Mary Allen
Does your dog eat everything off the floor?
That can be dangerous. For example, he could catch a poison bait or choke on a swallowed part.
It is therefore of great importance to train your dog out of this quirk.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand why your furry friend is exhibiting this behavior. Knowing this can help him break this threatening urge.
Here you will find everything you should know about it.
In a nutshell: dog eats everything off the floor
If your dog eats everything off the floor, there can be many reasons. On the one hand, it is your furry friend’s survival instinct. Here it is helpful to offer your friend an attractive alternative to what you have found and to condition him to it.
Many dogs also pick up everything they find out of stress or to keep them busy. Then you should make better use of it and allow plenty of exercise to reduce stress and boredom.
Dog eats everything off the floor – 4 causes explained
The survival instinct
Eating found things is in your furry friend’s genetic code. Its ancestors, the wolves, increased their chances of survival through spontaneously discovered food.
This was especially important at times when actual hunting was not very successful. Therefore, the wolf did not miss such an additional meal.
Even though our darlings are now viewed as domesticated pets, they still instinctively recall behaviors from their ancestors. Even if you don’t really need them anymore.
Eating behavior and appetite
Dogs are so-called gluttons, which means they hardly chew their food, but choke it down in large chunks.
On the one hand, this means that you only have a few seconds if your dog eats something it finds. On the other hand, they only taste toxic bitter substances at the very last moment, when it is usually too late.
That is why poisoned baits, in which the harmful core is in the middle, are particularly dangerous for your darling.
Occupation
It may be that the dog eats everything outside because it is simply bored. He wants to compensate for this boredom by chewing and eating whatever he finds.
It is also possible that your loved one wants your attention. He may be using your frantic reactions to his misconduct against you.
Stress
When your dog is stressed, this chewing and eating can be what is known as a skip action. He wants to relieve his stress this way.
He’ll probably get treats or snacks at home, but outside he’ll have to find something to eat. Then he resorts to whatever he finds outside.
So make sure that your companion has something with him on the way with which he can cope with stress reactions. Treats or a chew toy are suitable for this.
Good to know:
This so-called garbage swallowing is rarely a deficiency symptom or a sign of an illness. The most common reasons are the ones mentioned above. However, if you are not sure, it is better to contact a doctor.
Does the dog eat everything off the floor? – Here’s how you can change this behavior
The reasons for the question: Why does your dog eat everything outside? are just as varied as the possible solutions.
First of all, it is important to understand why your furry friend is doing this. Only then can you change his behavior in a targeted manner.
It’s important that you don’t overreact when he’s already caught something. This can lead to the prey becoming even more interesting for your four-legged friend. If this is the case, the undesired behavior could even be amplified.
Be sure to step up and claim it back. If your furry friend doesn’t want to give up their treasure anymore, try a “barter deal” with them. The treat he found against his favorite treat.
It is highly advisable that you try out the different approaches and see which one works best for your four-legged friend.
Conditioning
Is your puppy already eating all off the floor?
Then this method makes sense. From a puppy age, you can condition your pet for more interesting options than the trash on the floor.
Conditioning means you offer your dog a behavior that is more attractive than the previous one.
Here’s how it works: If your furry friend leaves something behind, reward them with their favorite activity. If he has already gotten something and doesn’t want to give it back, swap it with him for his favorite treat. This is how your four-legged friend slowly but surely develops new reaction patterns.
It makes sense that you start this training at home and slowly move it outside. This allows you to increase the intensity step by step and give your pet great support with their learning success.
Show poison bait as enemy
Although this option may seem a bit strange at first, it is still very effective.
You teach your dog that food or other things on the floor are “evil”.
You do this by placing a piece of food on your way and deliberately walking past it with your furry friend. Once she spots the lure, charge at it and scold it.
You can also trample on it or hit it with a stick. It is important that the dog recognizes that lying around food is dangerous and mean.
You also have to make sure that the tirade is deliberately aimed at the food and not at the dog.
Danger
If you have a very skittish or anxious dog, we do not recommend this option. It may be that your darling experiences a deep shock.
Superintendent Training
Here you teach your dog that he will show you a poison bait.
To practice this method, first place a treat on the floor. Cover this with a heavy bowl or sieve. Make sure your dog smells the prey but cannot reach it immediately.
When he spots her, he will lie down or make eye contact with you. This behavior is then rewarded by you. Because that is the reaction that your four-legged friend should show in the future when he finds something strange.
Protection by a muzzle
Even if it is completely absurd for many dog owners to put a muzzle on their furry friend, it can be essential for survival.
When using it, you have to make sure that the muzzle fits well and is not uncomfortable for the dog to wear. You should also take into account that your fur nose cannot reach the poisoned bait through the muzzle.
In addition, your darling should be able to pant despite the muzzle in order to regulate its body temperature, especially on hot days. Therefore, pay attention to which model you choose during a walk, because not all are suitable for it.
Conclusion
It can be very dangerous if your dog eats everything it finds. As in all other cases in dog training, there is no right solution here either, because every dog is different
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Labrador, dachshund, or German shepherd, it’s important that you are patient with your darling. Because with a lot of patience and understanding you will definitely reach your goal.
So you can soon go for a walk with your furry friend again without any worries.