# Puppy is slug obsessed!!



## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

Any ideas? My 13 week old pup has become obsessed with eating slugs!!
She is covered for lung worm so that is not a worry at the mo. It's the fact that she gets covered in horrible slug slime that is a nightmare to get off and makes me retch!! It wouldn't be so bad if she kept it to herself, but she likes to share her slug remains! She is so obsessed she will whine at the door to go out, behave like she needs the loo but runs straight out to eat slugs!! It's driving me mad!!!! Any suggestions much appreciated


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Lilmiss said:


> Any ideas? My 13 week old pup has become obsessed with eating slugs!!
> She is covered for lung worm so that is not a worry at the mo. It's the fact that she gets covered in horrible slug slime that is a nightmare to get off and makes me retch!! It wouldn't be so bad if she kept it to herself, but she likes to share her slug remains! She is so obsessed she will whine at the door to go out, behave like she needs the loo but runs straight out to eat slugs!! It's driving me mad!!!! Any suggestions much appreciated


The worst time for slugs to emerge is at night and particularly after rain usually, What you could try to reduce the numbers, is to make slug beer traps that usually works, that way you could go out and empty them before you let her out.

Beer Trap: Make Your Own Slug Pub ~ Slug Off

Slug bait is poisonous to dogs so you cant use that, but using a natural method and emptying and disposing of them before she gets a chance may help.

Only other suggestion is to try to use a distraction ploy and give her something more rewarding and enjoyable then the slugs.

Some suggestions, is get a small tin with treats and start giving her all her treats out of the tin use high value treats most find irresistible like small pieces of cheese, chicken, hot dogs, sausages for better temptation slug wise, but in the tin keep some small biscuits or hard treats too, so not only does she associate the sight of the tin with extra special teats it will make a noise too. You should find that at the sight or noise of the tin if it goes according to plan if you get it right it should act as a distraction and she will come away for a treat when shes out or be more focused on the tin in anticipation then the slugs. She doesn't get a treat until she leaves or ignores the slugs though, you cant give her a treat when shes showing interest or going for the slugs as you will inadvertently be rewarding that instead which you don't want.

Other suggestions use a whistle as the distraction and to get her to leave the slugs refocus on you and come away instead. You need to start indoors, with the whistle and for every blow you immediately treat, you should find she will focus on you and follow you around if you start walking around doing it. When she has the concept that a whistle = treats if she focuses and comes to you, then you should be able to start using it outside too, but again she has to ignore and leave the slugs and come to you for a treat. its quite a good one because that's how you also start to teach coming to a whistle for recall too, so may have double uses.

Another similar suggestion if she is toy orientated and you may be able to also use, is a squeaky toy either a soft one with a squeaker or one of the rubber type ones. It has to be one she really loves and finds irresistible, you can use the squeaker as the distraction, and to get her to come away, and the toy as the reward and comes to you for it, and if shes got the toy in her mouth and playing with it then she cant be getting slugs in it aswell.

The above should be more instant fixes but ideally you also need to start working of a leave command and get her to not only leave, also work on and perfect recall, so she a leaves and then b comes away and returns to you instead.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

I used to go round the garden bag them up and sling them in the bin ain't gonna eat them then.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

I use a whistle, her recall is coming along lovely. I've got beer traps. She hunts for slugs and will even dig them out the ground. In fact she's so good at finding them I think she'd make a super truffle dog.her nose is fantastic! Can't fault her trainablity or behaviour. It's just the slug issues! I've had dogs all my life( I'm now over 25) and I've never come across this issue before. And unfortunately May garden is slug heaven.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Could you take her out on lead after dark ? That way you'd have more control.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

I do also get rid of the ones I find, but she finds the ones I don't? I have tried distraction, toys, food other scents but as soon as my backs turned she's on the hunt.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Lilmiss said:


> I do also get rid of the ones I find, but she finds the ones I don't? I have tried distraction, toys, food other scents but as soon as my backs turned she's on the hunt.


If you have truly tried all the other things suggested, then the only other thing if you haven't already is to either take her out on lead and walk her around under control to toilet as someone else has suggested, or have her on a short long line or extendable, and interrupt her with a firm Ahh Ahh and reel her in away from them if she wont stop and come away.Very worst ways only other suggestion is to habituate and train her to accept and wear a muzzle when she goes out to toilet to stop her eating them, not an ideal solution granted but if nothing else will truly work then sometimes needs must.


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## El Cid (Apr 19, 2014)

Can you place a slug for your dog to eat, and cover it with something that tastes foul?
Just an idea, you will have to research what is safe to cover the slugs in. There are not many things that dogs do not like


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

I do take her in garden on the lead but it's not always easy last thing at night. Think I'll try burying treats/ toys tomorrow, see if she'll hunt them instead. Don't want to use a muzzle. Will research foul tasting safe slug covering lol


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

El Cid said:


> Can you place a slug for your dog to eat, and cover it with something that tastes foul?
> Just an idea, you will have to research what is safe to cover the slugs in. There are not many things that dogs do not like


I know a lot of dogs don't like lemon juice either the smell or taste so that may be worth a go not pleasant but harmless.

