My flatcoat puppy was a bit of colour at the beginning of this week, everything he ate he brought back up, and he had quite a large tummy. He was still quite lively and enjoyed his play times but yesterday he was really sick and to my horror brought up 3 socks, and pooped another 5 :( they were all the kids socks :( I am always lecturing the kids about their stuff they leave lying around but this has finally brought it home to them that leaving their things lying around could end up with our puppy needing an operation :( sad to think that it had to come to this for them to get the message, but aleast they have learned the lesson now. Heres hoping that I will not have to nag at anyone in the future.

I know of someone who's dog actually died because it had swallowed kids gloves, the type with the string so you can feed them through the coat. You have to be so careful. :(

OMG- glad the pups okay now- and yes here's to hoping they've learned a lesson;) Someone I know had a boxer that ate the carpet- they had to pull the threads from his rear- as they were hanging after he'd been to poop:o Dangerous enough though- I can't help but imagine one glove hanging on a thread and the other inside!

Stacey x x x

that is so sad, all it takes is a bit of thought about what they do with their stuff when they come in from school :( I have decided that I am going to hold back on things that they like doing when they get in from school until all of their stuff had been put away safely. I would hate for that to happen to our puppy, its just so senseless, and unnessessary.

Taiko is a nightmare when it comes to tissue, as it's winter the stuff is everywhere. It's disgusting having to pull someones soggy hanky from his mouth when we're out and about. Give me litter free Germany anyday ;)

Hi Mason
this happened to our Dobe when he was about 8 months ,he ate the socks-one he vomited and the other he passed
It is scary and he still pinches the washing at every oppertunity :)
by the end of the day I have quite a collection of socks and underwear on the end of the kitchen unit :D
Try not to be too hard on the kids I'm sure it happens to the best of 'em
Glad your pups ok
Liz :)

Its not just socks, its all the other stuff too. They leave their pens, shoes, toys, sweet wrappers, I can hear myself saying the same old things everyday. laundry basket for laundry, bin for rubbish, bedrooms for toys, cupboard for shoes and coats, school bags for pens, pencils and rubbers. :( it seems a never ending nag somedays. I am hoping that this time they understand that their actions could lead to very serious consequences, and I would like not to have to go around picking up after them all the time :( they are not babies any more and should be taking responsibility for their own things now, I am after all their mum not their slave. Ooh, I feel better for that :) sorry for ranting but I do feel better, thanks for listening :D Sarah

You're welcome and if it's any consolation it sounds like you and I make the same speach's :D :D so you're not on your own ;)
Liz:)

Hi Sarah

Do what my Mum did = put the whole lot in the rubbish bin!

We learnt our lesson that day but seeing all our stuff in plastic bags in the bin brought it home that she meant it.

Christine

My Dad did that once Christine:o He got so fed up of telling us to move things that he got a bin liner out and threw everything in there- I can remember crying my eyes out because amongst all the things he'd put two library books in and I thought I was going to be in big trouble from the library:) My Mum sneaked them out later on whilst he wasn't there- Got to admit though- we never played him up very often;) my Mum on the other hand was played up often......wonder why?:rolleyes:!

Stacey x x x

Tubbs are late BC was like that when we were kids. He would eat EVERYTHING! I can remember buying some lovely shoes and he chewed just one of them up :( but the worst thing was catching him hanging of the washing line and eating our soaks pants ! He was so bad he was being sick he did have to have an op and the vet said he could not understand how is still with us! To the day he passed away at 16 the damged he did to his stomach meant he could only eat certain things and always suffered from an upset tummy bless him. My dad did the same you leave anything out I will throw it away and he did! :rolleyes: we learnt our lesson mainly after seeing how sick our dog got? But he used to eat the walls carpet he was a total nightmare !!!! But we loved him all the same. Julieann xxxxx :)

Well, the kids are in from school, and guess what? :D they all marched straight up stairs and put their things in their rooms :D and I didnt have to say a thing :D one happy mummy at the moment, just see how long it lasts. They have all made a fuss of the puppy and asked me if he is ok. I dont want to count my chickens before they have hatched but I think they have got the message :D Sarah

I'm glad your dog is ok. I so wish that dogs could have their say on this board, as I'd love to ask them what the fascination with eating such untasty objects is!?! They are so silly somethimes! Bless them all!

I wish I knew why they want to eat the things that they do to! maybe it just a teething thing, coz he cant be bored he gets enough exersize and we do training during the day and he had a big goldie to play with when I am busy. but then again I suppose they view things differently to us dont they, the socks he has been eating belong to my son, who has a special bond with our pup so maybe its because he likes the smell of my sons feet. YUK cant think of anything worse myself!! I love my son but I wouldnt eat his socks if you know what I mean, Its bad enough having to wash them :D Sarah

It's not just at home either. It seems I cannot take my pup Abby for a walk without her finding and trying to chew a rubber band. I grab them from her and throw them down the storm drain. Darn postman. He must sort out the mail for each house in the street and throw the rubber bands holding some of it together on the ground.

