How Do I Stop My Dog From Eating Dirt or Mud

Does your dog really enjoy snacking on a nice mud pit? Or maybe rolling in it? It can be so easy to focus on what you don’t want your dog to do in this situation (roll in or eat the mud), but what would happen if you focused on what you DO want your dog to do around the mud instead? Our co-founder, Christie Catan, thought it would be fun to show you some real-time problem solving using her dog, Otis, who happens to have a real taste for mud from the big old wet pits 😋. (Note: If your dog is obsessively eating mud or dirt, you may want to ask your vet about it.)     

What to Think About Before You Can Start Training

Whether your dog enjoys eating or rolling in dirt (or even going toward something else tempting in their environment), the same training principals will apply here. For the purposes of this training session, I worked with Otis around mud because he finds particularly stinky patches of it extra tasty after a good rain. You can try the same steps below for any environmental distraction your dog wants to go toward when you would prefer for them not to!

But before you even start training, it’s important to do some observing. What’s happening when your dog is around their distraction (mud, dirt, sticks, etc.)? When Otis notices a nice mud pit (the antecedent), he eats the mud (his behavior) and seems to find it yummy since it leads to him eating more of it (the consequence).    

Once you’ve got this worked out, decide what you want your dog to do instead of succumbing to their current behavior around the distraction. I asked, “What do I want Otis to do when he spots a stinky mud pit?” My answer: I want him to come to me, and I will give him something yummy. 

Step By Step: How Do I Stop My Dog From Eating Dirt or Mud 

TOC Co-Founder, Christie Catan’s dog, Otis, stand in front of a mud pit in the woods in Washington, DC during their training session for how do I stop my dog from eating dirt or mud.

That all sounds great but you’re probably wondering how is this ever going to be possible? The answer is simple: CAPTURE BEHAVIOR!! Believe it or not, even when Otis goes to eat mud, he is offering behavior I can use (it happens the exact moment he notices the mud but before he eats it), so I need to pay attention and be ready to mark the moment he notices mud but before he actually eats it (say ‘yes,’ use a click etc.). Keep reading for the basic gist.    

STEP ONE: Mark the moment your dog notices mud (before they eat it!) and then give them a treat. Repeat (the number of reps will vary by dog and situation). You are creating an association that mud pits (or whatever distraction you are working with) predict a treat from you!    

STEP TWO: When your dog notices mud (or whatever distraction you are working with), wait to see what they do (they have been getting treats from you every time they notice mud, so you are high on the list of places they will look when they don’t hear a marker). Mark and reward the moment they look toward you. Now you are reinforcing the desired behavior around mud: orienting away from the mud and toward you.   

The Subtle Shift That Happens When You Train Your Dog to Stop Eating Mud

In the video, can you spot the shift between step one and step two? Did you notice it isn’t a linear progression? That means that even though your dog was able to look away from the mud (or whatever distraction) last time, it doesn’t necessarily mean they can this time. You have to make a judgment call based on a lot of factors (e.g. the value of the distraction, the distance from you, the value of your reinforcer, the environment, your dog’s state of mind, their training history, etc.).   

Some behaviors almost beg us to focus on what we don’t want our dogs to do, but see if you can ask yourself what behavior you want instead. In the video, you can see just how quickly Otis starts CHOOSING to look to me instead of eating the mud. The shift in behavior was accomplished with a well-timed marker cue and some treats. That’s it! 

(Note: Otis has discerning taste when it comes to mud. In other words, he doesn’t eat all mud and dirt. He is drawn to very specific mud pits, and having observed his choices and behavior, it is much easier for me to sort out when he is likely to want to eat it versus just the usual sniffing dogs do.) 

Have you tried training your dog to stop eating mud or dirt? If you try this (even if it’s around a totally different distraction), let us know how it goes! Don’t forget to tag @tailsofconnection on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #tailsofconnection.

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