There is bitter apple spray that is said to stop dogs chewing, but that seems to get varying results, Ive heard of it working completely, only working when newly sprayed and wet, and even dogs that quite like the taste, but may be worth a go.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

Thanks for your suggestions, I'm determined to find something that works as I'm really not liking the my gag reflex working overtime. Will give Lemon juice a go.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm determined to stop this as I'm not liking my gag reflex working overtime. Will give lemon juice a try tomorrow


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## Yourgifts Ourgifts (Apr 12, 2009)

I usually get the golf club out and hit them into the field...good practice to..:yikes:


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

I can sympathise with you, when my Luna was a pup she had a thing for eating slugs! She would often get them stuck in the roof of her mouth & I would have to prise them out:yikes: Disgusting! This was 14 years ago & I didnt even know the dangers of lung worm, let alone give her preventative treatment. Thankfully she suffered no ill effects & she grew out of the disgusting habit!:thumbsup:


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm sorry but I can't see the problem with taking the pup out on a lead ? Outside last thing , quick wee and back inside to bed. Surely she;s too young to be wandering around in the dark on her own anyway.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

As I said I do take her outside on the lead, but it's not always convenient last thing at night. The area my pup has access to is safe, enclosed and also has an outside light, so she is not wandering around in the dark and I have full sight of her at all times. At what age would you suggest was suitable for her to be outside on her own, in the dark?


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

My dog is 10 years old and I still watch her from the door when she goes out in the dark . We have security lighting in the garden and if she goes out of range of those I call her back. I just don't feel it's very safe to let her wander - out for a last wee, back in , small treat and bed.
She did start wandering to the end of the garden out of view a few weeks ago , turned out she'd found a tasty morsel on the compost heap, ( remnants of a cooked ham bone nearly as big as her ! ) so I've been more vigilant since then. 
Maybe I'm being over anxious but I just don't feel safe leaving her to her own devices in the dark.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

These could be worth a try - natural slug control
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slug-Nemato...id=1402835835&sr=8-1&keywords=nematodes+slugs
Slug nematodes

I hate the slimy little &?><@]££ s !


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## Kathy J (Jun 1, 2012)

SusieRainbow said:


> My dog is 10 years old and I still watch her from the door when she goes out in the dark . We have security lighting in the garden and if she goes out of range of those I call her back. I just don't feel it's very safe to let her wander - out for a last wee, back in , small treat and bed.
> She did start wandering to the end of the garden out of view a few weeks ago , turned out she'd found a tasty morsel on the compost heap, ( remnants of a cooked ham bone nearly as big as her ! ) so I've been more vigilant since then.
> Maybe I'm being over anxious but I just don't feel safe leaving her to her own devices in the dark.


Totally agree with you here.
My youngster has suddenly developed a great interest in all natural life forms and doesn't like to come in from the garden at night until he's carefully searched out every little creeply crawly that he possibly can. 
Millipedes and woodlice , beetles and most flying insects, I can cope with when he brings them in, delightedly presenting me with his latest interesting find. But spiders ..... ugh! they turn me to jelly inside and it's very difficult because I always feel that I have to catch them and put them outside again to resume their lives.
I watch him like a hawk for last wees and as soon as he's relieved himself I pretend I've found something interesting on the kitchen floor so he comes straight in to investigate that.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

So far so good, the slug obsession appears to have stopped. I buried treats and hung material with different scents on. Little miss seems to have forgotten all about the slimy horrors. 4 days now with no slug munching! She is more interested in hunting for new and interesting smells. I really hope this has stopped her obsession. Fingers crossed.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

That's great news !
Did you see my post on Slug Nematodes by the way - natural slug control ? Sounds a good idea if you have heavy infestation , I'm thinking of getting some.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

I did, thank you. I am keeping it in mind and if the obsession crops up again I will look into getting some. Fingers crossed we've cracked it tho.


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

Only had one slug slip up. Seems my creativity has done the job. Although the last slug was the fattest, juiciest slug she could find! She greeted me with slug slime/ strings oozing out her mouth. Gag reflex was working over time! Can cope with all sorts of discussing things but slug chewing is a new one that I hope is a thing of the past. I also have a resident toad now that is doing a fine job of getting the slimy horrors. Long my the toad stay and hope lil miss doesn't get a taste for him!! Lol


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## Lilmiss (Jun 14, 2014)

Slugs are no fun anymore ( horray!). She's gone moved up a level, on to toads now( boo!). Had to rescue poor mr resident toad,dangling helpless from lil miss's jaws. Luckily no harm done to mr toad but must of been a pretty harrowing experience for him . Slugs are one thing but toad guts are definately not on my list of things to deal with!!::eek6:


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Lilmiss said:


> Slugs are no fun anymore ( horray!). She's gone moved up a level, on to toads now( boo!). Had to rescue poor mr resident toad,dangling helpless from lil miss's jaws. Luckily no harm done to mr toad but must of been a pretty harrowing experience for him . Slugs are one thing but toad guts are definately not on my list of things to deal with!!::eek6:


Little monkey! be careful with toads aswell as they secrete a toxin out of their skin.


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