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So we just adopted a new dog, a cocker spaniel named Hershey. He is about 5 years old and is trained to perfection. I couldn't ask for anything better. His previous owner gave him up citing health concerns for Hershey. I mean he is overweight but we have him on a strict diet and we keep him active all day. One thing I've noticed that he will eat anything in site. We went for a walk this morning and next thing I know he is almost swallowing a used-up gum before I grabbed it out of his mouth. You can't have any paper or rubbish on the floor, he will eat that. The bathrooms are out of the question. I'm constantly looking out because I'm afraid he will swallow something that will cause him harm and of course, you must keep the house tidy at all times just so he doesn't eat anything and it's getting quite tiresome. How can I fix this problem? He doesn't seem to be doing it out of stress or boredom. Could it be a habit that his owner didn't kick out of him? I honestly don't know.. Any insight on this would be great!

Hershey in his big belly glory. So cute. The day we took him home.
i66.tinypic.com/jgp534.jpg

I have you guys the link because the picture in itself, is huge.

Natalie.

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Last edited by Pearl City on 11/15/2015 7:38:38 PM

Breed characteristic!

Mine eats paper, cardboard, banana, celery, the list goes on. Mine is going on 4.

We got our first cocker in 1973 - that's 42 years of breed experience.

That was me - got logged out.

You do have to be especially careful when you are out. They are not stupid really though - he's unlikely to swallow anything of a chemical nature or hard and sharp - bits of plastic for instance although he may chew them. The biggest danger is probably bones.

He's lovely and he doesn't look that chubby - really.

Baxter was 11.1 kilograms when I got him last March. He went up to 12.9. He is also on a bit of a diet and is losing .3 to .4 kilo per month and was 11.7 at our last monthly weighin.

Baxter is the first one I've found that eats banana. He's not keen on celery but he will eat it. He's the only one who actually eats cardboard and paper although they have all enjoyed tearing it up in little pieces and leaving it scattered on the floor for me to pick up.

Perhaps try some of those treat dispensing puzzle toys - fill it with his dinner kibble or a portion of it. Feed smaller meals more frequently so he always has something in his tummy.

Apart from that, just follow him around the house and yell "no" "leave it" when he is about to take something he shouldn't.

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Last edited by gaylanstudio on 11/15/2015 9:10:13 PM

Be really careful of the gum on the road ... sugar-free gum is extremely toxic to dogs and can kill them

Oh my gosh, he is such a handsome boy! I don't have experience with dogs eating everything, just wanted to say how gorgeous he is!

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posted by gaylanstudio
Breed characteristic!

Mine eats paper, cardboard, banana, celery, the list goes on. Mine is going on 4.

We got our first cocker in 1973 - that's 42 years of breed experience.


You do have to be especially careful when you are out. They are not stupid really though - he's unlikely to swallow anything of a chemical nature or hard and sharp - bits of plastic for instance although he may chew them. The biggest danger is probably bones.

He's lovely and he doesn't look that chubby - really.

Baxter was 11.1 kilograms when I got him last March. He went up to 12.9. He is also on a bit of a diet and is losing .3 to .4 kilo per month and was 11.7 at our last monthly weighin.

Baxter is the first one I've found that eats banana. He's not keen on celery but he will eat it. He's the only one who actually eats cardboard and paper although they have all enjoyed tearing it up in little pieces and leaving it scattered on the floor for me to pick up.

Perhaps try some of those treat dispensing puzzle toys - fill it with his dinner kibble or a portion of it. Feed smaller meals more frequently so he always has something in his tummy.

Apart from that, just follow him around the house and yell "no" "leave it" when he is about to take something he shouldn't.

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I did grew up with several cockers (one American and English) when I was in my teens, but never had a cocker that would eat anything up! Hershey loves peas and apples. We have one of those toys that you can stuff with treats (we fill it with veggies and fruits) and he plays with it for a while but then literally goes hunting around the house to find anything to eat, whether it's tissue paper to a candy wrap. He is about 18.5 kilograms. The vet from the adoption center told us he was overweight and his has sensitive teeth (he was an appointment soon to get some dental work). The vet told us to feed him only twice a day, once in the morning and then again at night and snacks through out the day. But the snacks aren't enough for this buddy lol. I might just change to smaller meals like you suggested to keep his tummy full through out the day.

Natalie.

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posted by Treestand Kennel
Oh my gosh, he is such a handsome boy! I don't have experience with dogs eating everything, just wanted to say how gorgeous he is!

