Labrador Puppy With Rock Fetish

[Mad about Oscar]

I have a 5 month old yellow lab who picks up gravel from the garden and chews it, throws it, picks it up chews some more etc - he will drop it for a treat and allows us to prise it out of his mouth but even when told to "leave it" he continues to pick it up. He does it about 20 times a day and we have little piles of gravel around the place (kitchen bench, outside table etc) from removing them from him. Have tried to ignore it, make myself more interesting etc but he still does it - any ideas on how to stop him from doing it (apart from removing 2 tons of gravel from around the house??)

[Sticks1977]

Not sure if it would help but perhaps you could spray some bitter apple spray or something similar that dogs do not like the taste of.

If there is a particular area of the gravel that he chews, you could perhaps spray that area and see if this deters him from chewing?

[Wyn]

I have a 5 month old yellow lab who picks up gravel from the garden and chews it, throws it, picks it up chews some more etc - he will drop it for a treat and allows us to prise it out of his mouth but even when told to "leave it" he continues to pick it up. He does it about 20 times a day and we have little piles of gravel around the place (kitchen bench, outside table etc) from removing them from him. Have tried to ignore it, make myself more interesting etc but he still does it - any ideas on how to stop him from doing it (apart from removing 2 tons of gravel from around the house??)

Good luck with that one, if you find a cure please let me know, I hav a 4 year old that is like that, we have already spent lots of money getting stones cut out of his stomach. he has chewed so many stones he has worn his teeth down quite abit, I try now to replace the stones/rocks with a rubber ball.

[Mad about Oscar]

I have a 5 month old yellow lab who picks up gravel from the garden and chews it, throws it, picks it up chews some more etc - he will drop it for a treat and allows us to prise it out of his mouth but even when told to "leave it" he continues to pick it up. He does it about 20 times a day and we have little piles of gravel around the place (kitchen bench, outside table etc) from removing them from him. Have tried to ignore it, make myself more interesting etc but he still does it - any ideas on how to stop him from doing it (apart from removing 2 tons of gravel from around the house??)

Good luck with that one, if you find a cure please let me know, I hav a 4 year old that is like that, we have already spent lots of money getting stones cut out of his stomach. he has chewed so many stones he has worn his teeth down quite abit, I try now to replace the stones/rocks with a rubber ball.

Oh that is what I am afraid of - will try Sticks 1977's suggestion - he has 'health insurance' but don't want to have to rely on that for a solution!!

[Mad about Oscar]

Not sure if it would help but perhaps you could spray some bitter apple spray or something similar that dogs do not like the taste of.

If there is a particular area of the gravel that he chews, you could perhaps spray that area and see if this deters him from chewing?

We have gravel up against the house around about 1/3 of the house (termite deterrant apparently) he tends to pick it up around the same place each time, but not always. Can you get the bitter apple spray from "pet barn type" places?

[Sticks1977]

We have gravel up against the house around about 1/3 of the house (termite deterrant apparently) he tends to pick it up around the same place each time, but not always. Can you get the bitter apple spray from "pet barn type" places?

I'm pretty sure you can get the spray from any pet store or pet barn type place - just explain to them your situation and they may be able to recommend a particular item. I remember I tested the spray out one day on an old toy that Fraser had, he never really touched it again once the spray was applied.

on the health insurance as well - better to have it than not... I was extremely lucky that I took out health insurance on Fraser 6 weeks before he became ill, in all it was a $7,500 bill for roughly 2 days in the Emergency Dept, the insurance paid out the claim in full minus my excess.

[pebbles]

My old girl was named 'Pebbles ' by her breeder as she spent all day picking up pebbles and bringing them inside. Thankfully she didn't chew them and grew out of the habit at about 5 months.

[poodlefan]

I suggest you temporarily fence off the gravel from your pup. If this continues, seek some behavioural advice. Obsessive/compulsive behaviours can be a real challenge to manage.

In the meantime, try to offer him other options. This time of year a clamshell pool might distract him.

He is a retriever. You could channel some of that instinct by teaching him to retrieve objects. What sort of obedience training is he getting to work that active gundog mind?

Edited December 15, 2009 by poodlefan

[Mad about Oscar]

I suggest you temporarily fence off the gravel from your pup. If this continues, seek some behavioural advice. Obsessive/compulsive behaviours can be a real challenge to manage.

In the meantime, try to offer him other options. This time of year a clamshell pool might distract him.

He is a retriever. You could channel some of that instinct by teaching him to retrieve objects. What sort of obedience training is he getting to work that active gundog mind?

Every day we do the following at least twice:

Come, sit, shake, down, stay

Hidden 'named' treats to find ('squeaky pig' 'lamb' toys etc) and 'bring' and 'drop it'

Ball/rope toys thrown for retrieval and 'drop it'

Kongs and treat balls when we are out

25-30 min walk every evening.

He has 2 clam shells of water in different locations - and he loves these, but only seems to go in them when we are home.

The rock thing is only when we are home too - I think attention seeking?

He has decided one of his 'jobs' is to remove all dead palm fronds from the garden (when we are out) and we can live with this - he does not touch the green fronds.

[Serket]

My 5 and a half month old golden retriever likes to chew on rocks I don't know if she swallows them, I hope she doesn't. If I catch her I take them off her and she doesn't mind. She gets plenty of training and toys/things she's allowed to chew on, she just likes rocks for some reason. She digs in the garden and finds buried rocks so it's hard to stop it without digging up all the garden beds and sifting out the rocks

[poodlefan]

MAO:

25-30 min walk every evening

If that's on lead, its a lot of walking for such a young pup.

[Mad about Oscar]

MAO:

25-30 min walk every evening

If that's on lead, its a lot of walking for such a young pup.

