Your dog eats everything from the ground that it finds on the way, including garbage, droppings, and other things? This behavior is normal for dogs to some extent, but it can also be dangerous. After all, not everything found on the street and in the bushes is always good for the body. With the help of conditioning, you can wean your four-legged friend from omnivorous.
Germs and worms, splinters, nails, toxic ingredients, and poisonous bait – the potential dangers for dogs that eat anything and everything off the ground outside are splendid. Most of the time, the only thing behind the behavior is the instinctive curiosity of dogs. In some cases, an illness or deficiency symptoms can also be responsible for the “garbage chute syndrome.” If in doubt, you should consult a veterinarian to be on the safe side to clarify the floor feeding cause.
Get Rid Of It Through Gradual Conditioning
To prevent omnivorous dog owners, they don’t have to put on their muzzles. The alternative is “conditioning.” You should train him to step by step to leave found objects lying around.
Your furry friend must understand that it has advantages for him to leave the half-decayed bird or the garbage bag lying around. So what exactly do pet owners do to prevent the dog from eating everything off the floor?
You are offering him a better alternative! If you see that your four-legged friend is approaching an object on the floor and is possibly already sniffing it, you keep it away by blocking the leash (ideally: dragline and harness) and a trained signal word such as a clear “no” or “ugh” form. If your dog responds to your command, then you did a great job. Wonderful! Use this moment and give him a dog treat or praise him in another way. Over time, your pet will understand that it is worth it if it does not ingest waste and other sources of danger.
Targeted Training
The above method is primarily to stop your dog from gulping anything from the ground. But you can also train to condition consciously in a safe environment: This way, your fur nose learns the correct behavior before being tempted by actual trash.
This training method is about provoking the wrongdoing, so to speak: Prepare a path with a few baits, i.e., various (naturally harmless) objects such as pieces of dry food. Then walk the prepared path with your dog.
It won’t be long before your “garbage chute” finds your bait. Stop your pet with commands if your dog wants to snap at the bait. Reward with exuberant praise or a treat if your pet lets go of the appeal. By the way, a method similar to the one described here is classically part of anti-poison bait training.
It will take a few hours of training before your dog is conditioned not to eat everything off the floor. As usual in dog training, be patient and go step by step. If you have any difficulties, you can contact an experienced dog trainer.
