Pup eats leaves,etc.

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Archived Message

Pup eats leaves,etc.
by Connie
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Pup eats leaves,etc. My new puppy, Darby, is 10 weeks old. He has been with us for just over a week, and is doing very well. I have him crated, and he doesn't mess at night at all. When I get him out in the morning, he goes immediately to "his spot" and does both duties. However, at other times of the day, he goes out and pees immediately, but starts to eat leaves, twigs, plants, etc...anything but finishing his pooper. I know he has to go as I see him just afterwards in the house "circling" and get him out the door and he goes. My question is...if he starts to eat the leaves, etc, should I just bring him right back in...or what? Why does he like to eat that junk? I live in a townhouse and don't have a regular grassy area available to him...it ground cover or mulch he goes on. I can't let him go where my Lhasa goes until he has had all of his shots...lots of other dogs go there too...Thanks,

DISCUSSION:

Connie, puppies tend to chew anything! Also it does take a few minutes for the stool to pass through the colon after the bladder has been emptied. Phoebe is wonderful and I have had great luck with the wee pads, but even so - it's a few minutes before she will poop after peeing in the mornings. She is five months old now and I often say I should have named her Hoover or Kirby because she will pick up anything she can off the floor or the ground. It's a natural thing that can cause problems. I'm afraid I really don't have a solution for you, but certainly understand your concern and assure you it's normal.
Leslie R

Connie, my 6 mo old Buster eats leaves, twigs, rocks etc. As soon as I see him grab something I immediately grab him and try to get it out of his mouth. I don't bring him straight in. I try to leave him out until he is thru pottying. I try to divert his attention by throwing a ball for him to fetch (of course I have to chase him to get it back) until I feel like he has finished. He does pretty well with that but he loves to pick up everything to chew. Good Luck

He will get better as he gets older. Noah did a lot of this, too as a puppy. The Bitter Apple spray helped a lot. One day, I put a variety of "goodies" out in the driveway and sprayed well with the Bitter Apple. I then brought Noah out and he quickly discovered that the acorns, rocks and twigs were not as tasty as he thought especially when I said, "no eat" about the time he tried to taste each item. It really worked. You might give this a try if it gets out of hand. They could eat something harmful. One day, I took out a piece of glass that Noah had found. It was a miracle that he didn't cut his mouth. Good luck!
April B.

Connie, Mika's 11 mos. now and has always loved picking up leaves. She doesn't try to eat them anymore, but if there's a leaf in her vacinity, within a couple of seconds of noticing, it'll be in her mouth. She brings them inside, too. Infact, Mika loves my whole garden -- she thinks the hostas are her private pillow collection! She plops right down in the middle of one and just lays there looking "royal". She throws the chunks of mulch in the air and flings it all around the yard, pounces on it and shakes it furociously, all in good fun. I think that's the answer to why does he eat that junk -- because it's there, and it's great fun. I used to worry about Mika eating something that would make her sick, or worse, was poisonous, but either my perennials are harmless, or she's been awfully lucky (distinguishing?) so far. This is also her area for "parking" and she prefers it to soiling on the lawn. (So do I!) But puppies get distracted by all sorts of things and sometimes she would get to playing and suddenly realize she had to go (because she'd been distracted from it) and then do it right on the walk, or in front of the gate! I noticed also, especially when Mika was little, that she pooped a couple of times before she was ready to go inside. I've read in other discussions that she was not alone. But, mostly, Mika never followed the "rules" for being a puppy -- didn't need to go out when she woke up, pooped before she piddled, etc. I still don't see her "circle before landing". It was really hard distinguishing her puppy sniffing from her need to go sniffing about the house. I think you'll find that each pup is very unique, and Maltese especially. It sounds like you've got a good handle on Darby already. Continue watching his behaviors, keep him out longer than you think you should need to, praise his good deeds, and enjoy his idiosyncracies, afterall, he's a maltese! June and Mika.
June