Anyway, in one of the episodes he actually made rabbit poop tea which was just boiled water with rabbit poop. He did say, however, that it was horrible tasting!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Regarding rabbit poop, I saw an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls. If you aren't familiar with him, he is a former SAS serviceman, a survival instructor and adventurist. Anyway, in one of the episodes he actually made rabbit poop tea which was just boiled water with rabbit poop. He did say, however, that it was horrible tasting!


Hysterical! Maybe a sugar would have helped. :wink2:


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

I would think this issue would eventually take care of itself. If Patti thinks there's something I don't want her to have... it becomes of game of "catch if you can." I wouldn't think acorns would be a wonderful treat that your puppy (is it a puppy?) would continue eating once he tried them and got sick. He may just want to carry them around.

When I'd take Patti for walks she use to picked up rocks. Or, dirt clogs. Or, dried poop. I would take them away from her, which made her more interested. I finally stopped fighting her (it was a game to her) over rocks and dirt clogs or anything else that wasn't eatable. She'd pick up a rock or two and carry it for while .... then drop it. When we came back around she'd pick the rock up again, carry for a short distance, then drop it. Patti's learn dirt clogs are not so much fun. She's gotten older and isn't interested in dried poop any longer, thank goodness. 

You might try ignoring your puppy picking up the acorns, let him bite into it if he wants and see if he doesn't loose interest. He might just carry them around.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Wow I have this problem too but with my yorkie. He can pick up and hide up to six acorns in his mouth during our walk that I am unaware of. He usually does not eat them until he gets into the house. So I am ready with some high value treats when we get inside and I trade for the acorns. If I do not do this, he will hide them all over the house like a squirrel and sneak them into his crate and eat them.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

mudpuppymama said:


> Wow I have this problem too but with my yorkie. He can pick up and hide up to six acorns in his mouth during our walk that I am unaware of. He usually does not eat them until he gets into the house. So I am ready with some high value treats when we get inside and I trade for the acorns. If I do not do this, he will hide them all over the house like a squirrel and sneak them into his crate and eat them.


Dogs are so funny and entertaining. My almost one year old doesn't like to eat Greenies, unless the Golden-doodle is going to eat it then she'll scarf it down. Otherwise, she hides big and tiny greenies all over the house, pretending to dig a hole to buy them in plain sight. Or stuffing them into the corners of chairs.


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## HavaneseFloof (Jan 1, 2019)

Forgive me for laughing, but this thread is funny :laugh2:


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