compulsive Eating!!

[myrtle1123]

We recently moved. For about 3 weeks we lived at my grandma's house before we got our house. It started then my dog dusty was eating/chewing on EVERYTHING. She has gotten my cell phone, lip gloss, pin cushion, her pillow she sleeps on, DVD's the list just goes on! She literally looks around the house for something to eat! Right now as I right this she is whining at the top of the stairs because i wont let her down because she was eating a little knob off the DVD player! Anyways when she gets something in her mouth she wont let go! We have to bribe her with treats! then we can make a quick grab and get it! But when she is just with my nana she is perfectly fine and doesnt go after anything! (she is a 4 year old bichon poo) Can anyone help me with my crazy doggie?

[luvofallhorses]

it sounds like you need to do NILIF and crate training with her.

[Giselle]

Exercise, teach "Give", and, I agree, NILIF wouldn't hurt.

Exercise = simple. Take her for a jog, play a game of fetch, play some mind games, play hide and seek, etc.

Teach "Give" = Give her a low value treat, like a carrot stick. Hold a high value treat, like a piece of boiled chicken in front of her nose. As soon as she loosens her grip on the low value treat (in this case, the carrot), say "Give" and take the carrot. Immediately give her the chicken. Repeat repeat repeat. Eventually, you can start trying "Give" with higher value things, like stuffed toys and chew toys.

NILIF = Nothing in Life is Free. It'll help teach your dog what the rules are and who's boss: http://www.nomorehomelesspets.org/be.../dog/nilif.htm

[Ariana]

I had 2 dogs and 1 died randomly so my other dog stopped eating and got really skinny for a while, then about a month later my grandad had an idea that Moochie was just lonely, so we got him another playmate, he liked the new dog at first but after about a week he was sick of sharing his toys and food with her, so just so she couldnt get the food he would gorge himself beyond walking!! so maybe your dog is just not liking the new changes being presented to him so fast, give him time and dont punish him, this is his way of dealing with himself right now, ITS HARD FOR THEM TOO!!!

[erinzillaud]

Cali used to do the same thing (overeat). We eventually got her on a schedule and only put down food 2x a day. I think this a great solution. You might want to try that. Also, if you have more than one dog (different sizes especially) try to put the dishes in different places. So, my little Papillon has his dish in the kitchen and Cali has hers in the living room. Both dogs have their own waterdish as well. This is also good because the Papillon gets really protective of food.

As far as chewing on everything-- (disclaimer: I'm no expert, so if this is bad advice, pls correct me! ) maybe try a Kong toy. For Cali, a squeaky toy is really good. Maybe your little one needs something to entertain him. Also, for a while we tried plastic squeaky toys with Cali, but she preffered other things (like our water bottles!) when she had these. We had the find the right kind of fabric toy and she's never gone back!

[carrie]

There are two different issues being discussed here.

Dogs behaving normally will eat as much food as they have access to.
(Please do not reply to this statement! Different breeds and individual dogs make their own rules - I know!)

The other issue began with non food items being eaten and chewed.

The last thing you want to do is exchange a treat for any item the dog has in the mouth that it shouldn't have! Every time you do that you are telling the dog that it will be rewarded for that behaviour - you are training the dog to do it. The dog will understand that every time it brings you an item it gets a treat - that is a good thing as far as the dog is concerned. The dog will then go look for another item to get another treat....

The fact that she only does it while you are around suggests that the dog is in charge of you. If Nana ignores the behaviour (for whatever reason) the dog gets no attention or other reward and so the behaviour is a waste of energy. Take a leaf out of Nana's book!