In praise of naughty dogs

[SteffiS]

@Emily_Babbelhund The big problem for me with Ripple eating poo is the effect it has on his stomach. I would love to have him off-lead most of the time but his default is to run off to eat whatever he can and then come back when he's ready. Also it's not only poo Ripple will eat (as anyone from the forum I've walked with can testify) , I always say if its 'dead, dying, poisonous or inedible' Ripple will eat it .
I know I've been criticised for not letting Ripple off the lead but I'd rather not run the risk of the next thing he eats killing him. He has had an inordinate amount of training, of all kinds. but nothing has ever trumped his desire to eat cr*p .

 

[Stacia]

@SteffiS, that is sad for you and Ripple. I have a friend with a dog with exactly the same problem, eat poo, have upset stomach. Up to this moment Rourke eats some poo (fresh from the Greyhound ) but up to this moment, it has not upset his stomach!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

I know I've been criticised for not letting Ripple off the lead but I'd rather not run the risk of the next thing he eats killing him.

Absolutely and 100% this. I have also been criticised for not letting Carbon off lead depending on the environment. I have a few less friends now but I also don't have a dead dog.

I let him off here in Cornwall because where we go is remote, open and what I consider to be a safe bet. Yes, some psycho could lay down poison, but very low odds considering the amount of terrain. But realistically, it's still a bet vs a surety.

However I don't let him off in Regensburg (too many disgusting things and close to the city - too much chance of a nutter dropping something bad on purpose). Sadly he will absolutely not be allowed off lead in most places we will go on our visit to Spain next month. WAY too many stories of poisoned meat being left out, or fish hooks being swallowed on the beach. He can have a swim as then he's focused on the ball, but no hoovering snuffles along the beach just looking for trouble. Again, there's are a few remote beaches where I'd make an exception, but mainly it's going to be an on-lead month.

Carbon is very rarely sick and never only from poo. He can eat poo, grass and seaweed until the cows come home without vomiting. Very occasionally he's a bit gassy, but even that I can count on one hand in the four years I've had him (sorry @kateincornwall for the other day! ).

It's disgusting that he eats all that, but apparently his system digests it all just fine. Yeah, but !

 

[SteffiS]

I did some experiments with letting Ripple off the lead last summer when it was relatively quiet, it went well a couple of times then for some reason he decided to jump in the river (part of the broads where the tourist boats are) and just stand there out of reach. Then he tried to force his way through a fence into a field of cows with calves so back on the lead he went.
The next time he went along the river he tried to jump in again but OH was holding the lead and wasn’t best pleased to nearly go in with him.