STOP EATING THOSE BERRIES

ugh. There are these berries that fall off the palm trees. Arrow is OBSESSED. We are long past the concern if they are poisonous, it's been weeks of obsession and they just pass right through. Lots of them. But the obsession over eating them isn't lightening at all. It doesn't matter if I feed him before we walk or after. He knows drop it and leave it and will listen to me with just about everything except for leaves and THESE BERRIES. Sometimes if I go for a walk without a stinky treat to keep his focus he will drag eating every single berry. I have tried rewarding him for leaving it and dropping it I have tried rewarding him for watching me. I have tried being a range of stern and mad when he eats berries, saying no, growling at him, leash pop, poking him to stop, I even grabbed his scruff once and yelled no. Gasping as if he has done something horrible each time he sniffs a berry worked the other day but not today. Nothing seems to work, When he wants to eat them he will. He will turn it into a game when I try taking it out of his mouth. I have tried completely ignoring the behavior. I really feel like I have tried it all. Any help? I have found walks that have less palm trees and berries but the whole lawn area in mine and the surrounding buildings are full of them so potty time doubles as snack time for him. I can take him to the garage/driveway to pee where there are less berries and distractions but I am training him away from that so he will go on the public grass on walks. He ignores other kinds of berries, cigarette butts, and a multitude of things on the LA streets but not the berries from the trees. Any advice on breaking the obsession with these particular berries would be great, outgrowing it doesn't seem to be happening either.

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Permalink Reply by Terry S. on February 24, 2014 at 6:19pm

Thanks so much for the photo! I have not seen these around my neighborhood.

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on February 24, 2014 at 9:22pm

Oh, majorly annoying!!!! We don't have anything like that in the arid Southwest. Yah...I see what you mean. Wouldn't want my pooch to eat those things, either.

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Permalink Reply by Caitlin Randolph on March 3, 2014 at 2:16pm

These are the berries. We just had a storm so a bunch came down from the trees. I think the abundance of them is actually helping him care less

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Permalink Reply by susan on March 4, 2014 at 10:38am

Thanks for the picture of the berrys. I live in Florida and haven't noticed them as a problem yet, but will definitely be more watchful. So they are not poisenous, they just do not break down in the tummy once they've been consumed? I usually scan for snakes. Now berries too!

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Permalink Reply by Caitlin Randolph on March 5, 2014 at 4:08pm

Yeah he has shown no sign of issues with them ever and he can have a sensitive stomach, just passes right through just as it went in!

Update: he is doing a lot better, now he just goes after the berries when he is specifically trying to rebel and be stinker. I tried bringing some in the house for the leave it game, and that seemed to help. I am going to do it more this week!