Dog eating stuff they aint supposed to

[FlyingNimbus]

Hey guys. The stuffed animal that was given to us for her she ate a small piece off... like half an inch or an inch... I was trying to train her in my living room (to no success) and she picked up a piece of plastic on the floor and I am not sure if she ate some of it...

Is it bad that I gently (well gently for my size, and her size) slapped her on the back side of her head so she would drop it. I know I shouldn't do that but she wouldn't drop it and I was afraid if I tried to remove it manually she would had just bit me(I try to avoid cuts, and punctures due to my meds).

Is there a quicker way to get a dog to drop something in case of an accident?

P.s. she's been avoiding to release her poop and pee for whatever reason... I've walked her outside quite often... Only did it this morning-- though she hasn't been eating that much... today she only took a few vbites in the morning and another in the afternoon... I did give her a boiled egg today... so I am not sure if it's just the food... or if she's sick or stress or what...

[atlantis1982]

We taught Sunny the "leave it" command for when he has something he shouldn't. (It's taught in the Petsmart puppy kindergarten.)
My other dog, however, would eat anything! Paper, pens, crayons, silk flowers, my makeup, bugs, poo...and he refused to let it go, and he was a biter.
I doubt Magnolia was ever taught obedience, so she'd probably benefit from some kind of training where they learn basic commands. She's finally in a loving home so she's enjoying herself being a puppy.

[maxdog]

Max also learned the leave and drop commands at Petsmart puppy class. He is great at the leave it and I found out yesterday he remembers the drop command too. I threw 2 treats on the floor, 1 for Max and 1 for Sasha, but Sasha wasn't paying attention so Max ate his and grabbed hers. I sternly said "Max DROP IT" and much to my surprise he actually spit it out! I was somewhat shocked because I thought for sure he would eat it. I gave him a different treat right away for being such a good boy.

[matese]

Hitting / smacking a dog only teaches it to FEAR you. You must "puppy" proof your home even tho she is not a puppy. Make sure there is nothing on the floor that she will snap up.You must remember she was a stray. Maybe a stray from a little puppy. Take her to a training class, they train the owner how to train the dog, smacking this dog can end up with her biting you out of fear. She is a STRAY, maybe she was abused while she was on her own. A training course will teach YOU how to teach your dog the basic commands, sit, stay, down, leave it, drop it. Your "light smack on her head" to her will be a punch to her head. Go to a PetSmart training school even if you didn't like the lady that you feel gave you info. on a dog food that you felt was not a quality food. Dog food has nothing to do with training a dog.PLEASE do not "smack" this dog, take a training course.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by atlantis1982

We taught Sunny the "leave it" command for when he has something he shouldn't. (It's taught in the Petsmart puppy kindergarten.)
My other dog, however, would eat anything! Paper, pens, crayons, silk flowers, my makeup, bugs, poo...and he refused to let it go, and he was a biter.
I doubt Magnolia was ever taught obedience, so she'd probably benefit from some kind of training where they learn basic commands. She's finally in a loving home so she's enjoying herself being a puppy.

I ended up switching her name recently since her name just wouldn't stick and my family couldn't pronounce it well. I call her Artemis now, which rolls off easier for them-- though perhaps I should had stuck to an even shorter name.

I've been watching videos on how to train a dog(different kinds) and I can't even get her attention unless she wants it(which she usually does - but when I need her to she doesnt).

I was so scared she was going to die from that piece of plastic... i just had to act.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by matese

Hitting / smacking a dog only teaches it to FEAR you. You must "puppy" proof your home even tho she is not a puppy. Make sure there is nothing on the floor that she will snap up.You must remember she was a stray. Maybe a stray from a little puppy. Take her to a training class, they train the owner how to train the dog, smacking this dog can end up with her biting you out of fear. She is a STRAY, maybe she was abused while she was on her own. A training course will teach YOU how to teach your dog the basic commands, sit, stay, down, leave it, drop it. Your "light smack on her head" to her will be a punch to her head. Go to a PetSmart training school even if you didn't like the lady that you feel gave you info. on a dog food that you felt was not a quality food. Dog food has nothing to do with training a dog.PLEASE do not "smack" this dog, take a training course.

I know I know. It just got hectic like really recently... she usually stays in her room, hall, other rooms as they're bare. But I wanted to spend time with her on the couch. I just looked away for a second and she was chewing on a piece of plastic. I was shocked because she doesnt even touch her ball, or her frisbee... nor her food....

It was the only time I ever did it. I am not looking for validation either. I know I did wrong there. I just want to make sure she's fine.

As for training, I am going to the petsmart ones- but not that one since we are moving this weekend (the stuff is already over there. we're just turning on the internet and cable over there friday, but we should be in by saturday or sunday.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by maxdog

Max also learned the leave and drop commands at Petsmart puppy class. He is great at the leave it and I found out yesterday he remembers the drop command too. I threw 2 treats on the floor, 1 for Max and 1 for Sasha, but Sasha wasn't paying attention so Max ate his and grabbed hers. I sternly said "Max DROP IT" and much to my surprise he actually spit it out! I was somewhat shocked because I thought for sure he would eat it. I gave him a different treat right away for being such a good boy.

