Dog Community

Eating everything in sight

Posted : 3/19/2006 8:08:49 PM

HI..my little fella..(possible Cairn X) gets into everything he possible can when I'm not home. He gets on the table, in the trash, on the back of the couch..
When he finds anything edible it's gone. He's dragged crackers out of my lunch bag, cookies, candy, and chocolate. That's the one that worries me the most because one day he found a packaged brownie in my bag and inhaled it. I've learned to put everything up where he can't reach it and to put the kitchen trash under the sink. Otherwise I come home to find it all over the house. He only has the run of 3 rooms as we close off bedrooms and baths. Is there any hope? Or should I just crate him? He's crate trained but I hate leaving him in it for 8 hours at a time.
How much chocolate does it take to harm a dog weighing about 17-20 lbs? As careful as we are, sometimes things slip by. I had cookies by the computer the other day and he knocked everything in the floor to get to them and I was only gone about an hour.
All help is appreciated.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 3/19/2006 8:18:49 PM

YES! You should crate him! He needs to be crated, for his safety, until he learns to behave himself (being a small terrier, that could be never. my grown small dogs still have to be confined).

nancyjg

Posted : 3/19/2006 8:44:07 PM

I forgot to mention he was estimated to be about 2 years old when I got him at SPCA last July. I'm afraid he's about as adult as he's going to be. I've also done the frozen kong thing and with him I think it lasts about an hour.

He's a great companion though. He and my Lab Allie have a great time when they'r in the yard together but I don't leave him out there very long unattended. He's also an escape expert with digging under fences. My yard looks like a bunker around the edges.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 3/19/2006 8:51:39 PM

My oldest is NINE. She is crated when I leave. She's a chow hound. She digs, and chews, and pees on stuff if she's not watched. It's not something that every dog outgrows. Of course, Teenie was just brought into my home six months ago. Emma, I've raised from a puppy. She's 2 years, 5 months. I wouldn't put it past her to climb for food, and she has severe allergies. Emma has a small room that she stays in, b/c she is incontinent, and I don't crate her while I'm not home (I'd rather mop than have her sit in it) and Teenie is crated.

I don't ever leave mine in the yard. Too much trouble to get into!

kennys_mom

Posted : 3/19/2006 10:21:41 PM

definaltey crate your dog. its for his safety and your sanity. you shouldn't have to plan your entire household order around a mishchevious doggie! i don't know about yours, but mine sleeps a lot during the day so crating isn't that bad. if he is knocking down your trashcan, try putting a big rock in the bottom of it. thats what my parents do for theri cocker spaniel.

as far as chocolate goes, i think it is 1-2 ounces for every 1 pound that your dog weighs. i think dark chocolate is worse.

astaracheetah

Posted : 3/20/2006 2:00:26 AM

It depends on the chocolate... I found this webpage that's got the measurements for each:

[linkhttp://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/library/chocolate-dog-poisoning.shtml]http://www.dogownersdigest.com/news/library/chocolate-dog-poisoning.shtml[/link]

glenmar

Posted : 3/20/2006 5:09:51 AM

Bored dogs get into mischief. I don't care if they are puppies or much older adults. Bored dogs eat stuff. My older male cocker was never crated when we left, but he was the ONLY dog who I ever trusted to be loose in the house when we were gone. And Rusty didn't know that he was a dog. My dogs are always crated when I'm away, for their own safety, for the safety of my house and furniture, and in the event of fire I feel better knowing that they can be pulled to safety without risking a fire ax to the head for acting like terrified BIG animals. My dogs LOVE their crates...the crates are their dens and woe be to the dog who decides to meander into the WRONG crate.....he'll get told in NO uncertain terms to leave, pronto.

My advice would be to crate your dog when you leave the house.

mudpuppy

Posted : 3/20/2006 11:00:31 AM

well, I think you mostly need to be bit more careful about leaving food out. And lock up the trash can.
It is possible to train dogs to not steal food, but it's easier to do proactively, before the dog learns to self-reward. Once a dog has discovered the joys of trash can raiding, you may need some help from technology. I'd look into getting some Scat Mats and putting them in places you don't want the dog to go while you are gone, like up on the table and couch. Also take a look at the Pet Zones systems Innotek sells.