Dogs have an instinct of hunting and chasing things. So, when they see that acorn rolling around your yard after falling from the tree, they just can resist going after it and catching it with their mouth. Often times, what they will do is eat it. The problem is that acorns can be toxic to dogs and they can also obstruct their digestive system. Needless to say, those are not the kind of problem you want to have.
So, that made me wonder, how to stop my dog from eating acorns? The best way to stop your dog from eating acorns is by training him to ignore the acorn both when falls onto the ground as well as when it rolls around. In both scenarios, you can teach your dog not to eat it. Still, while your dog doesn’t learn it, you can create barriers that don’t allow him to get near the acorns.
Now, whatever you do, make sure that your dog does not eat the acorns. If you want ideas of how to get this done, all you have to do is read until the end. For instance, you can put a fence to block your dog’s passage to the area with acorns, or you can ask nature’s help to clean the mess for you.
Still, it’s always a great idea to train your dog because you can’t always rely on the possibility of never having acorns lying around. The best thing is to teach your furry friend not to pick them up in the first place.
Train Your Dog To Leave It
The first and biggest challenge that you’ll face here, it’s to train your dog not to touch the acorn. This means getting him to “leave it” wherever he finds it. As you can imagine this can get tricky because dogs have an instinct to chase and hunt stuff. That’s why they can’t just naturally leave it alone, especially when they are rolling around your yard.
The best way to do this is to train them with treats. It takes some time, but what you have to do is to tell your dog not to catch it. It’ll take a while, but every time that he doesn’t, you give him a treat. Once he learns that he isn’t supposed to eat it, train him to not go after it once it falls from the tree. Every time he gets it right, you give him a treat.
So, the secret is to train your dog not to eat it. Since treats are the best method, you should be aware that you’re supposed to use healthy treats. After all, your dog is going to be eating a lot of those. The Stewart Pro-Treat is the best premium-quality dog treat. Grab a pack here.
Put A Fence In The Area
Since training your dog to not eat the acorn may take a while, you can try to block the access to the area. The best and easiest way to do this is to put a fence in the area. It will block his access and give you time to clean the yard. It’s important to remember that acorn can be toxic to dogs and also obstruct their digestive system. So, it’s that important that you make access to it hard for them.
You can get those DIY fences that you can install in a few seconds. All you need to do is to put the fence only around the area that the acorns fall onto. You don’t need to block the entire yard and leave your dog isolated from the area. Just the place that the acorns usually are that you need to block. This barrier is already enough for most dogs to not get to eat the acorns.
So get to work and put the fence on the yard. You can also use a wireless fence. The advantage here is that the area is only blocked for the dog and no one else. You also have less work to do to get things set up. The PetSafe Stay & Play is the easiest model to get up and running. Check it out here.
Consider A Net To Protect The Tree
This can really help solve the situation. Using a net to protect the tree will also block the access of your dog to the acorns. The net covers the tree and blocks the access to the tree and its surroundings. It’s a pretty smart method to protect the tree and block the dog from eating the acorn.
It’s important to make sure that the size of the net will be enough to cover the entire tree. Oak trees can get quite big, so this method might or might not work for you. Still, it’s totally worth giving it a try. All you have to do is to get rid of the acorns at the end of the day.
So, make sure to use a net that it’s specifically made for trees. Those nets are made to protect the tree from pests and pets. The Tierra Garden is highly-rated, you should take a look here.
Vacuum The Area Before He Gets A Chance
This is something that you should do no matter what method you use to block access to the acorns. Even if you don’t use anything else. Make sure to vacuum the area before he gets a chance to eat them. If there isn’t any acorn laying around, they can’t eat them. Now, it’s still ideal that you train your dog to “leave it”.
Since acorns fall throughout the day, you can vacuum the area at the end of the day. It can be even a therapeutic thing that you do every day. Especially when you are still trying to figure out what to do with the acorns access. It’s still a good idea to put a fence or something else to block the dog’s access to the tree.
So, vacuum the area before he gets a chance. The BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 is a great vacuum and leaf blower and can resist the pressure that the acorns make on the tube. Click to view pricing here.
Attract Squirrels To Do The Dirty Work
If you want to get nature’s help, you can attract squirrels to do the dirty work for you. They will scavenge the yard, taking the acorns for them to eat. The only problem is that depending on your dog’s size, they may kill the squirrels. So, you must make sure that your dog doesn’t get to them.
You can attract the squirrels with a track of acorns or even with some other methods. Some scents attract squirrels as well. Whatever you do, make sure to get them to do the dirty work for you and get all the acorns out of your yard.
So, make sure to get the squirrels to your yard. They’ll get it as clean as possible. Now, you must be careful so your dog doesn’t kill the squirrels. Also, keep in mind that they won’t do miracles. Having other ways to get rid of the acorns
You Can Stop It All With A Scooper
Another way to get rid of the acorns before your dog eats them, you can use a scooper to collect the acorns. We’re talking about those pooper scoopers. They’re pretty efficient at getting rid of all the acorns that are in the yard.
All you have to do is to collect them like you would with the vacuum. Make sure to pick it up everything. You can also look up to the top of the tree and see if any acorns are ready to fall.
So, make sure to get a dog pooper scooper to do this. Ideally, you won’t use the same scooper for both jobs. At least, make sure it’s clean. The Nature’s Miracle Non-Stick Scooper gets the job done well. Get one here.
Blow The Whistle As A Sign Of Danger
Ideally, you’ll train your dog to ignore the acorns that fall and the ones that are already on the ground. This way, you can relax knowing that he won’t eat them. Now, to succeed, you need to train your dog with the right method. Another method that works is blowing a dog whistle.
The system works with punishment rather than reward. Every time that your dog picks up the acorn, you blow the whistle to let him know that you don’t want that. You repeat that until he stops the behavior.
So, make sure to use a high-quality dog whistle to make sure that the training will be effective, and your dog’s ears won’t get hurt. The acme Silent Dog Whistle is an excellent choice. Click to view here.
Final Thoughts
So, this how to stop your dog from eating acorns. You can do all these methods at once, or just try it out one of them. Whatever you do, make sure that your dog stops eating the acorns since it can bring serious health issues eventually. The most important thing is that you train them to ignore the acorns.