Our Sasha knows all of the basic commands. However she(my mother) doesn't remember who she took Sasha to get taught. But we're going to schedule some classes for her at a petsmart near the other house. We're hoping that she will be able to pick stuff up fast.


By the way, how do you guys get your dogs to learn their names? Do dogs just don't learn certain names? Like if it's too complicated?

[matese]

It can take a couple of days to a couple of weeks for a dog to learn it's name. Codys previous name was Theodore to much of a mouth full for me, so before I left my vets (where I adopted him from) I changed his name to Cody, he was 2.5 yo. Within 2 days he knew his name. He didn't know the word pee-pee, or poo-poo because that is not what his prev. owner called it, so every time he peed or pooped I would say good boy Cody made a pee pee or poo poo, Use her name often and reward her with a treat or happy, silly praise, clap your hands, make a big fuss. If she is food motivated it is easier to train because they want the treat or food and they will try real hard just to get that food reward. Talk to her as often as possible always using her name. Who even knows if this dog ever had a home, the way you describe her behavior to me it sounds like she never did, she doesn't know what a harness is, is not house broken, knows no word commands. What baffles me is, she was a stray and peed and pooped out doors, yet you take her out and she does not make, very strange.
Happy to know that you will be taking her to training classes. Training is more for us, the owner, trainer gives us the tools, the knowledge how to train, then it is up to the owner to use these tools at home and work with the dog. You must stay calm and have a lot of patience with this little girl, you will gain her trust in kindness, not in harshness.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by matese

It can take a couple of days to a couple of weeks for a dog to learn it's name. Codys previous name was Theodore to much of a mouth full for me, so before I left my vets (where I adopted him from) I changed his name to Cody, he was 2.5 yo. Within 2 days he knew his name. He didn't know the word pee-pee, or poo-poo because that is not what his prev. owner called it, so every time he peed or pooped I would say good boy Cody made a pee pee or poo poo, Use her name often and reward her with a treat or happy, silly praise, clap your hands, make a big fuss. If she is food motivated it is easier to train because they want the treat or food and they will try real hard just to get that food reward. Talk to her as often as possible always using her name. Who even knows if this dog ever had a home, the way you describe her behavior to me it sounds like she never did, she doesn't know what a harness is, is not house broken, knows no word commands. What baffles me is, she was a stray and peed and pooped out doors, yet you take her out and she does not make, very strange.
Happy to know that you will be taking her to training classes. Training is more for us, the owner, trainer gives us the tools, the knowledge how to train, then it is up to the owner to use these tools at home and work with the dog. You must stay calm and have a lot of patience with this little girl, you will gain her trust in kindness, not in harshness.

shes not eating much either...worries me

[matese]

Are you feeding her canned food or kibble. Did you take her to the vet for a routine check up, and had her teeth looked at. You can try sprinkling some grated Parmesan cheese on her food and NO it will not give her gas, it's just a sprinkle of cheese.

[maxdog]

I was reading too quick and did not see the part about a gentle slap on the back of her head. It is good to see that you realize this is never appropriate. Not only is it not a good training technique but it will have a negative effect. They will start to flinch when you just reach down to pet them because they will be expecting to be hit. I am embarrassed to say I used to slap my dogs when I was younger but I have learned not to and it absolutely makes a positive difference in the personality of your dog.

The leave it command was simple to teach. Put a treat on the floor and keep your foot just over it so she knows it is there but she cannot get it. Tell her to leave it and when she stops trying to get it give her a treat you have in your hand. Repeat until you reach the point that you don't need your foot to prevent her from going after the treat. This command came in real handy when Toni dropped a whole bottle (500 count!) of aspirin on the floor in the kitchen. Max looked at it like he had hit the jackpot of treats but she yelled "leave it" and he stopped in his tracks and did not touch a single one.

For the drop it command we used a toy he liked. Let her get it in her mouth and say drop it while showing her a treat in your hand. When she drops it she gets the treat. Repeat a few thousand times (just kidding) until she drops on command.

It is not an over night process but with some patience and love you can teach them what they need to be safe.

Good luck!

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by matese

Are you feeding her canned food or kibble. Did you take her to the vet for a routine check up, and had her teeth looked at. You can try sprinkling some grated Parmesan cheese on her food and NO it will not give her gas, it's just a sprinkle of cheese.

I am feeding her the kibble with a spoon of the canned food (I already ran out of the canned food), and a spoon of olive oil for her itchy skin.

I am scheduling a vet check up soon. I hadn't because I wasn't sure there was anything wrong yet and I wanted to see the dog for a few days so I could monitor and tell the vet her behavior.

