Too Big of an appetite!

[Bonnie's doodles]

Does anyone have a doodle that eats anything & everything?  My Goldendoodle Watson has a great appetite, which wouldn't be bad except that it includes sticks, stones, grass clumps, & even dryer sheets (which thankfully I was able to retrieve before he swallowed it)!  At this moment he is dealing with a bad case of diarrhea as a result, I'm sure, of eating something that he should not have eaten. He has learned the 'leave it" command very well, but it seems to work only if it's something he wants to leave!  Every pocket I have must contain doggy treats to lure him away from his undesirable yummies!  He must be under constant supervision outside & inside I have become an immaculate housekeeper, nothing in wastebaskets, on the floor or on counter tops (he is very tall & easily reaches for items left way back on the counters, pulls them to the side, and indulges to his heart's content!  He is 10 months old & I love him dearly, but I worry his insatiable appetite is going to get him into big trouble.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned is five but he never outgrew his taste for paper trash items.  We still keep our wastebaskets behind closed doors or up on top of a cabinet. 

[Bonnie's doodles]

I have a feeling this will be my future as well!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

We have the same problem here with Oscar. He's had intestinal surgery to remove a foreign object, and also ate a sock (which he vomited up a few days later). He never counter surfed, and I owe that to him taking his cues from our older doodle, Lucy. I'm certain he would have been a counter surfer without her influence (she was at his age!). 

It sounds  like you're doing all the right things in keeping the house picked up and things put away and watching Watson like a hawk indoors and out. The only thing I'd suggest you work on is the counter surfing. There are all kinds of things you can do, but I think the quickest and most effective way to deal with it is to set the dog up with a booby trap that discourages the behavior. I had something else in mind but found this video on YouTube along the same lines. Its explained well, and its easy to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DSPNTpAfhg

You'd be amazed at how a scare can quickly change a behavior. We have cockatoos and when Lucy was a puppy she was in the kitchen nook with the birds out of their cages and she got a little too close to one and it took flight, SCREECHING as it flew. Lucy was scared beyond belief. To this day she exits the room when the birds are out of their cages which is just fine with me. I'd rather the dogs give the birds a wide berth.

Good luck!

[Bonnie's doodles]

Hmmmm!  Might be worth a try!

[Deborah Brown]

Is there any chance that Watson really is hungry?  Maybe an extra half cup of food would take the edge off?

We also have a 10 month old counter surfer.  She can be relentless but I notice she is better after dinner.  She likes to chew up everything but usually doesn't swallow much.  I can be grateful for that!

I agree with setting up "traps".  We use cookie sheets because they are so noisy.

[Bonnie's doodles]

He gets 2 cups of dry food mixed with canned morning & evening, wolfs it down & starts checking the cat food dishes.  I guess maybe I'd better asked our vet how much a 50+ pound doodle should eat!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

How much Watson should eat depends on a lot of things. Most importantly, the brand and type of food he's eating. Karen over on the Food Group here on DK can be a great resource in determining the proper amount to feed. We feed Oscar 1/2 can of 'no salt added' green beans with every meal to help 'fill him up'. He'd eat anything put in front of him, and the green beans do seem to do the trick in helping curb his appetite.

[Bonnie's doodles]

I will definitely check out the Food Group & I am going to give the green beans a try.  Thanks.

[Deborah Brown]

For most brands of dog food, that would be enough.  You'll have to focus on the behavior.  It's a tough one but there is plenty of good advice here.  I use the cookie sheet approach.

[Bonnie's doodles]

I will work on the behavior, if I can just get past those oh so heart melting eyes!!

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Our Libby was a chewer on everything too!  There was nothing she would not put into her mouth and like you, we had to put everything up, away, hidden and we also put up a gate in our kitchen so she could not get to the rest of the house.  She had the family room and the kitchen to play in.  We crated her when we went left the house and at night to keep her safe.  Hydrogen Peroxide was used about four or more times to bring back up something she ate that was a danger.  Our furniture took a big hit and our backyard was no more.  We put her in training, lots of training classes, started walking her two miles a day, lots of toys in "her" toy box and the "leave it" command was about the only words she knew for awhile. Finally at about fourteen to sixteen mos. she grew up and stopped all the chewing.  She is two now and we just recently stopped crating her when we leave and she does not bother or get into anything while we are gone. In fact I think she stays in our rocking chair (her favorite) the entire time we are gone.  So hang in there, they do grow up!   Like Ned, I will say the trash cans are never in reach of Libby:(

[Bonnie's doodles]

That gives me hope!  Thank you!