Ask the Expert: Dog Communicator: Eating Cigarette Butts

Q: How do I get my dog from eating things she is not supposed to, mainly cigarette butts?

She gets the cigarette butts from the local dog park, and it has become quite a problem. Her vet is very concerned and has told me to muzzle her or just not take her. However she is a young boxer and has plenty of energy to spare so not taking her is not an option and I fear that if I muzzle her she'll have a tough time breathing because of her short snout. I do my best at picking them up but I'm not there all day so unfortunately the next time I am there the park is littered with them again. I am almost convinced she is hooked on them.

A: When I communicated with Amore I immediately felt a big bundle of energy come through. She sent lots of love to her mom, Gillian and showed me a very happy lifestyle. Amore said she loves to run, run, run and play in the grass. I asked her about the cigarette butts and she said this is also fun for her and she sees it as a game. I explained that some things are not good to pick up and can be bad for our health. I recommend that Gillian take this opportunity to teach Amore the 'leave it' and 'okay' commands but to make it more like a game than a lesson.

Since Amore thinks this is fun, start by using some of her toys as the bait. Place some of her favorite toys in the grass several feet apart. Keeping Amore on leash walk her past the toys. As she reaches for the toy instruct her to 'leave it' and gently continue to walk past the toy. Be sure to reward her with praise when she ignores the toy. Keep practicing until Amore gets the idea.

Once this step is mastered, place Amore in the 'sit' position while on the leash and ask her to 'stay'. Toss a toy out in front of her and ask her to 'leave it'. Since she is just a puppy don't make her wait too long, just a few seconds. Then give her the release 'okay' and let her get the toy. To prepare Amore for the cigarette butts in the park, select a time or two where she is not allowed to get the toy, but gets lots of praise for ignoring it. Once she has mastered this with her toys then move on to treats. Be sure to give lots of praise and positive rewards for good behavior. And last but not least, practice, practice, practice!

Teaching Amore the 'leave it' and 'okay' commands will teach her whether or not it's okay to pick up an object, whether it be cigarette butts or food on the ground. Make it fun and keep these lessons short and positive for best results.