stick eating

[andrea shayegani]

My 10mos old F1B Goldendoodle is always eating sticks. At times, I can't even walk him bc he is so preoccupied by them. He has vomited as a result 1-2x but other than that and a little stomach upset once in a while, it doesn't seem to bother him. I know it can be dangerous. We live in a heavily wooded area so there is little I can do to avoid it. Any suggestions on how to get him to stop? thanks.

[Tracey & Spike]

I responded to your training discussion. But here it is here too :)
We had this problem! I found our solution in the petstages wooden stick. I started by swapping the real sticks for this one. And now he loves it so much he bypasses real sticks for his safe one. Maybe it will work for you! For us it was the best toy we've ever bought. He only gets it when he goes out and it keeps him happily occupied the entire time.
https://www.chewy.com/dog/petstages-durable-stick-dog-chew-toy/dp/4...

If you go for it make sure to get it from a reputable pet store. There are Petstages knock offs that are made in China. We had one and it made Spike really sick. The key is to look for Petstages written on the actual stick with the s on the end. Lesson learned here! FYI our tsc stores sell the knock offs.

[Dawn and Molly]

I have been thinking about the petstages sticks. My almost 4 month old puppy is a stick lover as well.  Did you start at a certain age?  It says all ages on the package.  Also, curious as what size to start with (sm, med, lg)?  Molly is about 17 pounds already and getting bigger every day :)  Thanks!

[Tracey & Spike]

I started him with it when he was about three months old. He has had it ever since. We have always used the large. He loves bigger chew things and because he is such a chewer we get more bang for our buck out of the large. I always keep an heir and a spare on hand. That's how valuable I find them.

[Tracey & Spike]

Here he is enjoying it!

[Dawn and Molly]

Oh my gosh!  He is adorable.  I think I will have to try this.  Molly grabbed a piece of wood off of the wood pile today.  I will have to let you know if this works.  Thanks!

[Julie Kudron]

I don't have any advice for you, but I my F1 Goldendoodle did the same thing as a puppy. He would even eat the rocks in the landscaping! He especially loved mulch. Nothing we did kept him from mulch (he eventually outgrew the rocks, thank God!). We even bought Bitter Apple by the gallon and would spray down the mulch with it, but it didn't deter him. He's 4 years old now and still eats the mulch. I hate it because I know he's eating all the toxins that are in it. I'm hoping you find some advice, I need it too!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

There are 'muzzles' that can be used to keep them from eating dangerous items.

[Julie Kudron]

Are these pet training sticks a chewable stick like Himalayan Cheese Sticks or other hard chews? Maxwell ends up with bloody gums or broken teeth when he obsesses with them.

[Tracey & Spike]

They are along the lines of a nylabone dura chew. Not edible. But they are hard and long lasting. I've never had any gum or teeth issues with Spike and he is a hardcore chewer.... so I'm not sure if you would have issues. I've never used the chewable sticks you mentioned so I can't do a comparison. I'm sorry :(

[Pam Lawrence]

I wish I had some advise! My 16 month old swallows everything in sight. He seems to be getting a little better, but still wants to eat rocks, sticks, parts of toys, etc. I have had three trips to the vet when he ingested weird stuff, including a big wood chip, a chunk of a dog toy and a piece of rubber shelf liner! He's so obsessive sometimes that it's hard to distract him. I'm glad to hear that one of your pups outgrew rocks. That gives me hope!!