As a dog lover, and the proud human of a Labrador Retriever, you may have noticed a peculiar behavior whenever you take them outside. They sniff on the ground.
Then, suddenly, before you can stop them, they start licking and nibbling on stones and earth, chewing on grass, nipping at garbage, or worse eating dead animals or poop.
As gross as this may seem, it is actually a natural behavior that you will see in dogs in general, not just Labs.
Why Do Dogs Eat Everything Outside
It is a natural impulse for dogs to explore their world, and one way to do that is by exploring it with their mouths. You can frequently observe this behavior occurring more often when your Lab is still a puppy.
Most dogs eventually grow out of this stage. But while this behavior is still ongoing, it can be problematic because it can lead to upset stomachs or more serious illnesses.
In some dogs wherein this behavior is persistent, it could be a sign of a mental disorder called “pica”, which would require treatment with your vet.
If you want to teach your dog to stop eating everything whenever you take it outside, there are four specific methods/commands you can try.
The “Come”/Strong Recall Method
This method utilizes the command “Come” to distract your dog and get its attention before it eats whatever caught its eye.
When you take your dog outside on a leash, allow it to sniff around, explore, and wander. As soon as you see your dog rooting for something, slap your thigh to get its attention.
If it turns towards you, give it the command “Come” to encourage it to go to you. Give it positive words like “Good boy/girl” and reward it with a tasty treat.
Repeat the procedure as often as possible, but make sure that you scale back the treats so you don’t end up overfeeding it.
When your dog has mastered the command with the leash on, try it again but this time without the leash. Repeat the procedure as often as necessary so that it becomes instinctive for the dog to obey the “Come” command instantly.
The “Leave It” Method
The “Leave It” method teaches your dog to leave whatever food or object it has found before it takes it inside its mouth.
Start by offering your dog a treat in your loosely clenched fist. Let your dog sniff at your fist. You will notice that it will then turn its head to look down at the floor to see if you have dropped the treat.
As soon as this happens, order your dog to “Leave it”. When it looks at you again, give it the treat you had hidden in your fist. Repeat this procedure until your dog responds readily to “Leave it.”
Once your dog has mastered this procedure, begin offering a treat but, this time, laying it on your open palm. When your dog tries to grab it, close your hand into a fist around the treat and say “No.”
Again, your dog will either attempt to open your fist by sniffing or nosing your fingers and then looks down at the floor. Give the command “Leave it” and when it looks at you, give it the treat.
Practice this method until your dog masters obeying the command.
The “Drop It” Method
With “Drop It”, you teach your dog to lay down whatever it has inside its mouth.
Start by taking your Lab’s favorite balls or toys. Start playing with the toy in front of your dog so that it goes over to you and grabs it. While it is holding the toy in its mouth, take the second toy and play with it.
As soon as it sees you with the second toy, you will see your dog open its mouth and let the toy it is carrying drop down. When its jaw drops to let the toy fall, say the command “Drop it.”
Repeat this exercise a few more times so that your dog understands the command to mean that it should drop whatever it has in its mouth.
When your dog drops the toy on command, praise it and give it a tasty treat. Again, practice makes perfect, so make sure that you do this method with your dog so that obeying the command becomes instinctive.
The “It’s Your Choice” Method
The “It’s Your Choice” method not only provides mental stimulation to your dog; it also teaches them simple decision making and impulse control.
This time, there are no commands. Same as with “Leave it”, present your dog with a closed fist containing a treat. It will start to sniff, paw or nibble at your hand.
Do not open your fist until your dog sits down and waits, looking at your face. Open your hand. When it tries to snatch it, close your fist. Wait for it to sit back down and wait. Then, place the treat on the ground for it to eat.
Increase the time between keeping the treat hidden and placing it down on the floor to improve your dog’s impulse control.
These methods can help you to teach your dog not to eat everything it sees when you take it out on walks. Take note though that these methods may not work at some times. However, always stay patient and be consistent in teaching these training methods.
