# Question about apples ...



## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

Specifically the unripe "baby" apples that are taking over.
This is our first spring in this house and the giant tree in the back yard is a green apple tree. It's huge. It's also dropping so many apples that it has become an impossibility to keep them picked up all the time. 
Indy (6 months) has decided that these are his favorite toy ever.

I know apples themselves aren't bad for dogs but those are ripe and cored.
Does anyone know about the unripe small ones?

We've been pretty good about not letting him actually eat them. He'll bring them inside and throws them around to chase them until they end up under the couch (I'm kind of afraid to find out how many are actually under there). But even though everyone in the house is keeping an eye on him I don't expect we're catching 100% of them. 

Does anyone have any advice on either how to keep Indy out of the apples OR knowledge on if the small ones are safe?


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I'm not sure but I think its the seeds? If you are taking them away before Indy actually eats them I bet its okay.


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## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

Suzi said:


> I'm not sure but I think its the seeds? If you are taking them away before Indy actually eats them I bet its okay.


Any of them that we ~see~ are being taken away and I don't leave them laying around the house because it makes me a little crazy to have them inside but there are just _so many_ that I can't be 100% sure he hasn't gotten a few. I guess I'm just looking to find out if we have to keep the back yard off limits while the apples are out. It would be a pain as it's the only fenced in area we have and Indy has gotten very spoiled about having doors open so he can just wander in and out but obviously if it's a safety issue ... then it isn't an option.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I just looked it up and large amounts of the seeds are bad. The rest of the apple is good for them.


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## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

Suzi said:


> I just looked it up and large amounts of the seeds are bad. The rest of the apple is good for them.


But then the question is: How much of the seed is developed if they aren't ripe? These are barely golf ball sized.

These fluffy faced fur balls are just as bad as having human babies!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I know I think you gut feeling is better safe than sorry. It would take awhile for him to eat it. I would just stay out with him while he's in the yard. I have to now because mine are escaping. I've been worries about some vines they seem interested in. I think its morning glory. I wonder if you could call an agriculture department and find out?


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## andra (Aug 23, 2010)

Are these baby unripe apples the kind that develop into apples that humans can eat? If so, I think they are safe but most likely will be bitter and probably not very desirable to your pup (other than for playing).

I have given my pup thin wedges of apple--she actually likes to carry it like a bone before eating it. She will not eat the granny smith or other more tart apple. In fact, there is a spray that is 'bitter apple' that is used as a deterrent to chewing etc. so I am assuming an unripe baby apple would count as bitter.

Maybe begin to teach "drop it" and if you see your pup going beyond playing where he is starting to eat the apple, that would be when to intervene.


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## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

andra said:


> Are these baby unripe apples the kind that develop into apples that humans can eat? If so, I think they are safe but most likely will be bitter and probably not very desirable to your pup (other than for playing).
> 
> I have given my pup thin wedges of apple--she actually likes to carry it like a bone before eating it. She will not eat the granny smith or other more tart apple. In fact, there is a spray that is 'bitter apple' that is used as a deterrent to chewing etc. so I am assuming an unripe baby apple would count as bitter.
> 
> Maybe begin to teach "drop it" and if you see your pup going beyond playing where he is starting to eat the apple, that would be when to intervene.


These are human eating apples and they are VERY tart. I wouldn't enjoy eating them but Indy seems to love chewing on them. He loves apples in general (we use wedges of ripe apples in his kong) but hates the apple bitter spray so they fact that he's chewing on these is surprising. Maybe it's similar to little kids chewing on lemon slices? It's a new flavor so it's fun.

I spent thirty minutes outside this evening picking up the apples closest to the door and will just continue going outside with him whenever he's out there (I'm always in the living room when he's outside so I can keep an eye on him but I'll be outside from now on). It's summer so I think I might recruit the 11 year old for some slave labor and have her help clean up the rest of the yard. Hopefully staying on top of it won't be horrible. I've also now put "fruit trees" on my list of things I do not want whenever we move again!


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## Ewokpup (Nov 3, 2012)

Could you rake them up instead of picking them up by hand?


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## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

Ewokpup said:


> Could you rake them up instead of picking them up by hand?


That's what we've been doing but there are just _so many_!
Every morning we end up with another bucket full.
I'm kind of terrified of what it will be like when they're actually ripe.


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## andra (Aug 23, 2010)

Well, I am wondering if you could contact either your local food bank or local church that participates in food donations and let them know that you have a tree that is producing abundant apples and that you are willing to donate the apples if somebody would come and collect them. Fresh fruit is very desirable to food pantries and often they have volunteers who would be willing to come and get produce. Those apples, once ripe, have lots of uses and I am sure somebody would like them  Or if you have a community newsletter, you can submit something indicating that you have apples that are available to anybody who wants/needs them.

It is just a thought. It sounds like this tree is producing lots of apples!


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

I had two issues with an apple tree in my fenced yard ,one of my dogs was a food hound and ate too many of them and had horrible diarrhea, the other problem was bees. They were all over the rotted ones on the ground which made them hard to pick up. BUT the blossoms and applesauce were great! Atticus has not yet discovered this area in the yard! Good Luck!


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

I have the exact same issue with a peach tree in my yard. There are hundreds of them and it's impossible to get rid of all the tiny peaches. You can pick them all up and next time you go out, there seem to be 100 more, it's unbelievable.
I had the same question about the pit when the peaches are so small. I'm not sure if they are eating them or just playing with them.
I have decided to have the tree taken down, the neighborhood squirrels are going to be pissed.


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## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

We're renting so we can't do anything to the tree itself
but I have broken down and told my 11 year old that I will PAY her
for every bucket of apples she picks/rakes up and puts in the bio bin.
She's ecstatic and I'm going to use the cheap labor while I can.

We already have friends lined up to help us take care of the ripe apples
so once they can be eaten it shouldn't me as much of a problem
PLUS it would take Indy a noticeable time to eat a full sized apple.
Him eating enough to get to the seeds wouldn't stress me out as much.

I am not looking forward to all the bees that come with a fruit tree
but hopefully if we can keep the little apples picked up we'll already 
be ahead of the game for when the rest start to fall.

I love fresh fruit but I don't think I mind buying it at the market
if it means I don't have to keep up with all the up keep at home!


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Julie, good idea about taking down the peach tree. I'm not absolutely positive but I think the peach pits contain arsenic. Maybe not enough to do damage but better safe than sorry!


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