I have fenced off my (large) patio which is just outside my lounge as the dogs were destroying the grass too much and as I live in a rented house it became an issue.  The dogs now have a lovely big clean space to play when they want to have a wander outside and its easily washed down etc.  However down two edges my landlord has put a 8/10 inch width of largeish pebbles.  The dogs have decided that these are fair game and like to put one in their mouths or chew/suck on them. Im obviously wanting to stop this asap as Im worried about their teeth, them choking or just not a good habit to get into.  Ive tried to make the patio area somewhere there are lots of things to do should they want to go out, or if the french doors are open because the weather is nice, so they have paddling pool sometimes, there is an egg shaped ball, they have a tunnel sometimes, the toys end up out there and Im quite often out there playing something with them as well.  So its not as if they are bored. 

The patio is literally just outside my lounge french doors, so they arent out there completely out of sight, however I would like to be able to have my french doors open when the weather is nice and not have to bring them in, everytime I want to go into the kitchen.  They seem to make a beeline for the pebbles despite me saying 'no' or distracting them.  Im constantly having to frisk them when they come in to remove a pebble from their mouth.

Ive even tried spraying the whole lot with antichew spray and that didnt seem to have much of an affect.

Any ideas?  Its almost like I could do with spraying/putting something nasty on the pebbles that will put them off.

this might sound daft but could you stick them down somehow,or enclose them in some kind of mesh?sorry if thats daft,just a thought .

How about just covering them over?

Astroturf, artificial grass, old carpet, even some old net curtain fabric or weed mesh - as long as these lighter covering are weighted down with plant pots or large bricks you should be able to stop the dogs getting access and it'll be a lot easier than stopping them picking up pebbles. 

As colliepam suggests, I'd have thought mesh - obvious candidate being chickenwire which could be pegged into the ground around the edges with something like tent-pegs or whatever they sell in gardening shops for pegging down mesh!

Why not just try the leave command when they are caught doing it and after a few times they should start to get the idea.

I have used this for when the girls used to walk over some new borders we created and just used the off command and after a few times they got the idea.

agree with LJS ...but if no luck ..can you lift them and put them in a shed..put them back if you leave the property!

Thank you for your replies, unfortunately having 6monthly inspections I have to keep the pebbles there as underneath is a drainage channel/tube apparently which also couldnt be covered up with carpet etc.  I might look into getting some sort of tough plastic mesh though, thats a point, so thank you for that, might be easier on the feet than chicken wire.

They do know 'leave' and they will spit the pebble out if I say 'drop' its just that I dont want them picking any up in the split second I look away.

good luck with this.  My eldest knows leave but chasing pebbles, playing with them and swallowing them are his favourite game.

As others have suggested chicken wire is good. I used this to stop my boy eating pebbles. I fixed it over wire hoops so it was above the stones and pegged down at the side.

Good luck. Hope you get sorted.

Could you cover the stones with plant pots, the long sort?
We have a small strip of pea-gravel between our house & patio - it's very tempting for passing cats to have a poo in!! We've found the plastic planters along it good for covering up the pea-gravel.
Depending on your budget, there are some very attrictive ones available.

my boy also likes sucking small stones.  He doesn't ever appear to eat them but just sucks the dirt off them and then spits them out - delightful!