We have a 4 and a half month old puppy - Luna who is lovely and settling in well! But she eats everything when we are out and about and I would really like some advice on how to train her not to scavenge so much. She even licks the sidewalk!!
Hi and welcome , I was about to say that they grow out of it , but I`m afraid my 6 year old Lab is still a scavenger ! I guess I`m guilty of not training this out of him when he was a lot younger , he isn't as bad as he was though ! The method used by many is to teach the Leave and/or Drop cue , doing this by offering a treat or a ball , something of high value to the dog and only letting them have it when they comply . Also keeping them close , so that the second they pick something up, you can say the Drop, or if you catch them as they about to pick up, use Leave . Labradors are dreadful scavengers , some owners have to resort to using a soft muzzle on walks which is more about prevention rather than cure !
Hi @Natalie Jones as @kateincornwall has advised the best way to stop the scavending is to train a good strong 'Leave' supported with a good 'Drop' or 'Swap'. It'sounds not a quick fix but once you have a good 'Leave' it has so many uses from food dropped in the kitchen to dead animals on walks and a multitude of other uses . The other key element is vigilance to prevent the opportunity to scavenge as every time a dog manages to scavenge it is self rewarding the behaviour and making it that little bit harder to resolve.
Poppy is exactly the same at 10 months, picks everything up but I have noticed she drops some of it after walking with it in her mouth for a little bit.
Thanks for all the replies. I think we certainly need to work on some strong Leave training. Luna is good some of the time but at other times she even licks the sidewalk - not sure how to train that out of her! I can't believe how far off she can smell "good" garbage. It truly is amazing!
We had an off lead walk in woods yesterday and I was a bit on edge when I saw all the dog poo all along the pathway through the woods ! Fortunately Red (6months) who always likes to pick everything up, passed it all. She was very interested in oak leaves and twigs and was reluctant to give up a large twig. I am finding the 'leave it' command working by and large and I treat her. She is now dropping a ball at my feet on command so I need to start using the word 'drop' when she has something I'd rather she didn't in her mouth. As with all things this is a 'work in progress' but I mention it as she was just like Luna at that age.