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Thanks! He is such a stud.

Natalie.

lol Consider yourself lucky that you don't have a labrador! I struggled for years with my first as I'd never had a dog that ate all and any rubbish before, only to find with my second that they all do that! I couldn't bring myself to tell you what they have eaten, despite serious efforts on my behalf to stop them.
The only thing is that I have stopped worrying so much as they seem to get away with it.
This week's star turn was stealing my bag from the top of some bookshelves, taking out my purse and eating all the coins in it, all within the two minutes it took me to realise he had left the room and go haring after him!

What a handsome boy!

I'd treat this like you would a puppy- containment and picking up, but also giving plenty of "acceptable" chews too- if you catch him with something he shouldn't have, offer something he CAN have in it's place.

I'd also work on a strong "leave it". Once my dogs master "leave it" this kind of behavior seems to drop off, and what remains is far easier to manage.

If you are worried about his weight, try splitting his meals into even more sections- so he gets maybe 1/3 for breakfast, 1/3 for dinner, and 1/3 can be used for treats during the day. You can also try old standby treats like carrots and green beans. Try stuffing kongs with things like pumpkin instead of peanut butter etc. Those should keep him full, but are low calorie. Some other low calorie treats to try might be Gerber puff baby snacks and Charlie Bear treats.

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posted by Lilliput
What a handsome boy!

I'd treat this like you would a puppy- containment and picking up, but also giving plenty of "acceptable" chews too- if you catch him with something he shouldn't have, offer something he CAN have in it's place.

I'd also work on a strong "leave it". Once my dogs master "leave it" this kind of behavior seems to drop off, and what remains is far easier to manage.

If you are worried about his weight, try splitting his meals into even more sections- so he gets maybe 1/3 for breakfast, 1/3 for dinner, and 1/3 can be used for treats during the day. You can also try old standby treats like carrots and green beans. Try stuffing kongs with things like pumpkin instead of peanut butter etc. Those should keep him full, but are low calorie. Some other low calorie treats to try might be Gerber puff baby snacks and Charlie Bear treats.

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I definitely have to work on a very strong "leave it". I usually say a "No" and grab his attention to something better but this doesn't work most of the time. So I need to work on that stern "leave it".

I will definitely try the snacks you suggested. I was the oldest of five and I definitely know the puff treats lol.

Natalie.

Could a head halter work while training?
Sophie also is attracted to anything edible. With people tending to drop or leave pizza on ground it is a challenge.
Happily she seems to grab only edible things, I keep her on tighter lead except when telling her potty or busy. (Pee poop).

No yard so it's on city streets.

My command is "Piddle-Poo" then "Quick-Quick" - especially in the winter (lol).

I tether new dogs to me for a while when they come home. That way I can have my eyes on them at all times, and teaching "leave it" is much easier if you have more control over the dog! My lab mix used to do the same thing, but tethering fixed it. Hope that helps!

Sophies never out off leash but she sees or smells.. Things way before I am aware. She likes walking tightrope along the curb too.

My cocker had this same problem, it turned out he had a problem with his metabolism. It started around when he turned 3, he was always acting hungry and would eat anything. He also suddenly gained a lot of weight. Our vet put him on a prescription diet and it worked wonders.

That's an interesting thought "Shattered" and certainly worth looking into.

Cockers have had some history with thyroid. I did have one that develped this problem in later years but it produced an obvious skin/coat issue as well.

great advice above....have you checked thyroid?

weight gain and bottomless pit are signs. how is the coat (sparse)? bad temperament (grumpy) is a sign?

We didn't have any issues with skin, coat or temper but he just suddenly start eating EVERYTHING. This was a dog who wouldn't pick up anything food from the ground unless he watched someone from our household put it there and didn't take food from strangers who suddenly started trying to eat everything from walnuts to rocks to raiding the trash. I hated putting him on the prescription food but honestly the turnaround was amazing.

If it is a metabolic issue, it could be any number of things, not necessarily thyroid. I think it's worth a trip to the vet and a perhaps a blood/urine screening to rule out any of these.

As I said, the breed is generally very food oriented. Gum might be considered at least maginally edible. Rocks, not so much.

Mine likes to chew up the empty rolls from toilet paper. Tyler (previous cocker) did too but Tyler just spat out the bits whereas Baxter actually swallows them - it's the only thing we really have an issue with. Kleenex he just rips up and leaves scattered all over the floor just like Tyler.