Bluesman

Hi Folks,
My 7 month old Sheldon pulls at dead grass outside while walking and today he pulled out all our pansies from a pot in the yard, anyone got any ideas what this is about?? It's not boredom because he's out for short walks four times a day.

SophieB

Sheldon is probably being inquisitive and found that when pulled a bit, the pansies move and can be lifted out of the soil. Sometimes I think boredom leads dogs to do these things and to chew stuff so make sure you have lots of toys and things like balls that treats can be put inside and gradually fall out when the ball is pushed around.

My Bassets have a couple of treat balls and they push them all around the house if I put anything inside... and their lunchtime 'snack' is given to them this way when I put bits of their dry food into the balls and they have fun getting it out!

When Sophie, one of my previous Bassets was about 10 months old and I had planted loads of daffs and tulip bulbs in the garden, she had been out there soon afterwards and discovered a new game... masses of bulbs were lying on the top of soil and presumably she had picked up my scent around the borders and pulled up the bulbs and had not chewed any, thank goodness. I think animals know what is edible and what isn't and mine often eat grass!

Boomer's Mom

When I saw the title of your post, all I could think of was some kind of weird sci fi movie: "The Puppy Eating Plants!" Auuuugh, the horror!

Lightning&Stomps

Me too! (about the Puppy-Eating Plants) I laugh every time I see the subject line.

Bluesman

I'm glad I cheered you all up

peterluquer

Lollypop really likes a palm-type-ish plant in our house. Only the new shoots though, not the established fronds.

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Boomer's Mom

LOL, when you own a basset, it's hard to stay in a sad/mad mood.

Is that your Sheldon in your avatar? He's a handsome young man.

houndhouse

Last year when my two bassets were pups we did not have a fenced in yard yet so they were only walked on leases. We had the yard fenced in and the very first time they went out loose into the yard, they made a bee line right to the garden and proceeded to eat tomatoes, peppers and whatever else was growing. I chased them around and around back into the house but not before they chewed up everything that was growing. It never dawned on us that they would eat the plants. I spent two hours in the dark with a flashlight pulling up plants that night so they wouldn't get sick. Needless to say, we have the garden fenced in now.

Bluesman

Yep that's Sheldon, very dapper looking I think

gsally

I tried for years to have an herb garden. If Lucy didn't pull them out and eat them, she laid on top of them.