8 month old pup swallows things whole General Chat

I was just wondering if anyone else had this problem with their pup and what did you do to stop them. So far his swallowed 3 socks all have come back out thankfully. He swallowed a kids squishy ball and had to be made to vomit it up... this has only started the last couple of months so really hoping he grows out of it. Any tips would be appreciated.

Hello Ashlee and welcome to you and your pup to Breedia

I do not know what to suggest about your pup swallowing things whole, except to say please do not leave anything around that he is able to swallow. Socks, squishy balls, anything and everything that he can get hold of and eat.

Because one day he might try to eat a sock that gets caught in his GI tract, or a squishy something which might cause him to be unable to breathe.

Can you please not leave anything around that he might think is fun to eat? But which might choke/kill him?

We keep everything away from him and dont allow him near the washing he only has access to his rope toys and his kong really hoping he grows out of this i am in the process of teaching him the leave it command which he is getting better at

But if you keep your pup away from the washing, how could he have gotten to socks to swallow them? Where does he got them from?

Puppies will, and do, eat anything and everything, but they can only eat things that they can reach, so socks?

Like i said its only happened the last month or so he hasnt always done it so now everything is away from him

Ashlee - some puppies will eat/try to eat anything and everything. Your bubbie is possibly teething in which case nothing will be out of bounds. If it looks edible, if it is of a size that is edible, down the throat it will go.

But it could kill him. Socks can get tied up in the GI tract. Soft squishy toys can block the esophagus and choke him. And small toys can choke, tear his throat and GI tract and kill him.

Human babies choke and die on such things which is why they must not be left alone with anything which is dangerous.

And so do dogs.

Aversion therapy, put a hot as you can find Jalapeno in the blender and then soak it up with a sock and tease him with it like a toy. Maybe the burn pain will make him think twice about going for socks again.

If he is already swallowing them then its not going to make it any worse, but the instilled memory of "sock = mouth on fire" may deter him from doing it again.

My husky chewed on the bottom rung of my kitchen chairs, that part where you rest your feet. I rubbed a cut habenaro over the piece he chewed and forgot about it, then I heard him sneezing like crazy, he never went back for more.

I thought I had heard evil until I read your post.

Now I know what evil is.

And I am reporting you for mentioning such wicked aversion therapy,

Cayenne pepper mixed water has been around for years as a repellent for dogs chewing furniture.

Though I would not advise soaking a sock and encouraging play.

Tabasco is a popular alternative for rubbing on furniture. Not sure how it would work with socks though. Easier to be careful and pick them up.

I can tell you we have had the same problem and the hot sauce advise did not work for us. The only thing we have found to work is laundry baskets with covers and gates for our kids playroom. In the last 2 months she has only gotten one sock, so I think were making progress. Hopefully they grow out of it.