About 15mins walking, rest is training (with distractions) or sniffing.

[macka]

The rock thing is only when we are home too - I think attention seeking?

If you think it is attention seeking... the way I deal with any attention seeking behaviour is as soon as the undesired action is performed, take the pup straight to a time out zone (I use the laundry because it's boring and there is nothing they can destroy in there).

Leave alone for 3 min then let them out again without fuss. Suggest to him at this point that he plays with a more suitable toy - offer one to him.

Do this every time he touches a rock. Be consistent: it may take up to 3 weeks, and you may see an extinction burst (ie it gets worse before it gets better) but it has worked for me for a couple of attention-seeking things Leia used to do.

[Mad about Oscar]

My 5 and a half month old golden retriever likes to chew on rocks I don't know if she swallows them, I hope she doesn't. If I catch her I take them off her and she doesn't mind. She gets plenty of training and toys/things she's allowed to chew on, she just likes rocks for some reason. She digs in the garden and finds buried rocks so it's hard to stop it without digging up all the garden beds and sifting out the rocks

We now have a term for the rocks Oscar digs up out of the graden - they are the "Incidental Rocks" - as opposed to the "Regular Rocks" picked up easily from the gravel areas. I know it's not funny but - I too share the

[Mad about Oscar]

The rock thing is only when we are home too - I think attention seeking?

If you think it is attention seeking... the way I deal with any attention seeking behaviour is as soon as the undesired action is performed, take the pup straight to a time out zone (I use the laundry because it's boring and there is nothing they can destroy in there).

Leave alone for 3 min then let them out again without fuss. Suggest to him at this point that he plays with a more suitable toy - offer one to him.

Do this every time he touches a rock. Be consistent: it may take up to 3 weeks, and you may see an extinction burst (ie it gets worse before it gets better) but it has worked for me for a couple of attention-seeking things Leia used to do.

Thanks Macka

Will it still work if the behaviour is outside and he will have to be taken through the house into the laundry inside - ie more attention to get hime there? If so laundry will be a good option for us too - will have to train OH and teenage son too. It is a very annoying behaviour.

[macka]

The rock thing is only when we are home too - I think attention seeking?

If you think it is attention seeking... the way I deal with any attention seeking behaviour is as soon as the undesired action is performed, take the pup straight to a time out zone (I use the laundry because it's boring and there is nothing they can destroy in there).

Leave alone for 3 min then let them out again without fuss. Suggest to him at this point that he plays with a more suitable toy - offer one to him.

Do this every time he touches a rock. Be consistent: it may take up to 3 weeks, and you may see an extinction burst (ie it gets worse before it gets better) but it has worked for me for a couple of attention-seeking things Leia used to do.

Thanks Macka

Will it still work if the behaviour is outside and he will have to be taken through the house into the laundry inside - ie more attention to get hime there? If so laundry will be a good option for us too - will have to train OH and teenage son too. It is a very annoying behaviour.

Jut make sure you are not giving any attention, as that is what he wants.

Just as soon as he does it lead him by the collar straight to the time out spot. Don't say anything to him, don't give him any eye contact. If you have a suitable area closer to outside it will make it easier for you (the key is it is safe for the dog and somewhere where he can't see you) but don't use the crate because you don't want to pair it with punishment.

A bathroom, laundry, or spare room will also work - so long as there's nothing he can chew.

I have sued this method to stop Leia from jumping up at the kitchen counter and also from touching the bin in the bathroom - it took me three weeks of doing it consistently but it worked.

Edited to add: it also helps to set him up to succeed so if there is anyway you can fence off his access to that area it removes the temptation.

Edited December 16, 2009 by macka

[missmoo]

My black Labrador used to chew rocks and pretty much anything else he could get his mouth around particularly when he was teething.

You mentioned your pup is 5mths of age. Your baby is teething most likely. The rocks are probably cool in his mouth; the throwing in the air is a game to him probably. Labradors are prone to chewing almost anything; be vigilant and fence the area off if you can for now and give him plenty of toys he is allowed to chew and reward him (pats, "good boy")when he is chewing something you do allow him to.

For teething; give him cold or frozen bones like chicken necks; chicken wings etc (providing you give him bones already)....you ca also buy puppy teething chews you can freeze or refridgerate.

Edited for bad spelling

Edited December 16, 2009 by missmoo

[Mad about Oscar]

Thanks everyone. Have thought about fencing but it is just over 100m if I fence off the paths (gravel on both sides), and closing off the area means the space for Oscar to run around in is cut into two bits with only the smaller area where we can see him - so not really happy with doing that. (not sure how much it would cost to buy the temporary wire type fencing of a height he can't get over and a size he can't stick his nos or paw through to extract the gravel) - will go with the time-out option, frozen carrots, bones and chew toys - if all else fails will buuy the nasty tasting spray.

[Mas1981]

My black Labrador used to chew rocks and pretty much anything else he could get his mouth around particularly when he was teething.

You mentioned your pup is 5mths of age. Your baby is teething most likely. The rocks are probably cool in his mouth; the throwing in the air is a game to him probably. Labradors are prone to chewing almost anything; be vigilant and fence the area off if you can for now and give him plenty of toys he is allowed to chew and reward him (pats, "good boy")when he is chewing something you do allow him to.

For teething; give him cold or frozen bones like chicken necks; chicken wings etc (providing you give him bones already)....you ca also buy puppy teething chews you can freeze or refridgerate.

Edited for bad spelling

:D

Ice blocks are also great when they are teething.

[sandgrubber]

If it's not teething or attention seeking / bored behaviour, you may have to do fencing, or replace the gravel with something less attractive to chew (eg concrete). In my experience, rock eating is hard to train out, and may lead to high vet bills.