# HELP- Obsessive snow eating SERIOUSLY interfering with housetraining!



## 1der_girl (Aug 16, 2006)

As most know, the north east got it's first "big" snow of the year a few days ago, and Tober seems to think that snow is the awesome new treat... more than any puppy I have ever seen in my life. She litterally stuffs her face with it like filet mignon rained down from heaven or something... I haven't been able to distract her at all... not with treats or trying to be more interesting than the snow (?!?!), or even a mild leash correction (which I don't like doing at only 11 weeks old). She will scarf snow untill she starts to shake all over (it's about 25* out today) and whine. It seems obsessive in nature to me (not an expert).
We walk out the door, bee-line to snow, start scarfing, even while I'm litterally trying to drag her away she is stuffing her head in the snow and taking giant bites.
As if the behavior wasn't disturbing enough, she then has to pee ALL THE TIME!  This has made our housetraining take a giant step backwards in the last few days.
There is nowhere for me to take her without snow on the ground. I'm not sure what to do??
HELP! :help:
~Aimee
PS- She is given water at 7am, 9:30, noon, 2:30, 5, and 7pm- as much as she wants for about 15 min. and then I pick it back up. She'll take 2 or 3 little gulps of water, and as soon as we head out the door, she's crazy about the snow... so I don't think it's a thirst thing.


----------



## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

Yep, our "no water after 8pm" efforts are being sabotaged by the snow as well. What I would recommend is for you to shovel out an area so it is clear of the snow and make this her potty spot, or shovel her usual spot if possible. Then just take inside to play immediately after she is done and don't allow her to spend too much time around the uncleared area.


----------



## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Boy, It sounds exactly like my young male, but he is obsessed with grass! 

My young boy eats grass like he's a cow. I finally resorted to putting a muzzle on him. But I don't know what to do either. I was hoping he'd outgrow it but he's 1 year old. I'm starting to try to feed more. 

I wonder if its some kind of OCD thing.


----------



## 1der_girl (Aug 16, 2006)

Nobody has any ideas? I'll have to wait until next week to get a section of our yard shoveled out- I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant (no shoveling for me!), and my DH won't be back 'till Wednesday... anyone wanna come shovel it out for me?


----------



## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

1der_girl said:


> Nobody has any ideas?


I suggested, in my post above, that she clear the snow out of an area of the yard, preferably her usual potty area.


----------



## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

1der_girl said:


> Nobody has any ideas? I'll have to wait until next week to get a section of our yard shoveled out- I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant (no shoveling for me!), and my DH won't be back 'till Wednesday... anyone wanna come shovel it out for me?


If you _don't_ user clicker training, then perhaps you could start using it as a negative marker. If the dog is that obsessed, then I would think you could leash her, take her outside where she is going to immediately try to eat the snow, CLICK, and immediately bring her back inside. Perhaps you could make it even easier by bringing some snow inside. By associating the click as a negative (and no click as a positive) you could essential shape the behavior the way you want, e.g., not eating the snow.

The obvious downfall here would be that if you ever wanted to use clicker training in the future, you would have already established that the "mark" is a bad thing.

___
On a totally lighter note- I get that this is a _problem_ for you, but indeed it sounds hilarious. You should get a video and post.


----------



## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

1der_girl said:


> Nobody has any ideas? I'll have to wait until next week to get a section of our yard shoveled out- I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant (no shoveling for me!), and my DH won't be back 'till Wednesday... anyone wanna come shovel it out for me?


If it's really causing a problem, muzzle her when you take her out. (just a temporary fix btw)

Harley use to be the same way his first winter. I swear he thought he was supposed to eat all of it.


----------



## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

I agree, use a muzzle for now if you need instant results. I never have limited my pups water except at night. Do you think she is consuming it because you have taken the water away? During winter months people get dehydrated; wonder if dogs do too?
Not saying its wrong, but just wondering for myself.


----------



## Otto's Mom (Dec 25, 2010)

Yep, Dobby does the exact same thing....driving me over the edge (11 weeks old). If it is not snow it is nuts, straw, twigs, poop......UGHHHHH....potty training is wearing me out.


----------

