Ask the AKC Animal Behaviorist - My Dog Swallows Everything

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have a 3-year-old dog named Sandy who swallows surprising things. She has plenty of chew toys, but if I leave out a pen or iPod headphones or anything else out, she may swallow it. I work hard to dog-proof my home, but my kids aren't always so careful. I yell at the dog and pull things out of her mouth, but I wish there was something more I could do.

The technical term for what Sandy is doing is called pica, the eating of non-edible objects. There can be different causes of pica including nutritional deficiencies, digestive disorders, and plain, old-fashioned boredom. But whatever, the cause, pica can result in problems ranging from a mild stomach upset to life threatening health conditions such as a bowel obstruction or choking.

It isn't unusual for dogs to occasionally ingest something they shouldn't but if she makes it her life's mission to find and eat non-edible objects, this could be a serious compulsive behavior. If that's the case, you should contact an animal behaviorist to see her in the home.

Assuming that Sandy eats the small objects only every now and then, there are several things you can try other than yelling (which you've already said yourself doesn't work!):

1. If there's any chance she'll have access to dangerous objects when you are gone, crate training is a way to keep her safe.

2. If you catch Sandy with an inedible item in her mouth, take it and immediately replace it with something that is acceptable for her to chew.

3. I know that you said that you have a variety of acceptable, safe, chewable toys around that Sandy can find easily. If Sandy never chooses the toys and "chewies" that you have available, try some new varieties to determine if there are some that she'll like. On the chance that Sandy is choosing items that have your scent on them, try putting your scent on the acceptable toys by rubbing your hands on them. Consider buying an interactive dog toy where Sandy has to work to find a treat hidden in the toy as that may spark her imagination.

4. Basic obedience training can help with this behavior. Training gives a dog something to think about and sometimes reduces behavior problems. In training, you can teach the commands "leave it", "give" (for giving you a toy in her mouth), and "take it" (for accepting a more appropriate toy that you offer).

5. Make sure Sandy has adequate physical exercise each day. Dogs that are well exercised are more relaxed, and they get into far less trouble.

6. Keep a good eye on Sandy when you're at home so you will notice if she seems particularly interested in some off-limits item. And when she does take something into her mouth, use one of the commands you've taught her to give it back to you.

7. Control the environment. If it's not there, she can't eat it. Continue to keep the house free of easily accessible non-edible items that may tempt Sandy.

8. Teach the children about keeping Sandy safe. You can have a term you use like, "Room check!" When the kids hear you say this, they are to go around the room to make sure there are no small objects that Sandy can get. This multi-component approach may not be easy, but Sandy's health is worth it.

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Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch?

E-mail your questions to mary@pawnation.com. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Paw Nation is not staffed to address individual questions about pet health, and we want your pet to stay healthy!

Tags: ask the akc behaviorist, AskTheAkcBehaviorist, Dog swallowing, DogSwallowing, Mary Burch, MaryBurch, PetSafety