It’s been a while since I last posted as everything’s been going well with Phoenix.
However, I’ve got a bit of a problem. With the lovely weather, the cherry tree in my garden is fruiting; the cherries aren’t ripe yet, but they’ve started falling anyway. Phoenix, who scavenges anything she can find, won't stop snacking on them, but I’ve read that the stems and stones can be toxic for dogs...
I can’t watch her all the time, and I know that simply telling her "no" won’t work for her...
Do you have any tips? Is it actually dangerous?
If I can't find another way, I’ll try putting some wire fencing around it, but that would block off a quarter of the garden, which I’m not exactly thrilled about. Still, for the sake of her health, I’ll do it if it’s the only solution. Does anyone have any advice just in case?
Translated from French
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Personally, I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a stubborn dog :p. Every dog has potential; some are just naturally better at certain things than others ^^". Try teaching her a reverse lure. If it turns out to be too difficult and she gets too over-excited, it’s probably because the treat is too high-value for her. In that case, try to choose a treat that is tasty enough but won't send her over the top! It takes a lot of observing and understanding your dog ^^. If that still doesn’t work, you might need to lower your criteria for the exercise—for example, reward her the second she looks away and then gradually increase the difficulty. That should do the trick ;). Keep me posted!!! I hope you manage to sort it out with those cherries without having to wait for winter, haha 😁.
PS: If she still eats them when your back is turned, work on that as well once she’s mastered the "leave it" command. For instance, you could try placing some treats on the floor ^^.
Unfortunately, I’ve got a very, very stubborn and greedy little madam.
The 'leave it' command is really tricky when it comes to anything moving or edible. I’m trying to work on it, but it’s so hard. For example, with cherries, she won’t touch them in front of me—she’ll take the treat and then scoff the cherry as soon as my back is turned, or even before I’ve fully turned around! She’s a very clever little thing. If she’s got something in her mouth that she doesn't want to let go of, no treat in the world will interest her...
Rather than using physical barriers, I’d suggest teaching them the "leave it" command instead—it's a great self-control exercise for dogs. Then you can just apply it to the cherries and reward them with high-value treats that they love even more than the cherries ;).
Thanks for the info, Doudou! I’m still going to keep a bit of a closer eye on her though (especially as she’s a real featherweight, only about 9lbs or so)...
Hi, regarding cherries and plums (with all fruit, it’s the stones that are dangerous, as well as the branches, leaves, wasps and hornets). As for the rest (stems and the fruit itself), the only real worries are diarrhoea or just too much sugar (especially with plums) if he eats too many a day...
...given his weight.
A tarp is a great idea; with Oxane, my pot-bellied Labrador, it’s the only way to keep her away from the plums and the hornets (who come for the sugar and don't exactly get along with Oxane!)..
Oh dear, that’s got me a bit worried! We’ve also got a cherry tree and a plum tree that are constantly dropping fruit. I’ve caught Jazz with plums a few times; she brings them indoors to play with and I take them away when I see her, but I’m not shadowing her 24/7, so she might well be swallowing some... I suppose it’s a good thing the harvests have been so rubbish these last couple of years—we didn't even get a basket’s worth of cherries!
Evening, in my case my 4-month-old puppy had a bit of an incident. He had a cherry stalk in his mouth and the next day his poo was very mucousy. The vet told me that was very likely the cause.
Thanks for your replies. I’m trying to pick them up, but I’ve got a bit of a bad back which is holding me back a little. I mowed the lawn this morning and saw there weren’t many, and the mower actually managed to pick up a fair few of them. I’m going to try using a tarpaulin though, which should save me from having to bend down too much. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll just block off the bottom of the garden.
I really didn't think this cherry tree would be an issue; it's so hard to think of everything when it comes to our pups!
