Can anyone help me, I have a young whippet who will not stop picking things up and eating them when I walk him.  He eats anything from dandilions, plants, flowers, tissues, chewing gum to other dogs poo!  Basically anything that is on the floor.  I really try to watch him, but as soon as I approach him he runs off until he has eaten it.  At least once a week this is making him sick as he eats then runs around.  I am worried that he is going to poison himself, can anyone help I am at my wits end!!

Walk him on a lead or extending lead, so he can have a run about but you are still in control when needed. Also as part of his training or playtime get him to sit and put something in front of him,  whilst he is still looking but not touching say "leave it" and a signal eg raised pointed finger then a treat if he hasn't touched. This will take time and can be worked on everynight.

Deb

HI guest,

Yes, your dog is definitely in need of some "leave it" training.  My pup is also a hoover, but is on an extending lead, and knows to leave it when I say so (well most of the time anyway) :)  Good luck :D

As well as the leave it command,try a search on google,type in "pica", which is,i think,an abnormal craving for non- food items.

If you really would like thim to be able to run off lead then I suggest buying and using a basket type muzzle so that he can't eat things.  Contrary to misconceptions muzzles, especially on sight hounds have rarely anything to do with them being aggresive it is to stop them catching and eating things. :D

My dog picks up stones from back garden, and crunkes them, goes right through me lol.
Went over to vets last year because i worried if she had any in her tummy, glad to say she didnt.
Since then if i catch we say DROP and fair play to her she does. Dont always catch her though, but she with barf it up if she has swallowed any.
I dont have a clue on why she likes crunching the stones??????????
Jane

My (nearly) 6 month old lab pup has a habit of crunching stones from the garden; namely largish pieces of slate! It really goes through me when he does it but he never seems to swollow them, just chews them with his back teeth. He is teething so hoping he'll grow out of it soon - for the gardens sake! :-)