My dog eats everything on walks: should you take it away?
If your dog eats everything on walks, it is better not to take things away: the more pressure you put on a find, the more special it becomes, and that can trigger guarding (resource guarding) or fast swallowing. At Stressless Dogs we separate safe, gross, and dangerous finds: he can hold on to a scrap of paper for a moment, while with poop or glass you lure him away and set a boundary ahead of time.
Has your dog swallowed something inedible or dangerous, or does he keep eating things that are not food? Then always contact your vet or a behavior specialist. That comes before everything below.
Why your dog wants to pick something up shows in his body. You can see how that works in the free webinar.
In short
Eating things off the street is natural behavior: dogs are scavengers and explore the world with their mouths.
Taking things away or always trying to trade makes a find more valuable and can trigger guarding or swallowing.
Your dog can hold on to safe things for a moment; with gross or dangerous things you lure him away with a treat.
Set boundaries ahead of time with the leash and your body, instead of shouting “no” afterward.
If your dog eats inedible things, always consult a vet or behavior specialist.
Why is my dog or puppy eating everything outside?
Because he is a dog. Dogs are opportunistic scavengers by nature, not hunters: they search and forage for whatever they can find. Stealing food and eating things off the street are part of that. It is not disobedience and it is certainly not dominance.
Still, the behavior always has a cause, and you look for that first. The most common ones:
Exploring with the mouth. A dog’s mouth is to him what our hands are to us. A puppy investigates everything by putting it in his mouth.
Teething. From around three months the front teeth are replaced, from around four months the canines and molars. The need to chew and the destructive behavior increase during that time.
A need to chew that is not being met. Chewing is a basic need that releases calming hormones. A puppy needs about fifteen minutes a day, sometimes more, an adult dog about half an hour.
Stress and excitement. Chewing calms, just like a pacifier for a baby. So tension can also be a reason your dog wants everything in his mouth.
An example: a four-month-old puppy who puts everything in his mouth on every walk may be in the middle of teething. Then the solution starts at home, with enough to chew and enough rest, not on the street.
Should I take it away?
Preferably not. In the dog world the rule is: what you have, you get to keep. The harder you go after a find, the more your dog learns that this is something very valuable. That can trigger two things: he starts guarding it, or he swallows it as fast as he can before you get there. That last one is exactly what you do not want with something dangerous.
You see the same mechanism at the food bowl. Stirring in the bowl to prevent food guarding often causes it instead. So leave your dog alone while he eats, too.
Stay calm, even when it is a bit gross. As our coaches put it: eating a sandwich off the street is really not an emergency.
Safe, gross, or dangerous: what do you do?
Type of find | Example | What you do |
|---|---|---|
Safe | Scrap of paper, plastic bottle | Let him hold it for a moment. The interest fades on its own |
Gross | Poop | Lure him away with a treat and set a boundary ahead of time next time |
Dangerous | Glass, horse poop or sheep poop | Lure him away with a treat and prevent it with the leash. Swallowed? Call the vet |
In summary: a safe find like a scrap of paper or a plastic bottle you simply let him hold for a moment, because the interest fades on its own. With something gross like poop you lure him away with a treat and next time you set the boundary before he gets there. With something dangerous like glass you do the same and make sure he never gets to it. Horse poop and sheep poop can be life threatening because of the deworming medication in it. If he has swallowed something inedible anyway, contact your vet.
How do you stop your dog from eating everything outside?
By setting boundaries ahead of time instead of reacting afterward. If you shout “no” or jerk the leash once your dog is already at something, that is confusing: a few seconds earlier your body language was still saying “yes, go ahead.” Dogs talk with their bodies, and your body and the leash are much clearer than your voice.
Scan ahead. Look ahead during the walk, just like when you drive a car. If you see a broken bottle or a pile of poop, adjust your leash and your route before your dog gets there.
Use a harness and a 10-foot (3-meter) leash. That lets your dog sniff freely and lets you set a calm boundary, without pulling on a vulnerable neck.
