Puppy eating mud and grass

[FiddIedeedee]

Hi, I’d like some advice about a 12 week old Labrador puppy.

She has picked up toilet training so well and goes to the door when she needs to go. I do take her out every hour but she’s really good at letting me know any other time.

The issue I have is that she has a habit of trying to munch big clumps of grass and mud, as well as fallen leaves.

I take her out into the garden on a lead (because otherwise she’d eat plants and stones etc.) I walk her to the grassy bit and she usually sniffs around and does her business but there are times when she’ll be sniffing and I think ‘yes she’s going to go’ but she’ll then quickly grab a huge clump of grass and slam her mouth shut before I have time to react.

She also goes into a frenzy if there’s a wet muddy patch (all the time now due to the weather) and she’ll dig into it like a crazy thing with her mouth. I try and pull her away but she growls and digs her heels in until I have to stick my hand under her snout (to block the area) and then just pull her away gently.

I talked to the vet and he rolled his eyes and said we just need to make sure she doesn’t eat it but my response was, we do try. She looks like she’s sniffing to go then will quickly grab a clump before I know what’s happened or then bury her face in the mud frantically pulling and chewing at it and I can’t pull her away (no treats, toy or calling works). Of course I then try and pull it all out of her mouth but I’d like her to not want to do it in the first place.

Does anyone have any advice? The Vet has just said to put a muzzle on her whenever she is out if I can’t stop it but I want to try and prevent it if I can.

I read that eating grass helps dogs with any stomach upset but all her poos are fine, is it something she will grow out of?

Thank you (concerned pup parent)

Also I should add she knows the ‘leave’ command and will do this perfectly EXCEPT for grass or mud. It’s like she gets in a frenzy and either can’t or won’t hear it.

Puppies are horrible 😂 Can you take her somewhere non muddy to go? She will probably grow out of it. Mine ate leaves, snails, slugs, and anything not nailed down for a few weeks then just stopped. I just made sure she was wormed for lung worm then let her get on with it.

If she’s anything like most puppies and in particular the lab I had, she’ll eat far worse things than grass and mud 💩 All you can do is prevent and discourage as best you can but really don’t stress about it - they’re made of strong stuff and puppies like to learn about the world through their mouths.

Can you section an area off? We fenced all round our house so our pup could go out without getting into the flower beds and grass. She still managed to find bits of greenery to chew at the edges and was always scrabbling at any soft spots. She has improved! Slowly.

Can you section of an area that isn't grass for her to do her business?

I read that eating grass helps dogs with any stomach upset but all her poos are fine, is it something she will grow out of?

Yes - almost certainly. Just keep distracting or blocking her. I wouldn't muzzle her, I'd just try my best to keep it to a minimum and 'wait it out'.

Also, all puppies are twats. It's just how they are made

Thankfully my garden is stone but when she’s out my lab puppy does eat stuff so I’m getting a muzzle for her. Is there a reason you don’t want to muzzle train them? It’s very useful not only for eating stuff but other things.