Kroki

Question · Dog

How do I stop my dog eating things on walks?

The short answer

Scavenging pays off for your dog almost every time, so change what pays. Ask your vet whether hunger or health plays a part, plan routes and times that avoid the worst litter, and rebuild Leave it with rewards better than street food. Trade rather than grab, so your dog doesn’t learn to swallow in a hurry or guard. If it eats something poisonous or sharp, call your vet at once. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, has steps for Leave it, swapping and rewarding check-ins.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Rule out hunger and health first

    If your dog has started scavenging more than before, has lost weight, is on a new diet or eats odd things like soil, stones or fabric, book a vet check. Hunger, tummy trouble and some illnesses can all make a dog more driven to eat what it finds.

  2. Learn your hotspots and walk around them

    Note where your dog finds things: the chip shop corner, the bins after collection day, the field where people picnic. Walk a different way at those times, or keep your dog close on a shorter lead and move briskly past.

  3. Rebuild Leave it with a fresh start

    If “No!” has been shouted for years, start a new cue such as “Leave it”. Practise at home with a closed hand, then food under your foot, then planted items in the garden, paying with something better than what is left behind. Only then try it on easy walks.

  4. Pay for every glance away from the ground

    Each time your dog sniffs something and then looks up at you, say “Top!” and reward. These check-ins are the habit you are building. In the beginning, reward several times on every walk, especially near your hotspots.

  5. Trade instead of grabbing

    A grown dog that has had things snatched from its mouth may swallow quickly, run off or stiffen when you come close. Offer a tasty swap at its nose, say “Drop” as it lets go, and only then pick the item up. Calm trades keep your hands safe.

  6. Feed the urge to search

    Scavenging is searching with a prize at the end. Give your dog that in a safe way: scatter part of its meal in the grass, play hide-and-seek with treats at home and use food puzzles. A dog with a busy nose often hunts less on walks.

Starting with a puppy instead?

A puppy picks things up mainly because its mouth is how it explores and its gums hurt while teething. Good management, early Leave it and lots of friendly swaps make the biggest difference. The page for puppies lists the common hazards on walks.

What studies say about poo eating and swallowed objects

Eating other dogs’ poo is common and surprisingly hard to change. In owner surveys with more than 1,500 returns, about 16 in 100 dogs had been seen eating dog poo at least six times. The habit was not linked to diet or age, and these dogs were as easy to house train as others, though they were more often described as greedy eaters. They almost always went for fresh droppings, no more than two days old, and owners reported that commercial products and behaviour training had almost no success (Hart and colleagues 2018). For poo eating, that makes management, such as a lead near droppings and picking up in your garden straight away, the most important part of the plan.

Swallowed objects can be serious. In 208 cases of objects stuck in the gut of dogs and cats, 91 in 100 animals recovered, but the risk of dying rose when signs had gone on longer, when the object was long and thin like string or fabric, and when more than one gut operation was needed (Hayes 2009). Acting fast matters.

The same goes for poisons. The PDSA advises contacting your vet immediately if your dog has eaten something harmful, never waiting to see whether a problem develops, and never trying to make your dog vomit unless the vet tells you to (PDSA). Keep your vet’s and the nearest emergency practice’s numbers in your phone.

Typical scavengers and what helps

  • The street-food hunter: goes for chips, chicken bones and wrappers. Hotspot routes, Leave it and high-value rewards help most.
  • The poo eater: often goes for fresh droppings. A lead near other dogs’ mess and quick clean-ups in your garden matter more than food additives.
  • The rescue dog that once had to find its own food: may eat fast and guard. Give it time, feed it regularly and never grab.
  • The bored dog: hunts more on dull, long walks. Add sniffing games and change routes so its nose has better things to do.

Common mistakes with grown dogs

  • Grabbing things out of your dog’s mouth. It teaches your dog to swallow faster or to guard what it finds.
  • Relying on taste deterrents or sprays on the food. They rarely help and don’t teach your dog what to do instead.
  • Letting your dog off lead in littered places before Leave it works reliably on lead.
  • Shouting or yanking the lead when it picks something up. It adds stress and can make your dog hide its finds from you.

When to see a professional

Scavenging is normal dog behaviour, but get help straight away if:

  • your dog has eaten something poisonous, sharp, long like string, or medicine: call your vet or an emergency practice now and don’t try to make it sick yourself

    Emergency: get help now

  • your dog vomits more than once, has a sore tummy, stops eating or pooing, or seems weak after eating something, or it suddenly eats non-food items

    Have a vet take a look

  • your dog growls, freezes, snaps or bites when you come near while it has something

    Get support from professionals

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

Why has my adult dog suddenly started eating everything outside?

A sudden change can have a health cause, such as hunger, tummy trouble or a new diet. Book a vet check first, then go back to management and Leave it practice.

Why does my dog eat other dogs’ poo on walks?

Nobody knows for sure. It is common, mostly involves fresh droppings and does not seem to be linked to diet. Keep your dog close near droppings and reward it for looking away.

Will something added to my dog’s food stop it eating poo?

Usually not. In a large owner survey, the reported success of commercial products was close to zero. Management works better: a lead near droppings and a clean garden.

My dog guards what it finds: how do I get it back safely?

Stay calm and don’t reach in. Toss a few tasty treats on the ground away from the item, pick it up while your dog eats them, and ask a behaviour professional for help if your dog growls or snaps.

How do I stop my dog eating rubbish on walks?

Avoid the worst spots, keep your dog close where litter collects and reward every look away from the ground. Leave it, practised at home first, gives you a cue for the moments you can’t avoid.

Can my dog go off lead if it scavenges?

Only in clean, safe places once Leave it works well on lead. Until then, a long line on a harness gives freedom while you can still step in.

What should I do if my dog has eaten something poisonous?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency practice straight away, even if your dog seems fine. Don’t try to make it vomit, and tell the vet what it ate, how much and when.

Sources