Set boundaries with the leash and your body. You show with the leash and your posture that something is off limits for now, so your dog learns what is and is not allowed without a single word.
Let him investigate a lot of things too. A dog who gets to sniff and choose plenty accepts a boundary much more easily.
Meet the need at home. Give enough edible chews, let him search for treats you scatter, and put food away so stealing is not necessary.
For puppies we use an exercise we call “forbidden object”: on leash, with body language instead of “no.” Building it up step by step takes more than an article can show.
Do not interrupt normal sniffing: that can actually trigger poop eating. Sniffing is the most important reason for the walk for a dog, and it is calming: his heart rate drops.
Is it okay for my dog to eat grass?
Yes. Eating a few blades of grass is normal and healthy. Smelling poop and pee is ordinary dog behavior too. If your dog wolfs down large amounts of grass, that can point to stress or a stomach ache, and then you have the vet take a look.
From our practice
“My puppy picks up everything on the street. Should I take it away?” is a question we get very often from puppy owners. Our answer is always: preferably not. If it is safe, let him hold it for a moment, because the interest fades on its own once you stop turning it into a treasure. If it is gross or dangerous, lure him away with a treat and work on the “forbidden object” exercise. And in the meantime, find out why he does it: teething, a need to chew, or tension.
What makes the biggest difference is your own reaction. A calm owner who sets boundaries ahead of time and carries a treat does not turn a scrap of paper into a treasure.
When to get help
If your dog eats inedible things, always consult a vet or behavior specialist. The same applies if you think he has swallowed something dangerous, or if he wolfs down large amounts of grass.
Does your dog growl or bite when you come near something he has found? Then do not start practicing on your own, but bring in a welfare focused behavior therapist. Never punish the growl: it is his warning, and without a warning he may bite straight away later on. If your dog seems constantly tense, irritable, or overly alert, have him checked for pain too. A short vet visit does not always rule out pain.
Frequently asked questions
My puppy eats poop. Is that bad?
Smelling poop is normal dog behavior. Eating it is something else: horse poop and sheep poop can be life threatening because of deworming medication. Lure your puppy away with a treat and set a boundary ahead of time. Do not interrupt normal sniffing, because that can actually trigger poop eating.
Should I teach my dog “drop it”?
That is useful, but it only works with trading, not with taking. You offer something of higher value and say “drop it” at the moment he lets go. Practice at home with toys first, and in the beginning, do not take the toy away.
Should I shout “no” when he picks something up?
Preferably not. Shouting “no” afterward is confusing, because your body language said “yes” first. You can use the hand signal as a replacement for “no”: a low, open hand without eye contact. On top of that, set boundaries ahead of time with the leash and your body.
Can my dog sniff everything?
Mostly, yes. Sniffing and investigating with the mouth are natural and enriching, and a dog who is not allowed to sniff can, in the worst case, develop learned helplessness. It is give and take: let him sniff a lot, and only set boundaries for what is really not safe.
Sources
Butler, J.R.A. and du Toit, J.T. (2002). Diet of free-ranging domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in rural Zimbabwe. Animal Conservation, 5, 29-37. Free-ranging dogs live mainly on carrion and on what people leave behind, not on hunting.
Budzinski, C. and A. Dog Field Study, pulse study “At the heart of the walk”: in 61 dogs, heart rate dropped while sniffing, and the more intensely they sniffed, the lower the heart rate.
Read next
Training a puppy without punishment: the four ways to guide behavior
What do dogs eat naturally? How to bring variety to his food
What he picks up tells you something
A dog who eats everything on walks is showing you what he needs: something to chew, something to explore, or less tension. Once you learn to read that, you no longer have to chase after every find. Behavior is communication, and understanding that communication is the first step. In the free webinar Communicating With Your Dog you see how to read your dog’s signals, on walks too.
If you want to understand your dog in every situation, from the puppy months onward, the Stressless Communication Course was made for the two of you.
Thank you for reading, on behalf of me and all the dogs.
Dog Behavior Consultant & Natural Dog Trainer