Puppy Eating Everything? Heres Why and what to do!
Okay, so my new puppy, Gus, is adorable, right? But the little guy is like a furry vacuum cleaner. Seriously, he tries to eat EVERYTHING. Rocks, sticks, grass, my shoes... you name it, he's tried to chomp on it. It's been driving me nuts, and honestly, a little worried, so I dove in to figure out what's going on.
The Investigation Begins
First, I started by watching him like a hawk. I mean, really watching him. I followed him around the yard, noted what he went for, and how often. It was exhausting, but I needed to see a pattern.
- Observation 1: He mostly goes for stuff outside.
- Observation 2: He's more likely to try and eat things when he's bored or hasn't had a lot of exercise.
- Observation 3: He seems to especially love things with interesting textures, like crunchy leaves or my fuzzy slippers.
Digging Deeper (Not Literally, Like Gus Does)
After a few days of hardcore observation, I started looking stuff up online. I mean, there had to be a reason for all this, right?Turns out, puppies explore the world with their mouths, kind of like babies do with their hands.
It's all pretty normal. But I also found out it could be a sign of other things, like teething (those little needle teeth are coming in!), boredom, or even (yikes!) a nutritional deficiency.
Taking Action!
Armed with my newfound knowledge (and a slightly chewed-up notebook), I decided to take a multi-pronged approach:
- Puppy-Proofing Overdrive: I went through the house and yard again, this time with an even more critical eye. Anything remotely tempting (and potentially dangerous) got moved, hidden, or tossed out.
- Toy Time Extravaganza: I bought a bunch of new chew toys – different textures, shapes, and sizes. I wanted to give Gus plenty of approved things to gnaw on.
- Exercise and Enrichment: I upped our walks and playtime. I also started incorporating more mental stimulation, like puzzle toys and basic training. A tired puppy is a less mouthy puppy, right?
- Vet Visit: Just to be safe, I scheduled a checkup with the vet. I wanted to rule out any underlying medical issues and get some professional advice.
The Results (So Far)
It's been a couple of weeks, and things are definitely improving! Gus still has his moments (especially when he finds a particularly enticing stick), but the constant scavenging has decreased significantly. The vet gave him a clean bill of health, so that's a relief. I'm keeping up with the puppy-proofing, the toys, and the exercise, and it seems to be working. It's a process, for sure, but I'm feeling a lot more confident that we'll get through this "eat everything" phase.
