Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My puppy is eating rocks. Why do they do this and is it dangerous?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chesapeake Bay Retriever | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 13 days old | 15 lbs

Why does my 15 week old puppy try to eat rocks?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on July 28th, 2017

Puppies absolutely do like to get into things they shouldn't, as frustrating as this can be. Exploring their environment, including rocks, is in most cases a normal developmental stage. To keep Atlas safe from the possible harmful effects of eating or chewing on rocks, such as broken teeth or intestinal concerns after ingestion, such as blockage, try to remove rocks from her environment as much as possible. One reason why puppies are known for their destructive or explorative tendencies is they are in need of more stimulation, or experience anxiety when separated from you. There currently are several toys on the market which will interact with Atlas and release treats, that can be used while you are out. Atlas also possibly benefit from plenty of exercise, as well as puppy socialisation classes. Though less likely, there is also a possibility that Atlas could have something else wrong that causes him to seek out strange foods. For instance, metabolic disorders, parasites, and vitamin deficiencies can all be underlying causes. In order to rule out these causes a trip to the veterinarian would be needed. The vet would check on the parameters of Atlas's blood, and check a fecal sample for parasites. Hope that was a helpful answer! Warmest regards and best of luck to you both

Vote icon

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Some pets like the texture of rocks. Also puppies at this age may still be teething. I would try to replace the rocks with a textured toy from your local pet store or a Kong toy to keep him busy longer. Also keeping him away from rocks is highly advised before he accidentally swallows a big piece, causing an intestinal obstruction. Best wishes and take care.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on July 28th, 2017

