Is it healthy to keep my dog in a playpen because she eats everything?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sulley and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. This is common behavior and the concern is that if he eats enough of it, it could cause an obstruction. You can tape down the edges of the puppy pad so he cannot pull it up to eat it. You can also start crate training him. This will prevent him from eating puppy pads but it will also help with potty training. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a teaspoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That looks like a relatively small amount of plastic and it looks like she nibbled at it bit by bit. So unless a large chunk is missing or she is a tiny breed puppy (like less than 5 lbs), I am not very concerned. You may find tiny pieces in her stool within 48 hours of eating it in most cases. Sometimes you see nothing because the bits were too small. The boredom and chewing though, you will have to address. Obviously, next time you leave be sure there is NOTHING within her reach except a metal or ceramic water bowl and approved chew toys. One idea is a toy like a Kong. Smear some peanut butter in the little opening and put the whole thing in the freezer for an hour (or overnight the night before). This will buy a solid hour or more for many puppies. Another idea is -depending on her size and the feasibility - switch her to a crate. Crates work wonders for many dogs- puppies especially, there is nothing for her to destroy, etc. Best of luck to you and your girl!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can of course be an issue as she could eat something tha perhaps upsets her stomach or even worse that causes an obstruction. The best thing is to teach her by continuously letting her know that that is unacceptable behavior. Otherwise, another option is using a basket muzzle when going outside which may prevent her from getting things in her mouth. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly there likely isn't anything "wrong" with Virachoca. With out knowing her body condition, whether she is thin or overweight, it is hard to be sure of there is a medical reason. Some dog breed are more food driven than others and tend to get obese (beagles, labs, pugs, etc). Some dogs eat out of boredom. I recommend getting child proof locks for cabinets. Train the people in your household to put all food away. Crate her or confine her to a room when you are not home. I would also consider increasing her exercise and stimulation. Sign her up for doggie day care, take her to dog parks, increase walks, increase play time. Maybe trying to refocus her energy will help. I don;t think there is a food or a way to feed her to make her love of food decrease. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is important to avoid this as much as possible as this can predispose dogs to things like aspiration pneumonia for example. One thing that has worked for me great in the past for patients that do not eat more slowly with the slow feeder is actually throwing the kibble in a small room like the bathroom for example so that they end up spread out in the room as that will force Millie to eat more slowly as it will take her longer to find them to eat it. While it sounds messy, this has actually worked very well for some of my patients. Good luck and have a great day!

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.

More and more people are allowing dogs to be in their house with them, but dogs sleep about 14 hours a day, so it really doesn't matter where they are during those 14 hours. They key is to have the remaining 10 hours involve good quality time. Depending on the dog, that may involve walks, playing with toys, playing with other dogs, or playing with humans. If you have having behavior problems with Edgar because he seems bored, then I would certainly try to find ways to stimulate him more either inside or outside his cage. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep him mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps dogs busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires them to work. There are also a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games I hope that answers your question and was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.