# Puppy Grass Eating / No potty



## DuketheDog

First off, my puppy is a maniac when I put him on the grass, We wanted to wait until he got a bit bigger and built up an immunity from vaccinations before we put him down on the grass.
So recently we have been introducing him to the grass.. as soon as he gets down he starts going crazy, eating it and tossing it around and just freaking out! Until now he has been using the deck with a green mat thing on it to go potty. which is OK but eventually we would like him on the grass.

What should I do? Let him eat grass until he decides its not fun anymore? Try and stop the behavior? P.S he is not getting sick from eating grass, I think he just enjoys its and it excites him. He has ate a TON of grass and no sickness from either end.

As well as eating the grass he will eat anything!!! I have to watch him like a hawk, he will put rocks in his mouth, he will eat leafs, pine cones, he will try and eat sticks, he will grab anything!!!! Which could be harmful to him... the other day he put a chunk of asphalt in his mouth I caught him and pulled it out..

We went to puppy class last night and they said oh if your dog needs to go the washroom take them outside, I could tell he needed to go, but he will not go outside on the grass or cement because it's just too FUN, he wants to do all the above and not go the washroom.

I need advice please!

here is a tiny video that captures a bit of what he does, this day I moved his pen from the deck to the grass and put things in it to try and get his attention off the grass. 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5lrj3xh0r7tom1/Video%202017-05-06%2C%205%2025%2014%20PM.mov?dl=0


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## Molly120213

If you want him to go on grass I would take him out on a leash to a designated potty spot in your yard. Keep things all business about going potty. Try to take him to an area that is free of sticks, stones, mulch or other interesting things. If he doesn't go potty I would bring him back to his pen or crate and try again in a little while. I would not put his pen on the grass because he seems intent on pulling it up and eating it.
Good luck!


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## DuketheDog

Molly120213 said:


> If you want him to go on grass I would take him out on a leash to a designated potty spot in your yard. Keep things all business about going potty. Try to take him to an area that is free of sticks, stones, mulch or other interesting things. If he doesn't go potty I would bring him back to his pen or crate and try again in a little while. I would not put his pen on the grass because he seems intent on pulling it up and eating it.
> Good luck!


I'm going to try that next time! No play and just business, might work! Thanks for your advice.


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## Barbara Levy

DuketheDog said:


> I'm going to try that next time! No play and just business, might work! Thanks for your advice.


But after he goes, let him play for a few minutes. He will get the idea - if you do your business quickly, you get to play!


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## Marni

When Kosmo goes out he puts acorns, seed pods, sticks, mulch and rocks in his mouth. I bend down and pull them out of his mouth. My waistline has firmed up since Kosmo, as well as my arms. He eats grass when there is nothing else. And, yes, in the morning before breakfast he goes down the deck stairs and gets mouth full of grass. He is always on a leash, and at almost five months he now quickly goes to his part of the yard to do his business. He is just a mouthy little guy.


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## Jojofergy

When I first got sprocket I didn't take him outside to potty at all we used pee pads only 
every time he started to go on the pad I would say "go potty " when I finally took him outside i took him on a leash and walked straight to the potty area I say the words go potty and he immediately goes 
I have another dog so that might have helped him smell her potties in that area too 
Now he'd rather potty outside and holds his poo until I get home form work he never goes poo in the house and only pee on the pads while im at work (he just can't hold it that long ) 
So I'd say to work on teaching him a potty command 



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## DuketheDog

Jojofergy said:


> When I first got sprocket I didn't take him outside to potty at all we used pee pads only
> every time he started to go on the pad I would say "go potty " when I finally took him outside i took him on a leash and walked straight to the potty area I say the words go potty and he immediately goes
> I have another dog so that might have helped him smell her potties in that area too
> Now he'd rather potty outside and holds his poo until I get home form work he never goes poo in the house and only pee on the pads while im at work (he just can't hold it that long )
> So I'd say to work on teaching him a potty command
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I attempted to pad train him at the beginning and he just wants to rip the pads apart and destroy them we couldn't get him to stop. So that's when we switched to outside, we just use the words "go potty do your business" mostly "go potty" he knows that going outside is a good thing! After he "goes potty" he runs to his treat spot :/ ... so next time we will take him to a spot on the grass we will try using his command words and see what happens! He is still young, so I know with practice makes perfect!!


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## 31818

In your video, I don't see anything but a happy healthy Havanese puppy! Here is what you need to do:

- Don't put his ex-pen outside. Keep him on a leash for the time being when he is outside
- Give him 3 minutes to do his business. If not successful, take him back inside and try again in 30 minutes. If successful, reward with a treat and lavish praise. Use the rope toy to play with him for a couple of minutes afterward and then back in the house and repeat in an hour or two.
- If he is eating grass, give him a treat to re-direct him and make yourself the most interesting thing outside by playing with him. When he is ready to be off leash outside, run away from him, I guarantee he will stop eating grass and run after you and chase you.
- If he is eating grass, don't take videos, engage with him because all he wants to do is play with a playmate - you! Yes, make YOU his favorite toy.
- Watch him like a hawk and keep him on a leash and don't let him put rocks, asphalt, and other unnatural things in his mouth. A little grass is not going to hurt him but discourage it in a positive way. Ricky still eats a little grass now and then, but I just ignore him, walk away, and start throwing or bouncing a ball or something and he loses interest and comes to play with me.
- Do a visual sweep of your enclosed yard and remove ANYTHING that could harm him before he eats it.