As for the cheese, at this point I don't care if she farts like crazy. I just want her to be healthy and safe.

Also, I did mention this on the other thread (not sure if I did here) but she ate a very small piece of her stuffed animals foot (it was just the plush part- not the stuffing and it was less than an inch long/wide) will she be alright?

We gave her that stuffed animal because it was what the shelter told us she liked. We asked the shelter if she showed signs of eating it and they said that all she would do is bite at it but never try to tear it, and she would sleep with it. So I thought it would be good for stress relief...

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by maxdog

I was reading too quick and did not see the part about a gentle slap on the back of her head. It is good to see that you realize this is never appropriate. Not only is it not a good training technique but it will have a negative effect. They will start to flinch when you just reach down to pet them because they will be expecting to be hit. I am embarrassed to say I used to slap my dogs when I was younger but I have learned not to and it absolutely makes a positive difference in the personality of your dog.

The leave it command was simple to teach. Put a treat on the floor and keep your foot just over it so she knows it is there but she cannot get it. Tell her to leave it and when she stops trying to get it give her a treat you have in your hand. Repeat until you reach the point that you don't need your foot to prevent her from going after the treat. This command came in real handy when Toni dropped a whole bottle (500 count!) of aspirin on the floor in the kitchen. Max looked at it like he had hit the jackpot of treats but she yelled "leave it" and he stopped in his tracks and did not touch a single one.

For the drop it command we used a toy he liked. Let her get it in her mouth and say drop it while showing her a treat in your hand. When she drops it she gets the treat. Repeat a few thousand times (just kidding) until she drops on command.

It is not an over night process but with some patience and love you can teach them what they need to be safe.

Good luck!

Yeah I know what you mean. I mean I felt it was necessairy as the action was done and she was already chewing on it(it was in her mouth and she was trying to swallow it) so while I am not saying I condone my actions on the other hand I'd rather her flinch for a while if it means she wouldn't have had died right there and then. I know it was my fault for missing that part. I don't like what I did, but I thought it was the only way of getting it out of her mouth-- as again she is completely untrained, she had it in her mouth, she was attempting at swallowing it whole (she raised her head back and I quickly acted)-- I said in a stern voice to drop it to try to see if by a miracle she was taught that command but she didn't. I tried getting her attention with treats but she snuffed her nose at the treats(didnt care much for them). (I have treats at hand usually) I tried calling her to see if that would get her to drop it. I tried to open up her mouth a little but she wouldn't budge and that's when I thought if I tried she may seriously try to bite me.

The moment I slapped the back of her head (and like I said I did it as soft as possible) she dropped it and faced me. Oddly she just licked me and I was lucky enough to grab the chewed up piece and throw it out.

As for the fear of being petted-- she already had that when we adopted her. From the getgo she was twitchy and flighty. Over the past few days she's opened up and has been calmer but much happier.

I hope that this in the end doesn't affect her, as I will take more care next time. I actually didn't see the piece before bringing the dog in- but I should had scanned the floor for stray objects.... She was with me in the living room and she was by my feet, she was attempting to bite the rocking chairs' legs, and this chair... (the wooden part) to which I moved them back after I shushed her. (doing a shhh sound quickly grabs her attention- usually and not in a scared way).

Still I don't like that it had to come to that, and I don't like that I allowed it to become that-- even if it was an accident.

[pstinard]

You really need to get more durable stuffed animals, and replace them at any sign of wear. Those pieces of stuffing are not digestible and might not pass through your dog's digestive system. If your dog eats stuffing and there's any blockage, it will vomit and not keep anything down. That is the sign to go to an emergency vet right away. If your dog is eating and not throwing up, it's probably not a blockage. Still, the vet checkup is a good idea. And no more cheap stuffed animals!

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by pstinard

You really need to get more durable stuffed animals, and replace them at any sign of wear. Those pieces of stuffing are not digestible and might not pass through your dog's digestive system. If your dog eats stuffing and there's any blockage, it will vomit and not keep anything down. That is the sign to go to an emergency vet right away. If your dog is eating and not throwing up, it's probably not a blockage. Still, the vet checkup is a good idea. And no more cheap stuffed animals!

We're going to the vet today. She didn't do anything outside. We let her loose in her room to see if she did anything-- she just peed (A LOT- like a lot a lot)...

As for the stuffing... she didn't get that far. Like it's one of those plush kind of like this one

Puppies"R"Us Flattie Dog Toy (CHARACTER VARIES) | dog Toys | PetSmart

Except its a different pattern (but it's like that) and the body (not the legs) is stuffed. The feet are flat and she ate like a small piece of the feet(not stuffing). She pooped yesterday morning but that was it. I gave her a small layer of kibble, heated butter ( to help the constipation), sprinkled some Parmesan cheese and boiled egg on it to get her to eat it. Hopefully she eats it