Some dogs, no matter how well you train them, will eat just about anything they can get their teeth into. This can be a dangerous habit, especially if your dog is stripping and eating the bark off of trees. Not only does this damage the trees in your yard or at the park, but some tree bark, such as Yew bark, is poisonous to dogs and could result in serious health problems, even death. There are a number of techniques you can employ to stop your dog from eating tree bark.
Things You'll Need
- High-powered water gun
- Bitter apple pet spray
- Dog treats
- Wire fencing
- Shock collar
Instructions
Watch your dog whenever he goes out and monitor his behavior so you can catch him in the act and deter him from eating bark.
Spray the dog with a high-powered water gun while it is eating bark and use a stern voice to command the dog to "Stop" or "Drop it."
Distract the dog from the activity with dog treats. Call her away before she starts tearing and eating bark, and reward her with a treat. Do this each time you take her out, and it will provide enough distraction that she will come to expect the treat and ignore the trees.
Spray the bark and surrounding area with a deterrent, like bitter apple spray. This spray is safe for plants and pets. Many dogs do not like the taste, and after one lick will not be interested in the tree anymore.
Put up wife fence barriers around the perimeter of the tree, putting enough distance and height between the tree and your dog that he won't be able to reach the tree.
Use a shock collar. While outside monitoring your pet, administer a shock if he starts to tear and eat bark. Repeated use of the shock collar system each time you go out will eventually deter your dog from approaching the trees, since he will associate the shock with the tree.