The dog picks up on the street: what to do?

The vast majority of owners complain that dogs pick up all sorts of filth on the street. Some try to fight this habit in different ways, sometimes cruelly, others waved their hand … But even the most cruel methods do not guarantee that the dog will not grab some bad substance, being off-leash or when the owner turns away.

Why is it so difficult to wean a dog to pick up rotten pieces on the street?

The fact is that the dog is a hunter and a scavenger, and it is quite natural for him to “hunt” for food, track down “game” and pick up what lies badly. And your pet learns very quickly that smell leads to reinforcement. So the dog picks up food not because it is “bad”, but because it is … a dog!

Also, the dog can pick up food if it has health problems (diseases of the gastrointestinal tract) or lacks some vitamins or minerals. In this case, first of all, you should consult with a veterinarian and strictly follow his recommendations.

In addition, the desire to “vacuum” the muck can be associated with overexcitation or boredom. 

What to do if the dog is healthy, but at the same time everything is enough that it can reach? Let the dog eat everything, what will he find? Of course not! This is not only unpleasant, but also simply dangerous for the health and life of the pet.

The answer is simple – you need to teach the dog not to pick up in humane ways. Yes, it will take some time and effort on your part, but it’s worth it.

Teaching a dog to non-selection includes several stages, it is built from simple to complex. And it is very important that each stage ends with the success of the pet.

Exercises that are used to train a dog to non-pick up in a humane way:

1. Zen.
2. The game “You can – you can not.”
3. Scattering pieces.
4. Work with various provocations on a leash and without a leash in different places and in different conditions.
5. Performing various commands in the presence of food scattered on the ground.
6. Learning to hold edible objects.
7. The use of provocations without the smell of the owner (foreign provocations).

You can learn this by signing up for our video course on training a dog to non-selection by humane methods.