Expert: Jannie Balliett - 5/22/2011

Question
We have two dogs, a 7 month old Pug and a 6 month old boxer named Harley.  There have been no major changes in our household and their behavior has been typical puppy stuff up until this point.  The only major change for Harley is that she was spayed about a month ago, and she was fine after.  But in the past two weeks, she's been eating things like tissue, toilet paper and even eggshells.  She's very crafty about getting to these things and yesterday, she ate a pencil that was on the kitchen counter.  I'm afraid for her safety. What should I do about this behavior?

Answer
It sounds like pica which can be caused by boredom and anxieties.

Harley is still a puppy, and remember, Boxer's tend to have puppy behavior well up in their years compared to other breeds.

Please read this article and see if it helps you:

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/18/Pica-Eating-Things-That-Arent-Food.aspx

Let me know in a follow-up, please.