Duke is a typical little Havanese boy, just full of fun and mischief. Try these things and I think you will see immediate improvement.

Ricky's Popi


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## Tux's Mom

Until I read your post and watched the video I had forgotten that not too long ago Tux drove me nuts going outside. ANYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING went in his mouth. I had to watch him like a hawk. It was a constant exercise in just watching what he was going to grab in the blink of an eye, and then diving for his mouth to pull it out before he could swallow it. He had to potty about every 45 min. and we live in a condo on the 9th floor. Just imagine that schedule! There are lots of potentially lethal things in the tropics by way of seeds, flowers etc. that look enticing to a pup. We never put him in a pen though where he was free to grab at anything on the ground.....always on a leash.....potty, back inside. Regardless he still managed to taste everything. If its any comfort, we stuck to our guns and a schedule of going potty and gradually extended the length of time between trips. He is now 14 months old, can last 5 to 6 hours depending on fluid intake, and spits stuff out when I say, "WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? DROP IT?" (which doesn't happen very often now.) It's actually really cute to see the guilty look on his face when he KNOWS he's got something in his mouth he shouldn't have, and he spits it out when I look in his eyes. LOL I never talk mean or scold. He just knows when he's being ornery.


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## ShamaMama

I think you have received some good advice. I just wanted to say thanks for the video. You have a very cute puppy!


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## whata_dog

Duke is adorable. Just like babies everything in the mouth- My Lil Girly outgrew it- thankfully- she was always , always outside on a leash even in our fenced yard because we have Oleanders which are poisonous and they drop flowers and leaves. Now she has a reliable "leave it" so if not going potty I let her run and be a dog and risk redwood leaves sticking like glue to her coat. gah!

Agree with Ricky's Popi ... I had treats on me for weeks on end at all times when Lil Girly first came home. I was a treat & praise machine to her and better than anything else around! lol

We use Nature's Instinct Raw Boost Mixers around the house and yard as training treats. She LOVES THEM! When training something new or difficult or in the Training facility she gets real lean meats cut into one chomp size bites thanks to Krandall's tip about getting pork loin on sale. I was even was complimented by our AKC Judge trainer on our treats. Thanks Karen! SAves me $$ too!


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## Melissa Brill

*treats*



whata_dog said:


> We use Nature's Instinct Raw Boost Mixers around the house and yard as training treats. She LOVES THEM! When training something new or difficult or in the Training facility she gets real lean meats cut into one chomp size bites thanks to Krandall's tip about getting pork loin on sale. I was even was complimented by our AKC Judge trainer on our treats. Thanks Karen! SAves me $$ too!


I am convinced that Wellness Puppy Softbites are the equivalent of crack in the puppy treat world. Perry takes treats very nicely, for every other treat I give him - fruit, veggies, other biscuit treats... but as soon as he sees the wellness bag (or smells it if I open it, or smells it in my hand) he gets soooooo excited that he pounces repeatedly at the bag/ my hand/ etc. Even though he does NOT get the treat until he's sitting calmly, and he knows that, he can't help it he gets so excited for them. It's actually at the point that I can't use them as training treats because he gets soooo worked up over them that he cannot concentrate on what he needs to do to earn one! I've ordered a few different types of treats to pick up when we're in the US in June to see if I can find one that he likes (high value) but isn't so obsessed over that he can't even think about what he's supposed to be doing in training.


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## DuketheDog

Excellent Advice!! Last night I put a bunch of your recommendations to the test and guess what he actually laid down on the grass and was just content! We are practicing his commands on the grass, so he will be eating grass like a crazyo and I say DUKE SIT and sure enough he stops and sit and waits! Next step is to get him to go potty on the grass  

Thanks all for your tips! Seriously so helpful <3


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## DuketheDog

Melissa Brill said:


> I am convinced that Wellness Puppy Softbites are the equivalent of crack in the puppy treat world. Perry takes treats very nicely, for every other treat I give him - fruit, veggies, other biscuit treats... but as soon as he sees the wellness bag (or smells it if I open it, or smells it in my hand) he gets soooooo excited that he pounces repeatedly at the bag/ my hand/ etc. Even though he does NOT get the treat until he's sitting calmly, and he knows that, he can't help it he gets so excited for them. It's actually at the point that I can't use them as training treats because he gets soooo worked up over them that he cannot concentrate on what he needs to do to earn one! I've ordered a few different types of treats to pick up when we're in the US in June to see if I can find one that he likes (high value) but isn't so obsessed over that he can't even think about what he's supposed to be doing in training.


This is what I bought for Duke's puppy classes... they smell so good, like myself and my boyfriend debating trying them LOL, my pup will do anything for them. taught him how to lay down with in 5 mins because of these I swear!


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## Melissa Brill

DuketheDog said:


> This is what I bought for Duke's puppy classes... they smell so good, like myself and my boyfriend debating trying them LOL, my pup will do anything for them. taught him how to lay down with in 5 mins because of these I swear!


Well for me I think they smell gross, but I'm vegetarian so I guess that's understandable .

As for their use in training, Perry is so seriously obsessed with them that he can't concentrate on any commands. If I do try to use them for training it's kind of funny because he'll run through several of the things he knows regardless of what I say... sit...lie down... sit again. Plop into a down..... without paying attention to what I said. Think he's there thinking what do I need to do. Try this try this. Something has to get me the puppy crack!

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