    He may be doing it out of curiosity, boredom or in an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency. It could also be simple playing. Review his diet or feed a good quality puppy food. Offer plenty of toys to chase and chew. Correct the behavior immediately when you see it. Offer an alternative and appropriate object to chew on or play with. Praise and reward him when he complies. Be consistent and be watchful. A rock or rocks can pose a risk of obstruction or choking if swallowed.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Why does my 15 week old puppy try to eat rocks?
He may be doing it out of curiosity, boredom or in an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency. It could also be simple playing. Review his diet or feed a good quality puppy food. Offer plenty of toys to chase and chew. Correct the behavior immediately when you see it. Offer an alternative and appropriate object to chew on or play with. Praise and reward him when he complies. Be consistent and be watchful. A rock or rocks can pose a risk of obstruction or choking if swallowed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
I have a 2 month old puppy that constantly swallows rocks. Alot of rocks. I am wondering if its because she is missing something in her diet or maybe has something wrong with her digestive system?
It may due to boredom or an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency. If she continues, she could cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction which may require emergency surgery. Review her diet with your veterinarian to confirm a balanced diet. Provide extra playtime and a variety of toys and activities to keep her distracted from eating rocks. Restrict access to areas with rocks if possible as well.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
I have an 8 week old puppy and he licks concrete and rocks, but recently started eating dirt. Is this normal or is he missing something in his diet? He eats alpo dog food.
This is not normal for a puppy. He may be doing it out of boredom, curiosity or in an attempt to correct a nutritional imbalance. Restrict access to areas where there is dirt if possible. Monitor him for inappropriate licking and correct the behavior immediately. Provide a toy or task as a distraction. If he complies, praise and reward him. If possible, transition him slowly to a better quality puppy food. If the behavior persists, he will need to be examined by your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Mayor love to go outside and find a pebble, sniff it, and eat it. What's wrong with him? I am getting worried that's why I would allow him to go outside anymore rather than with my supervision.
Puppies are kind of like kids, they explore things with their mouths. There is nothing wrong with Mayor. However, I would recommend that you keep a close eye on him and prevent him from eating rocks. Dogs will ingest rocks (or several small pebbles at once) that are too big to move through their intestines and will cause a blockage. He should always be supervised outside (and inside!) until he (hopefully) grows out of his puppy stage and eating things he shouldn't.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Why does my Lab swallow rocks? She threw some up this morning
Dogs often make bad decisions and swallow many things they shouldn’t. Rocks, underwear even razor blades. There is a concern that these rocks could cause an intestinal obstruction which requires surgery. I recommend to have her supervised at all times outside to make sure she does not continue to eat rocks or other objects she should not. Most dogs will outgrow this around two years of age but some never do. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
I saw my dog chewing on a small rock in my yard a couple weeks ago and I took it out of his mouth and told him “no”. But just the other day I caught him literally eating a rock, he swallowed it and all, he’s pretty destructive so he can’t be in the h
Unfortunately, rocks of certain sized can get stuck in the GI tract and cause an obstruction so just watch him closely. An obstruction will usually cause vomiting and a lack of appetite. I actually had to surgically remove a rock from my own personal dog. Silly dogs will eat anything. Since he has a tendency to eat rocks, I would consider putting him in a crate when you aren't able to supervise him outside for his safety. I understand this may not be possible, just understand that he could obstruct if he eats a rock that is too large. In the meantime, I would feed him a high fiber canned food for a couple of days to help him pass this rock. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my pup is fastenated over rocks what should i do to get him to stop
It's normal for puppies to be very interested in rocks and other things that they can pick up in their mouths - this is how they explore the world, similar to the way that human toddlers want to touch everything with their hands. I would recommend teaching your puppy a reliable "drop it!" command so that you can ask him to drop anything he picks up outside that he shouldn't have. Start with a toy for practice - when he has the toy in his mouth, say "drop it!" in a cheerful tone of voice and put a treat in front of his nose. Most puppies will readily drop the toy to get the treat, praise and reward as soon as he does. With practice, he will begin to drop the toy eagerly as soon as you say "drop it!" without needing the food lure in front of his nose. Make sure that you still reward with a treat every time - we want this behavior to be very reliable! Once he's got the idea, you can start to use this command when you are outside in the yard or on a walk - if he picks up a rock or so
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My puppy lexi has been eating everything she can find she eats small rocks, leaves, sticks, flowers, etc. i know that my dogs eat grass when there stomach is upset but i’m worried this will lead to something more severe.
You are correct that activities like this can lead to an intestinal blockage which can be fatal and generally require surgery. This is normal puppy behavior. Most dogs will outgrow this behavior between 2 to 3 years of age. Until then you will need to watch Lexi at all times and never leave her unsupervised in a non-puppy proofed area. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, I have a 6 month old chocolate lab who won't stop eating small rocks! We live on three acres with a gravel driveway, so she's exposed to the gravel all day and night. We never catch her doing it and are with her so often, she has two other adult
I'm sorry you're having this problem. I wish I could help you to figure out what's causing Asta to eat rocks, but unfortunately we don't know - some of them just do it! She may grow out of it as she ages, but in the meantime you can place her in a basket muzzle when she's unattended outside. These are easy for dogs to wear, pretty comfortable, and will prevent her from eating anything while wearing it. At night I recommend putting her in a kennel - she's still young enough to train for this - so that she can't have access to the areas that have rocks. Best of luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Puppy won't stop eating sticks and I'm scared for his stomach I never entertained him with sticks but he runs from me and tries to eat them all the time ! I know they can be harmful to him and rocks can be too! And he has started to want to dig and I
Certainly sticks and stones are not good for Teddy's GI tract. They can cause irritation, ulcers, and can get stuck and require surgery to remove them. You can try keeping Teddy on a leash to be able to keep him from the sticks as he learns what is ok to chew and what is not ok. I also recommend always having something to redirect his behavior when he does things like grabbing a stick. Things like chew toys or balls to fetch can be helpful tools to redirect Teddy's behavior to something more appropriate to do besides chewing sticks and stones. I always tell clients that animals cannot change behavior in a vacuum. Meaning just saying, "Teddy No!" When he chews sticks or digs in the yard is only one half of the equation. The other half is to give him something that IS ok to chew on or play with. Eventually with consistent redirection your little guy should get the hang of it. Keep in mind, also, that digging is a part of normal puppy behavior, even though we need to stop them from doing
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored