Bark chips obession

[5_o_clock_tea]

Hi all, we have a 9 week old black standard (presentation to come soon on this forum when I find 2 min to upload some piccies) and he's growing very fast.
Good composed boy, house training going well and now sleeps through the night without moaning once until 6.30 am.

However, since day one he developed a strong interest for bark chips in our garden and now finds it amusing to run wild for them and chew them. We calmly grab him, gently open his mouth and when the bark chip falls on the ground say 'Drop it'.
Trouble is that he thinks it's a game and will go chasing another one, run fast and hide so that we can't grab him, run wild until we grab him, then he'll go chase another one and so on... and when his mouth is empty after the 'Drop it' he now tries to nip us in return for having removed the fun.

What would be the best way to control him? We have tried treats but then he is only interested in the treat and pays attention to nothing else. Chew toys and other toys do work for a few minutes until the bark chips appeal returns. Putting his harness and the lead on means we can control him, but we like to have a good play with him in the garden without him becoming obsessive about bark chips.

We know he's only 9 week old and still very much a pup at heart, but would like to correct this before he goes out in the wild (from Thursday morning onwards, can't wait) and eats everything.

[GaryThomlinson]

The bark chips thing will pass. I had this with mine. They still chew on a bit now and then but its nothing like when they first saw it. So long as they don't ingest it, all should be fine. If it does worry you, then you'll have to distract them with chews, treats etc as you are doing as well as putting them off the chipping by being there and insisting its not for them, tell them no, but don't let it become a game, keep distracting them until they want something else rather than the stuff that you keep telling them off for. It worked for me 90%.

[5_o_clock_tea]

Thanks Gary,

We'll try to remove the association with a game, as we believe he sees it this way! Somehow I discover that when I whistle he stops and come back to me every time, it seems to intrigue him... Good to know!

[Gina]

Just be grateful it is only bark chippings - my pup developed a fetish for slugs and snails - I had to get up every morning and clear the lawn before Ioli went out - she still found plenty of course. A year on and she generally ignores them and if she does pick one up she projectile spits them as soon as she catches my eye

As Gary says - it is a phase that will pass in time.

[Kuri]

OMG I have a 16 week old standard and she does the same thing. Good to know she'll eventually outgrow it.

[Oscar 12345]

Having to have my 6 month old mini operated on to remove a pebble after I tried to get it out of his mouth taught he a great lesson. Ignore it, just walk away. When Otto arrived we had drive and patio and paths full of pebbles there was no way to police it so I ignored it. He was interested a little at first but I have ignored him and he quickly ignored them.