How to stop my dog from eating everything on walks? Worried about toxins.
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 10.6 lbs
We just started to walk my dog outside. She has a sensitive stomach and I feel like part of it is my fault because when she was young I would try to shield her from everything outside she never really got to explore. Now it seems like she wants to eat EVERYTHING from outside. & I’m so paranoid that she will eat something toxic. Other dogs get walked daily in my neighborhood but they also don’t try to eat anything and everything. Should I just let her explore? It’s impossible to stop her.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 22nd, 2018
If it is that big of an issue, I would look into teaching Snowball "Leave it". You can find various tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through it. Basically, it teaches Snowball that it isn't OK to just pick things up off the ground and eat them, and that she'll be rewarded for leaving it behind instead. Teaching other things such as drop/trading what's in her mouth for a reward, may also help. You should still be walking her, but you can keep an eye on her during your walks, and if you see her start to eat something, move her to another area, or remove the item from her mouth. If she's very mouthy and likes to carry toys, you can also bring a toy along on your walks for her to keep in her mouth and potentially deter on other things. If she does get into something she shouldn't and is ill, having your local vet's number on hand is always best as even the most vigilant of owners and well-trained of dogs can sometimes get into things they shouldn't.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on June 6th, 2017
Strict supervision and plenty of toys that she can get treats/food out of to try to entertain her. She should only be outside on a leash if she is ingesting dangerous objects, and when you are not home she should be crated. She should only be loose in the house in "safe" areas where you are sure there is nothing on the floor for her to eat. Encourage her to play with "safe" things like kongs filled with frozen dog food or puzzle feeders that drop treats when she plays with them, so she can be rewarded for interacting with ok objects. You can also teach her the "leave it" command so that if you encounter something on a walk/etc. she won't automatically ingest it! You can learn how to do this by visiting this site: https://drsophiayin.com/videos/entry/training-your-dog-to-leave-it/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
What do I do if my dog eats literally everything and anything she can get her paws on?
My dog eats sticks, cut grass, leaves and other such items when I walk her. I often tell her to drop it or say no and she usually does. How can I break this habit?
Amy has suddenly become a scavenger when out on walks. She lifts all sorts / not just foodstuffs from ground when out walking. Will not always drop and mostly eats (food and paper). I try not to make a big deal as this makes her want and keep or eat
My 6 month old puppy loves to play in the backyard but she keeps eating weeds and grass. I try to keep it clean but she still finds weeds, leaves etc. Is it really bad for her to eat stuff and how can I get her to stop? I try saying. "leave it", b
My dog eats anything outside. Loves to sniff and chew. She is always hungry. No she does not have worms ( vet confirmed). When I take her for a walk, she pops anything in her mouth.
My dachshund constantly tries to eat everything in the street when I walk him. I don't want to muzzle him, but whenever he eats something weird, he gets an upset stomach. How can I prevent him from being a little vacuum in the street?
I have an 11 mth old Dachshund who eat everything from twigs, pebbles, my other dogs poo and she also eats the stuffing of all pet beds in the house. I have corrected her over and over for the stuffing in many different ways to no avail. The rest of
my dog will put anything in his mouth. he has eaten 2 whole socks once, and we only found out because he either pooped it/threw it up. is there any way to stop him from doing this? (we now know dogs will put anything in their mouths so we constantly
My dog keeps snatching garbage off the sidewalk, everything from small bones to crumpled papers or rocks. I try to stop him before he grabs them, but he's fast. Sometimes he drops them on his own, other times he eats them. When I try to get him to dr
How do I get my 13 week old pup to not pick up every stick or leave on the ground when out for a leash walk?
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
