Trying to work out how to stop your dog from eating dirt is one of many dog behavioral problems that are more common than you would think. Tying down the reason your dog does it is the hard part. Once you do it is fairly simple to divert him or change his diet to suit him better. The main causes of this behaviour usually stem from a nutrient deficiency, boredom, an oral fixation or lack of exercise.
The first thing to do is, talk to your vet and if he finds nothing wrong, try the following.
1. Make sure your dog's food is from a high quality brand with high nutritional values. Science Plan, Iams, Wellness, Purina and Royal Canin are good examples of this. Try different brands for a few weeks at a time and see if there is an improvement.
2. Be sure your dog is getting enough stimulation and exercise. He should have at least 30 to 45 minutes of either a walk, frisby, tug of war etc. If he is not exercised enough he will build up a lot of frustration and pent up energy and try to find a way to release it. Usually this results in dog behavioral problems such as aggression, hyper activity, excessive digging or occasionally eating dirt.
3. If you are leaving your dog alone in the back yard, give him plenty of toys and chews to keep him occupied. Sometimes boredom can cause dogs to do strange things. The chews can provide something for him to do and if he has an oral fixation they will give him something to focus on other than dirt.
If none of these methods work to sort out your dog's fixation you can try crate training him. Keeping him in a crate when you are not around will allow him to relax and feel safe.
Working out how to stop your dog from eating dirt takes time and patience but it is an important task as, although it seems harmless, your dog eating dirt can be hazardous to his health. If you want to teach your dog to be well behaved and obedient, you can get a comprehensive dog training handbook at http://www.thedogtrainingsite.info covering all aspects of dog ownership, from understanding your dog to problem-solving to complete obedience work.
About the Author:Eoin McDonnell is an engineer who has had several dogs and cats over the years. He has learned the importance of obedience training with dogs as a benefit for both the owner AND the dog and establishing a happy relationship with your dog which will last his/her whole life.
