Why does my dog chew everything and eat non-food items like paper?

Question

Why does my dog chew on everything even when I redirect him with toys and food? He eats acorns when I walk him. He eats paper. The wood on my chair. My clipboard. The list goes on. Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 8 months and 28 days old | 5.2 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

Congratulations on having a puppy! Unfortunately this is not uncommon puppy behavior. Occasionally we can have pica (ingestion of abnormal items) as a result of intestinal parasites or dietary deficiency so if your pup hasn’t had a stool checked for parasites I would recommend that as well as checking with your vet to be sure Your puppy’s diet is adequate. Otherwise unfortunately you just have to be persistent in going bing your dog items that are ok to chew (such as a Kong filled with food), keeping him restricted when not supervised and teaching the “leave it “ command. You can read about that at https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/dogs-who-eat-things-off-the-ground-training-leave-it/

Why does my dog chew everything and eat non-food items like paper?

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