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I have a pure-bred Catahoula dog. He is 80lbs and just turned 1yr old. I can't give him bedding because he eats it. He literally eats everything his bedding (he pooped out the bedding all over the yard, his rope toys, he eats them (can't give those to him any more), I even tried a tough rubber mat for him to lay on - nope, he ate part of it before I took it away.

He eats regularly his dog food, he gets plenty of water and regular exercise. He isn't alone because I have another dog that he also plays with, as well as 2 cats (such a happy blended family that I have). But I can't get him to stop eating Everything. I can't turn my back for even one minute - it is getting to be too much. Lately I have had 2 episodes where there was explosive diarrhoea from his crate - he sleeps in there. It is more like a giant pen - but I can't trust him out in the house overnight not to eat things, so I put him in his pen overnight, as well as my other dog- she goes into her crate too (so they are both treated the same) but he loves her crate, he sleeps, and naps in his pen during the day too when he is out and about - so I don't think it has anything to do with that. What do I do?

We walk him 2x a day, we take him for hikes a few times a week as well, we play with him daily. What more could it be? He poops random objects. He has torn apart all of his toys, we have gotten the big king toys to chew on and put treats inside for him to play with for a while. I know this is like a run on, but I want you to know that I have done almost everything I can think of to keep him from eating anything that is in his sight.

JoJo
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Sounds to me like you have a very bored dog - Catahoula's are working dogs, they are very smart and need constant entertainment. A friend of mine has one, her routine is on the lines of this.

Morning - go to park for 1.5 hours of off leash running, chasing, exercise.

Lunch time - Dog walker comes by for mid-day walks

Supper time - Doggy sports, every day is something new - she does: fly-ball, dog diving, K9 Agility and disc dog.

You will need foraging toys for meal times or to give when not around, they usually figure these out quickly but it will give you some time to relax.

These dogs are meant for active people, if you give enough exercise and mental stimulation it will help with the destructive behaviors.

In the meantime I recommend putting him on pet insurance, he's a foreign body surgery waiting to happen. Also to buy a basket muzzle to prevent him from destroying objects, this should only be worn under supervision.

Rebecca RVT
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