I do hope your kids have learned their lesson. I just keep my fingers crossed that anything Abby manages to swallow is dull enough and small enough to pass through her without incident.

Stacey

Oh no, rubber bands, nightmare!! postman should be ashamed of himself :( I know its early days yet but I do actually think they have learned their lesson. If not, I have a plan, I am going to dish them up a dinner of socks, pens, afew broken toys of the dog chewed variety, and a small helping of burns mini bites. see how they like that little lot :D Sarah

My Collie Retreiver is normal then?

I thought Yasmin was the only dog that rounded up socks that miss the laundry basket. When I do a wash and find any missing, they are always under the bed in a neat pile. Thankfully she doesn't eat them.

I beleive I read somewhere that our scent is how our dogs recognise us (obviously) and our feet being sweatiest (yeuck) tells our dog a lot about who we are and even how we are as the scent changes depending on our health. Maybe this grotty habit is our dogs way of keeping a bit of us close for comfort when we are not there. Best avoided for their sake if they eat the darned things though.

On the rubber band thing Yaz also eats these and hairbands if she finds them. I spoke to our postie, who is a nice friendly guy and explained that dropping these on the path or street could kill a dog. he hadn't realised, but since then I've not seen a loose band. (and he still talks to me). maybe worth a try if you are up early enough to catch your local postie?

Sheilagh

Hi sheilagh, its a shame you cant train your dog to put the socks in a nice neat pile in the washing machine :D sounds quite normal from what I have heard :D what time does your postie deliver then coz mine does not get here somedays until lunchtime!! but he is very good and does not drop the rubber bands so maybe he is a dog owner :) Sarah

Tee-Hee!

Yasmin doing the washing! Now that would be training! I have an early post that arrives from about 6.30am to 8am weekdays. I'm only a few minutes walk from the depot and I guess one of the first streets to be delivered. It's no fun though on days off when he has something too big for the letterbox. maybe he humoured me on the rubber band thing as he has met me in my dressing gown with my brood of 4 dancing at my heels! :)

Sheilagh

well, its worth a try, might give it ago myself. might stop him from eating them :D perhaps if I give our pup something else of my sons that really smells of him he would stop eating his socks, its worth a go,would a jumper or old sweat shirt do? to big to swallow unless he starts ripping it up I suppose! I will try and find something that is indestructable that smells of my son, cant think what at the moment though :D Sarah

had the other pickers-up in fits of laughter yesterday when Tilda decided to do a poo and produced half my best teacloth! :-)
........still waiting for the rest......

She once ate a lead and produced it in the ring at Bath Champ Show, and it went on...and on....and on.......

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

RE giving the pup something that smells like your son. Get your son to sleep with an old towel in his bed then give it to the pup in his bed. They are easily washed, and you can give the puppy a fresh one as needed.

This tip was used very well by a friend of mine with a rescue that had seperation anxiety problems. I also know of somebody that laid her new baby on a clean towel in its hospital crib, then sent the towel home for the dogs with her husband. She did this the couple of days she was in hospital, and the dogs were familiar with the babys scent before he got home and accepted him without much fuss.

Sheilagh

thanks Sheilagh, I will give it ago, let you know how we get on :) Jo, you dog suffered no ill effects from swallowing a whole lead? I am amazed, I take it your dog is not a puppy either so I have got to get used to this sort of thing in the flat coated retrievers then have I :D I know that sometimes they can take a long time to mature, How old was your dog when this happened ( just so I am prepared for the long haul) Thanks every one, your stories have been quite an eye opening for me and I have learned loads. Tonight the kids have gone to bed and tidied up all their things and taken them all to their bedrooms, Ah, maybe I have been to hard on them :( but it worked and thats the main thing :) cruel to be kind as they say :) thanks everyone :D Sarah

Hi Mason, one of my Labs swallowed a sock but it didn`t pass thru & he had to be opened up to have it removed! Glad your dog was more lucky, but you do need eyes in the back of your head with them :)
Christine, Spain.

Tilda is 2.5 years now (and just swallowed the tea towel) She was about 18 months when she swallowed the lead - one of flat woven nylon efforts. Reckon we were very lucky with that one - and the temptation to start pulling was enormous! It came all by itself in the end. Very embarassing in the middle of a show, though - anyone good at drawing cartoons?

Must admit Tilda is a bit of a one-off - she loves sucking on her comfort blanket-cum-vetbed as well. The others aren't anything like as crazy. Just have to be very careful.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

ok. I see that this is not just a puppy thing then where flatcoats are concerned Jo. Well we will just have to be more careful with what we leave lying around. So glad that Tilda was ok, must have been very uncomfortable for her though. I know that you do lots with your dogs, so they dont do it out of boredom, I suppose it is just in their make-up to do this sort of thing, it can just be a bit frightening when it happens :( well hopefully our pup wont get his teeth on anymore socks now that the kids are behaving more responsively for their things, but I dare say, there will be other instances hopefully not of the serious kind. thanks for all your info it has been most enlightening :D Sarah