1st May 2006

Can we prevent our Weimaraner from constantly picking things up in his mouth?

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Question:

Jambo is a 4 month old Weimaraner. He is always picking things up in his mouth when we are out for a walk or even in the garden. He continually brings stones from the back garden into the living room. Is this normal and can we prevent him from doing this?

Answer:

Yes, this is normal. His ancestors were bred to be gundogs and to be interested in picking things up so that they could be trained to retrieve game easily, and he will have inherited this tendency. In addition, puppies explore their world using their mouths in a similar way to toddlers who use their hands, so it is natural for them to do this while they are puppies. To prevent him from picking up anything unsuitable or harmful, make sure he has plenty of toys and chews available at home. Keep changing these so that they stay new and interesting - like us, they get bored with the same old things all the time. On walks, teach him to hold a ball - use the kind that is on a short rope so that you can hold the other end to prevent it getting lost all the time. Teach him to retrieve so that he brings things back to you and gives them up. Then, if he picks something up that isn't nice, you can exchange it for a treat or a toy, and let him be interested in that while you throw the other item away.